Wawata

Pā Te Aroha weavers

Open 23rd June to 28th July 2019

Village Arts is privileged to be holding the exhibition ‘Wawata’ by Pā Te Aroha weavers paying homage to the last remaining ancient Māori sail in the world, Te Rā. The sail was thought to have been taken back to London by Captain James Cook in the late 1700s.

With little recorded knowledge of the origins of Te Rā in place, three Pā Te Aroha weavers, Mandy Sunlight, Raouati Ewens, and Ruth Port travelled to London to view and document details about the sail. They hoped to work out how Te Rā was made then bring the knowledge back to Aotearoa and use it to recreate a traditional sail.

Wawata gives you an opportunity to experience the fruits of their research and, from 30 June, there will be weavers at the gallery creating and displaying differing tauira (models and methods) as a response to he taonga.