Modern twist to Maori weaving

A modern take on traditional Maori weaving has seen the creation of pingao laptop cases and waka huia as part of a six-week summer school paper at Otago University.

Weaving lecturer Roka Ngarimu-Cameron guided eight students through the course, which ended with an exhibition at Te Tumu yesterday.

Pingao, which Mrs Ngarimu-Cameron described as the only Maori weaving resource that was naturally golden in colour, featured highly in the works.

Dyed harakeke kete (flax baskets) and heavily patterned pingao creations were also popular choices.

Afi Tusa - the only male student - wove his mother a laptop case, among other things, out of pingao and featuring paua, which was his first and best piece, he said.

Mr Tusa is in his final year of graphic design and music studies at the university and said weaving had allowed him to channel creativity in a way not available through modern computer-based techniques.

"I think it helps on a creative level; the patterns especially ... I'll definitely be doing weaving in my own time now that I know the basics."

Fellow course participant Annabelle Molloy said she hoped to incorporate weaving into her work as a teacher.

Miss Molloy spent about 50 hours on a single kete, after making two others.

"I've never done flax weaving before but grew up with my mum doing all kinds of weaving and always wanted to do some, so I finally got the opportunity."

Bronwyn Lowe adapted traditional waka huia (treasure box) designs into her work, which was a gift for her partner.

"He has a lot of brooches and things, so it is a hanging treasure box for his jewellery."

Mrs Ngarimu-Cameron hoped to establish a "pa harakeke and pa pingao" within the university grounds to further educate students on the history concerning weaving resources.