Artist Spotlight: Contemporary Ngatu Artist ‘Uhila Nai

“I grew up with my nana and I would follow her everywhere…go to uta… where all the plantations are… to where they do Ngatu making”

‘Uhila Nai shares the how, where and why behind her art practice as a contemporary Ngatu artist.

Interviewed in her studio at AUT where ‘Uhila is currently undertaking her PHD studies.

‘Uhila is one of the exhibitors in the “Matrilineal” group show which is an opening for artists who inhabit spaces created by their female ancestors, whether through the inheritance of weaving techniques and visual histories, the collective practice of making ngatu (Tongan tapa cloth), or expressions of feminine empowerment.

Exhibition dates: 1 April – 4 May 2022