28 Oct 2018

The Mata Aho collective's tarpaulin art-work

From Standing Room Only, 2:25 pm on 28 October 2018

The Maori women's art collective who created the massive tarpaulin artwork that's dominating the Oceania exhibition at London's Royal Academy, are about to work on a very different piece for next year's Honolulu Biennale. The Mata Aho Collective's Oceania piece "Kiko Moana" was made from layers of sewn and slashed tarpaulins, and was originally created to show at last year's Documenta 14 exhibition in Germany. The Collective gained a lot of publicity in the UK - in particular, they found themselves pictured in newspapers and magazines around the world when they met the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The collective is made up of Erena Baker (Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngati Toa Rangatira), Sarah Hudson (Ngati Awa, Ngai Tuhoe), Bridget Reweti (Ngati Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi) and Terri Te Tau (Rangitane, ki Wairarapa). Now the four artists are back, excited about the response to Oceania, and what might come from it. Lynn Freeman talked with two of them - Bridget Reweti and Terri Te Tau - ahead of their next get-together this weekend to start work on the Honolulu piece: