‘Ahu: Ngā wairua o Hina – Tapa workshops in Tahiti
In 2019, Rachel Yates (Vaisala, Savaii), then Curator Pacific Cultures, lead the acquisition of one of Alexander Shaw’s tapa samplers into our collection. The samplers represent tapa-making practices from various islands including Hawai‘i, Tahiti and Tonga and was presented as a gift by the Te Papa Foundation, purchased with Charles Disney Art Trust funds.
In 2023, ‘Ahu: ngā wairua o Hina, a wānanga attended by makers, Te Papa curators, and our Senior Librarian, was held in Tahiti to explore and respond to the samplers in the book.
Vairua o Hina vahine: Beated distances and reconnections through tapa making at Te Fare Iamanaha – Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
Dr Marine Vallée Assistant curator at Te Fare Iamanaha – Musée de Tahiti et des Îles, talks about welcoming the workshop group and the Shaw sampler book to Tahiti and what it meant to Te Fare Iamanaha.