MATARIKI 2025: Ruaruawhetū – Weaving Design Celebrating the Stars 

Exhibiting Artists

Abby Turbott	Julie Ann Paerau
Aleisha Roulston	Kiriana O’Connell
Amber Fonua	Lucia Hemara
Annitta Whiu-Cleal	Te Wairua Palalagi
Alvina Sciascia-Bizaoui	Tereana Shortland
Brenda Railey	Terehia Walker (Guest Curator)
Cathy Denne	Theresa Fox
Clara-mae Tukerangi	Vannessa Kerr
Dina Tiare Mcleod

About the Exhibition

Ruaruawhetū – Weaving Design Celebrating the Stars features work from 17 artists, spanning individual and collectively-produced raranga (weaving). Coming from across the motu, the artists will also share their knowledge of raranga (weaving) through an Artist Talk and a series of weaving workshops.

Exhibition visitors are invited to experience and interact with different weaving patterns related to and embracing the 9 stars of Matariki and sharing in matauranga Māori. The exhibition is guest curated by Terehia Walker, an upcoming raranga artist of Ngā Puhi, Tainui and Te Atiawa descent, with her husband Ngahiwi Walker as the supporting cultural advisor/Kaumatua and whaikairo artist.  

Matariki – the Māori New Year – is a time for reflection, renewal, looking forward to the new year and celebrating the interconnectedness of people and the natural world. In Te Reo Māori, “whenua” represents the land and all its natural resources, many of which are celebrated during Matariki for their importance in Māori culture and traditions. 

This celebration highlights significant resources such as; 

Harakeke (New Zealand Flax): highly valued in Māori culture and used for its strong fibres, medicinal properties, and as a food source. Its leaves and roots are used to make traditional medicines, while its fibres are used to create strong ropes, baskets, and clothing. Matariki is a time to celebrate the harvest and the abundance of kai (food) from the whenua such as kumara (sweet potato), taro, and puha (thistle). 

Rongoā (Medicinal Plants): Many native plants are used in traditional Māori medicine, including kawakawa, horopito, and manuka. These plants are valued for their healing properties and are often used to treat a range of ailments. 

Tānekaha (Celery Pine): Tānekaha is a native tree with edible seeds and leaves. Its wood is also valued for carving and building. 

Pūriri (Pūriri Tree): Pūriri is a native tree with edible berries and leaves. Its wood is also used for carving and building. 

Kauri (Kauri Tree): Kauri is a large, ancient tree native to New Zealand. Its wood is highly valued for carving and building, and its resin is used to make traditional Māori medicines. 

Kōwhai (Kōwhai Tree): Kōwhai is a native tree with bright yellow flowers and edible seeds. Its wood is also used for carving and building. 

By acknowledging the importance of these resources, Māori connect with their culture, their language, and their environment in a meaningful way. The principle of Kaitiakitanga, meaning guardianship, reminds us of our responsibility to protect and sustain the whenua for future generations—an ethos woven into the very fabric of this exhibition. 

Workshop Series & Curator’s Kōrero

Saturday 5 July	11am-12pm	Curator’s Kōrero with Terehia Walker	Register Here
Saturday 12 July	10am-2pm	Kupenga Raranga Workshop with Annitta Whiu-Cleal & Kiriana O’Connell	Register Here
Saturday 19 July	10am-2pm	Raranga Workshop with Amber Fonua	Register Here
Saturday 26 July	10am-12pm / 1-3pm	Raranga Workshop with Brenda Railey & Abby Turbott	Register Here

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Ruaruawhetū – Weaving Design Celebrating the Stars is supported by Te Puni Kōkiri and Pub Charity Limited.

About the Artists

Abby Turbott  

‘I’ve always been fascinated by fibre arts and patterns. My raranga journey has taught me how to make useful and beautiful items, with our local materials and practices: making taonga, while looking after the whenua and ourselves. 

The modular and variable nature of Whetu Manu Kono shows the often temporal and ambivalent cycles of life and death.’ 

Aleisha Roulston   

Kia ora Ko Aleisha Roulston ahau
No Taupo ahau, no Taranaki ano hoki
e noho ana Tamaki Makaurau

‘I am a multimedia artist, I have always loved anything and everything creative.

My raranga journey has been unexpected and when the class began I had just moved home from FRANCE and was not sure what i wanted to do at that time. So I began studying at Te Wananga and found that the more I gave it, the more it gave me. Raranga has been very connecting for me as I was very isolated from te ao Māori in France. FUN FACT: France in te reo Māori is Wiwi , like oui oui. 

WHO’s been hiding this fun fact!’

Amber Fonua 

Te manu kiro, Nōna te ngahere: 
Te manu kai mātauranga, nōna te ao.
The bird that eats the miro berries, 
theirs is the forest: 
The bird that consumes knowledge 
the world is theirs. 

Ko Amber Fonua ahau 
He Raranga Kaiako ki Te Wananga o Aotearoa 
No Tonga me Aotearoa ahau 

‘This semester TWOA have had a lot of challenges with flooding and refurbishing. My new class has gelled well and found our flow quickly. 

We visited Te Ra at Auckland Museum and the classes’ reaction to te Ra was enthusiastic. The class has quickly realised their competence in weaving and design. 

It is a blessing to walk beside weavers and introduce them to Whare Pora. This learning we do together weaves us to each other and connects us to the whakapapa of weavers that have for generations kept mahi raranga alive long enough for us to awaken to is existence and shoulder of the kaitiaki.’ 

Annitta Whiu-Cleal

Ko Ngā Puhi ōku iwi 
E noho ana Kia te Te Raki Paewhenua, Tamaki Makaurau 
Ko Annitta Whiu-Cleal toku ingoa 

‘I am a weaver based in Tamaki Makaurau, who weaves with harakeke, both in the natural form and muka. I weave using both traditional and contemporary techniques, using the many patterns passed down from Te Whare Pora. I love how raranga connects me to my tūpuna through the patterns, techniques and traditions, while continuing to always learn and share the knowledge.’ 

Alvina Sciascia-Bizaoui 

No Ngati Kahunungu te iwi, 
E noho ana ki Te Raki Pae Whenua 
Ko Alvina Sciascia-Bizaoui ahau 

‘My Journey, 
I am a mum, graphic designer and a piano teacher. 
I enjoy art, painting and anything crafty. I enjoy making things with my hands. 
Learning raranga has always been on my list.’ 

Brenda Railey  

‘I locate myself in the South Pacific, with particularly strong familial ties to Samoa. As a child, growing up in Samoa, I was exposed to the everyday task of weaving baskets with coconut leaves by my grandmothers and uncles. I have always been interested in and worked with contemporary Pacific artists and traditional craft artisans since the mid 1990s. In 2024, I started my own weaving journey by enrolling in my first raranga course and I love it! 

I conceived my manu by playing around with the kono shape and realised that if I made one end into a corner, it ‘looked like’ a bird. I really like its rawness and its unfinished appearance.’

Cathy Denne  

Tena koe, 
Ko Rangitoto te maunga - (Rangitoto is the mountain) 
Ko Waitemata te Moana – (Waitemata is the ocean) 
E noho ana ki te hau kapua  – (I live in Devonport) 
No Aotearoa ahau – (I am from New Zealand) 
Ko Cathy Denne ahau – (I am Cathy Denne) 

‘My interests are raranga, ocean swimming and gardening.  

I started making putiputi from harakeke with Terehia two Matariki ago and since then I have been harvesting and weaving and learning more each year. I am now in a local raranga group. 

I am also in the local kapa haka group and the local Restoration Takarunga Hauraki group planting and caring for native plants in the neighbourhood.’ 

Clara-mae Tukerangi 

Kia ora 
Ko Clara-mae Tuketangi tōku ingoa
e noho ana ki Tamaki Makaurau ahau

‘Coming into Raranga has been one amazing journey. My mindset was to gain knowledge around raranga so I could make my son’s korowai for his 21st birthday. The korowai will also be shared within our whānau to embrace pride with all their achievements they have accomplished in their life and to feel the presence of our tipuna while worn.

Raranga has taught me the importance of knowing my whakapapa and that we have so many connections to people and places, just like the whatu in raranga and how it connects us – in many ways more than we could ever imagine. 

Lastly, I am grateful for our kaiako Amber, she has taught us to be patient with ourselves and I am so happy I took the leap to learn raranga as  I have been blessed with many new sisters.’

Dina Tiare Mcleod  

Ko Dina Tiare Mcleod ahau 
Ko Ngati Wai, Ngapuhi me Taranaki ōku iwi, 
He kaimahi ahau ki te whare pukapuka o Manurewa, he ringatoi ahau anō hoki  
Nō Te Tai Tokerau me Taranaki ahau, e noho ana ki Tamaki Makaurau 

‘Kia ora I’m Dina. I am a multi-disciplinary artist and painter. I am passionate about reo, culture, and toi. I decided to pursue raranga as I wanted to challenge myself and learn one of our traditional Māori art practices. I’ve been really enjoying the journey so far.’  

Julie Ann Paerau

Kia ora 
Ko Julie Ann Paerau toku ingoa 
No Te Taitokerau ahau 
i tipu ake au ki te Kaitaia  
e noho ana ki Tamaki Makaurau 

‘I went to school in Pukepoto , Kaiata oku kura. Weaving has always intrigued me and since 2023 I’ve loved to weave. 

After losing my bestie, my dad, my papa, I went back to mahi but it didn’t fulfil the loss in my heart for my dad. I turned to raranga and it has helped me get through the grieving process.  I love weaving, arohanui taku raranga because it is my therapy, my rongoa (medicine) it’s my safe place and my helping space, I feel good even in my own mahi toi and I’m always looking for more designs in the mahi. I’m looking for more skills and ways to better my journey in mahi toi and i hope to one day teach all my whanau. 

Tena koutou katoa.’  

Kiriana O’Connell   

Ko Ngati Raukawa-ki-te-Tonga, Ngati Tūkorehe oku iwi 
E noho ana ki te Raki Paewhenua, Tamaki Makaurau 
He kairanga ahau 
Kiriana O’Connell toku ingoa 

Kiriana O’Connell is a Tāmaki Makaurau based weaver who works with both customary and contemporary materials including harakeke, kiekie, pīngao, native and commercial dyes. She embraces traditional techniques and patterns in her work, and is continually inspired by both the mastery and artistry of her ancestors.

Raranga (flax-weaving) is a process that requires dedicated, careful and time-consuming preparation, it is this very process-based practice which allows her to connect into the continuum of weaving passed down by her ancestors and sustained for future generations. 

Lucia Hemara  

Kia Ora koutou,  
Ko Ngapuhi nui tonu me Te Rarawa ōku iwi 
E noho ana ki Tamaki Makaurau  
Ko Lucia Hemara tōku ingoa 

‘My journey into Rāranga became a way for me to reconnect with my Māoritanga and to refresh my Mahi Toi practices by adding a new skill to my kete last year. Weaving has helped me explore the deep connections between Te tangata and Te Tāiaō, in a humble yet intrinsically profound way. 

In particular, Rāranga aligns with the wairua of Matariki, a time of reflection, renewal, and connection. Working within Te Aō Maori tikanga and techniques, such as harvesting and preparing harakeke, has deepened my respect for Te Tāiaō, and our taonga tuku iho.  

I’m passionate about sharing the transformative power of weaving, especially during Matariki, when we reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to the future.’ 

Te Wairua Palalagi   

Kia ora  
Ko Te Wairua Palalagi, 
Mai Maketu ki Tongariro 
Ko Te Arawa te waka 
Ko Ngati Pikiao te Iwi 
Ki te taha o toku Papa no Niue 
E noho ana ahau ki Tititrangi, Tamaki Makaurau 

‘My journey into the raranga course at TWOA has been so transformative, it has allowed me to really flourish and given me strength, confidence and an unexpected passion for Raranga. 

Raranga has extended me into the world from our ancestors and traditions.  The cultural significance of raranga in its role of Maori culture and how it connects us to a holistic and deeper understanding of te ao Māori. It has deepened my appreciation for the craft and motivated me to pursue it with a great determination, alongside being a first time Mama with our Poutama Zachariah Andzue.’

Tereana Shortland  

Kia ora ko Tereana Shortland ahau 
No Pipwai ahau 
No Ngapuhi te iwi 

‘I have known from an early age that I have always been a bit of a tutu and loved to draw and paint, I grew up on a marae and still to this day I spend most of my time at the kohanga reo at the marae teaching the tamariki in my spare time. 

I am a multitasking mum, hairdresser and makeup artist. 

My plan is to become a master weaver in my whanau so I can teach one day. The last 6months I have been discovering what my true passion is and that connects me back to weaving.’ 

Terehia Walker  

Ko wai au? 
E te taha o tōku Papa, 
Ko Puhunga Tuhoro te maunga 
Ko Waima te awa 
Ko Ngatokimatawhaorua te waka  
Ko Taheke me Mahuri oku marae 
Ko Ngati Pakau te hapu 
Ko Ngapuhi te iwi 

E te taha o tōku mama, 
No, Te Atiawa me Tainui ōku iwi 
E noho ana ki Te Hau Kapua 
Ko Terehia Walker tōku ingoa 

“Tāku haerenga ki te ako raranga” 

‘I am passionate about Māori infused style of mahi toi, I am a storyteller who comes from a long line of storytellers from all iwis who within their mahi toi (art) tell purakau (stories). I have a passion and following for recycling and natural resources we can use in our everyday practises sourced from the whenua (land). Mahi toi (art) is a form of rongoa (Māori medicine). 

My korero is a expression of my haerenga (journey) and tūhonohono (connection) to my iwi/hapu (subtribe and tribe) and our tipuna (ancestors). 

It has been an awesome journey how my tipuna have guided me towards raranga (weaving) and how it connects with the natural world which has influenced my passion in preserving and promoting Māori culture and mahi toi (art). 

The idea that your “fingers do the weaving” as a natural progression is a beautiful metaphor for how our experiences and connections shape who we are and what we do.’

Vannessa Kerr

My journey into “Te Whare Pora” was an intentional one! 

I was born in the far north in Kaitaia 
Ko Ngatikahu toku iwi, 
Ko te whanau Moana toku hapu 

‘My connection to Te Ao Māori” has felt tenuous and far away having left Karikari as a young child and grown up in various locations such as Whitianga and Tamaki Makaurau. 

I am a very visually focused human, I love shapes and textures and finding learning new skills and ideas to be done best by using my hands, body and eyes. 

But I was not prepared for the joy of raranga. I have found a place of safety to share and bask in the rays of tautoko for these beautiful women.’ 

Theresa Fox 

Ko Theresa ahau 
No Whanganui, Te Awakairangu ki Uta hoki ahau 
E noho ana ahau ki Tāmaki Makaurau ināianei.

‘I can remember when I was first exposed to raranga at my kids kura as one of the nannies was a master weaver and came to show how to weave waikawa. I didn’t know then what a functional art it was nor that it would be something I would end up doing. 

Another mum and I then made belts for kapa haka using harakeke from the school (and this is still where I pick from today). We would make our weaving space on the floor and stop only for kai. We worked side by side sitting in the sun; working almost in slow motion to work quickly. I still weave like this today.’