Dame Robin White had quite a search to find the right materials to make rubbing templates for her huge tapa cloths, currently on display at Aratoi. She found the closest New Zealand approximation to what is used in Tonga was a strong vilene backing cloth and thin, fexible basket weaving canes.
She cut the canes to exact sizes, duplicating her hand-drawn patterns, then painstakingly stitched them onto the vilene (see pictures). This forms a base template over which plain tapa cloth is laid. The cloth is then rubbed with dye so that the raised pattern underneath comes through. Artists often then apply further detailing in paint.
Hundreds of hours of work – and dozens of patterned templates - have gone into making these spectacular tapa cloths, but it’s what it takes to achieve the distinctive “soft, graphic quality of line” that so appeals to Dame Robin.
Patterns can also be stencilled onto tapa and she used similarly inventive materials when she collaborated with two Fijian women to create a large masi (tapa) called ‘Suka Siti: Sugar City’ in 2009. She found that recycled X-ray film was perfect for the task – it could be cleanly cut with decorative patterns and was durable enough to withstand the pigmentation process.
A video is playing in the Aratoi foyer showing the making of ‘Ko e Hala Hangatonu: The Straight Path’ in Tonga, and Dame comments: “For Pacific Island women, working together is natural, compared to the Western individual approach. For these women, the process of creating something [together] becomes important.”
Children will be able to try out a less time consuming version of these traditional processes in a workshop running next week called ‘Ngatu - Your Place, your Home’. Tutor Tina Rae Carter is inviting kids to bring photos of their home, street, or pets from which they will design ‘kupesi’ stencils. These will be transferred onto cloth using pigment, and they’ll also have a chance to leave their mark on Aratoi's new school holiday programme aprons. The three-day workshop is suitable for children aged 7-12 years and costs $75. Tues 6 Oct – Thurs 8 Oct, 10am - 1.30pm. Bookings essential: 06 370 0001.
Caption: Views from Dame Robin White’s studio: Tapa making starts with a hand drawn design on paper, then a template copy. A beautiful soft ochre line results when dye is rubbed onto the plain tapa cloth that’s laid on top of the template. The design can be reinforced with painted detailing.