Measuring almost 25m and two years in the making, the monumental ‘Ko e Hala Hangatonu: The Straight Path’ is the centrepiece of an exhibition opening at Aratoi this Friday.
This is a collaborative work by senior New Zealand artist Dame Robin White and Tongan-born artist Ruha Fifita, now based in Brisbane. The pair met when Dame Robin was on the [2011] Kermandec artists’ expedition and Ruha, who grew up making tapa in her island community, made introductions so that the pair could work alongside Tongan women on the ambitious project.
“Tapa is an item of exchange, a form of cultural currency,” says Robin. “Every family needs to have a supply of tapa to gift at ceremonies and special occasions like weddings and this needs to be constantly renewed by women.”
The ‘Straight Path’ represents the route of conviction and belief in the face of life’s trials and tribulations, she explains. Visitors will notice a cornucopia of symbols and images, including London taxis, (the late Tongan King’s preferred mode of transport), patterns influenced by Islamic art, traditional Christian symbols and Pacific designs.
Ruha Fifita, who will be travelling to Masterton for the opening, reflects on the way tapa is presented in Tongan society:
“Wherever a Tapa cloth is put on display in Tonga, there is a lot of movement and vibrancy. Whether it is being pleated and folded to decorate the walls and floor of VIP seating at a special ceremony; wrapped around the bodies of dancers; laid out beneath the feet of a special procession or performance; carried out by many hands and cheering to be joyously presented as a gift and gracefully folded up in honour of a person or occasion, or carefully wrapping the body of a deceased loved one, the traditional world that Tapa exists in is very celebratory and functional: inspiringly beautiful, regal, and inseparable from its home environment.
“Seeing the works finally displayed [in a gallery], I am always overwhelmed with the timeless stories, tried and honored relationships and high ideals which, to me, they represent. Like an old friend, I feel a love for each piece and an overwhelming gratefulness inspires my heart to chant “Thank you for maintaining such strength, nobility, beauty and courage in this new place. You exist in honor of your ancestors.”
See more on the making of ‘Ko e Hala Hangatonu: The Straight Path’
Caption: Ruha Fifita performing a traditional dance on the huge Tapa when it was installed at Pataka, Porirua in December last year. Photo: Alex Efimoff.
