Join artists Lissy Robinson-Cole (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu) and Rudi Robinson (Ngaruahine, Te Arawa, Ngāti Pāoa, Waikato ki Tai) for this conversation with curator Dr Chelsea Nichols on the opening day of Wharenui Harikoa, their most ambitious creation to date.
Over the past eight years, the husband and wife duo have been using their creative energies to explore mātauranga Māori and their personal whakapapa through crocheted sculptural forms. Wharenui Harikoa is a full-scale wharenui featuring vibrant poupou, tekoteko, tukutuku panels and adorned pou tokomanawa completely crocheted by hand.
Bringing together bright, neon colours and traditional toi whakairo shapes, their mahi offers a new way of understanding the importance of joy and aroha within te aō Māori. The aim of Wharenui Harikoa is to transform intergenerational trauma into deeply felt joy, one loop at a time, connecting all people and igniting joy globally.
This talk will be followed by a hands-on crochet workshop in Wharenui Harikoa. Come along to learn the basics, meet others and have fun! All materials are provided.