Tahitian Tapa Making

Adam Art Gallery is delighted to host Tahitian master tapa-makers Hinatea Colombani and Moeava Meder who will travel to Aotearoa for this event courtesy of the Embassy of France Ambassade de France en Nouvelle-Zélande.

The co-founders of the ‘Arioi Cultural Centre, Colombani and Meder have dedicated their lives to working with tapa, perfecting their skills through books, observation and, above all, experimentation. They are autodidact practitioners whose method is marked by a full dedication to the complete process: planting, harvesting, making tools, beating the bark, preparing natural dyes, painting with natural tools, all the while pursuing literary and experimental research about tapa.

In this workshop Colombani and Meder will activate the gallery space, present an introduction to their tapa practice and Tahitian tapa making processes, followed by a practical demonstration and an opportunity for the audience to give it a go.

Colombani and Meder will be joined by two curators involved with Adam Art Gallery's current exhibition 'Vaiei Tupuna', Isaac Te Awa and Rosalie Koko.

Free, all welcome, no booking required.

Image: Hinatea Colombani, Tauāmuri (detail), 2023, ’Aute (paper mulberry), mati (fuchsia), tou (Oceania walnut), Collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Commissioned 2023. Installation view Vaiei Tupuna, Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.