Artwork gives festival a community start

By ANGELA GREGORY

A stitch in Pacific time, and another, and another, lead to intricate creations from the women who patiently labour over their craft.

Artstation, at 1 Ponsonby Rd, will display examples of their work as a lead-up to the Pasifika festival in Auckland this weekend.

Now in its 12th year, the festival has grown to become a world leader in showing the talents, tastes, flavours and cultures of the Pacific Islands. Up to 200,000 people are expected to take part.


For their part in the event, a group of women from four Pacific nations are working on their crafts in a top-floor gallery space.

Among them is Louisa Teiti from the Cook Islands, who is slowly embroidering a tivaevae (bedspread), which is a collaborative effort among the women of her village, Arorangi.

Tivaevae can take months to make and women contribute according to their expertise in design, cutting or stitching.

Around the gallery is other craft work from Tonga, Fiji and Samoa.

The items, from finely woven hats to tapa cloths, are for sale. All the money goes to the makers.

Organiser Brenda Railey said the main focus was on the sharing of culture, and Maori weavers and local community groups had been invited to participate.

The gallery will be open until Friday.

Pasifika Festival 2004
Saturday March 13, 9.00am - 6.00pm
Western Springs Lakeside and Stadium
Great North Rd, Auckland


Herald Feature: Pasifika Festival

Auckland City Pasifika Festival webpage