Rokahurihia Ngarimu-Cameron
Te Whanau-a-Āpanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Awa, Te Ārawa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Airihi
I was born in Opōtiki in the late 1940’s and lived with my kuia, Roka, and Mother Te Oti in a whare ponga at Hāwai in the rohe of Te Whanau-a-Āpanui. Weaving was a necessary part of our daily exsistance and the importance of harakeke was immeasurable. From that time until now, weaving has played an essential role in my life and is a medium through which I am able to express myself as a Māori woman, upholding the significance of weaving within our culture.
Four generations of my whanau are weavers today, reflecting traditional and contemporary techniques. Weaving is god-sent, handed down from our Tupuna. Not only has this artform woven the generations together, weaving has connected and strengthened ties to many people with whom I have worked — as a mother, care-giver, artist, and trained social worker.
My new direction focuses on the translation of traditional off-loom hand-woven
garments into a contemporary art practice of loom weaving using flax fibre. This
direction emerged as the result of a two year project undertaken for a Master
of Fine Arts Degree with The Textiles Section of the School of Art at the Te
Kura Matatini ki Otago – Otago Polytechnic. I needed to develope my own technique
to weave individual strands of harakeke (flax) fibre on a loom. The process is
not just about the construction. It begins when you first collect the material.
The unique qualities of the harakeke fuelled my desire to experiment and to push the possibilities of the fibre even further using western technology. I refer to this fibre as Te Aho Ora, The Thread of Life. Not only has Te Aho Ora clothed our people for generations, it has been instrumental through its form in maintaining the adaptability and preservation of our art and our people.
“Tihei Aho Ora”
