Runway Show PAPA Returns To Spotlight Weaving & Encourage Preservation

NZ Herald

18 hours ago

PAPA, a runway display of woven wearable arts, is returning for its sophomore showing in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Co-curator and weaver Beronia Scott tells Madeleine Crutchley about the kaupapa, her learnings through raranga and PAPA's purpose of preservation.
Intricate and innovative clothing woven from harakeke, tivaevae and fast fashion waste will take to the runway today in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, as PAPA returns to Kāhui St David's community space.
The showcase, a one-day celebration, will feature woven garments by Māori and tauiwi practitioners modelled alongside live performances, DJ sets and servings of kai.
Co-curator and artist Beronia Scott (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei) explains the show aims to platform the craft, encourage whānau to spotlight their mahi toi and educate audiences unfamiliar with raranga (weaving). The title of the event takes its name from the Earth Mother (Papatūānuku), and draws attention to the connection between weaving and te taiao (the natural world).
'That's quite a big genre to look at,' Beronia tells Viva.
Last year, this encouraged artists to examine the origins of their materials and those that might produce harm to the environment where they grow. A memorable garment for Beronia, which won the People's Choice Award, had white plastic replacing the natural fibres traditionally used for raranga – it was called 'Plastic Invasion'.
This year, Beronia says materials are even more diverse: recycled bottles, old records and cassette tapes have been utilised for the garments.
For Beronia, PAPA also draws attention to the effects of human-caused climate change on crucial materials.
'Our resources as weavers, our natural resources, are disappearing. I mean, harakeke is fine but there are other resources we use. Kuta [a wetland grass], we dive in the lakes for that... it's getting so warm up north, they're losing their kuta.'
For this reason, Beronia is passionate about utilising traditional materials.
'Most of the garments are woven with harakeke, but there are other things in there. I've used corn husk in mine, and I've got nīkau, I've got kuta. I've tried to keep mine as natural as possible. It's all about resources for us, highlighting our resources and that we have to look after it.'
Beronia has been weaving since 2001, after learning from her aunty Alice Pihema and Kahutoi Te Kanawa during a korowai wānanga at her marae. It was an unusual beginning for her weaving journey.
'I started there and I knew nothing. Weavers will understand, you usually end up doing korowai [later]. You start with making flowers and little baskets. I sort of started the other way.'
Alice was a huge influence.
'She taught me how to do tukutuku, which we, as a whānau, we did our tukutuku panels in our marae, our wharenui, which burnt down in the 90s.'
Her studies continued with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and tohunga raranga (master weaver) Te Hemo Ata Hēnare. Beronia has also found community in Te Puāwai Raranga. The group of Māori artists and weavers, who practise with traditional and contemporary techniques and materials, are based in Ōrākei.
PAPA is a part of a wider art series – the first event was an exhibition at Ōrākei Marae called Tuku. The series began because Beronia and her community of weavers wanted a place to display their works.
'I thought, 'we'll just give our weavers somewhere to be able to show'. Because, you know, we don't really have a lot of spaces.'
The first PAPA show was in 2024 and its immediate return this year is spurred by passionate audiences. Paul Baragwanath, the director of the Friends of St David's Trust Kāhui Rangi Pūpū, told Beronia and her co-curator Te Whaea Witika that the response was overwhelming.
'We're hoping actually we can do it every three years after this because it's a lot of work,' Beronia laughs. 'Weaving is not as fast as a lot of people think. It's a lot slower. If people want to put in a korowai, that can take up to two years to make.'
The show will also involve Te Whānau Toi Tupu, a collective of weavers, fundraising for a cultural exchange trip to Thailand. Beronia is among the practitioners making the trip.
'They have set us up to go to a whole lot of other weaving places – galleries, temples – so we're actually going to weave with one of the aunties over there.'
Within similar spaces, Beronia has witnessed a shared appreciation for what she calls 'the zone' – where weaving becomes a nourishing and meditative activity.
She says these exchanges are also an opportunity for building community and knowledge sharing. In future, she hopes the group will make it to Tahiti too.
'I love to share what I know. I don't own any of my knowledge. I was given that and it's my chance now to give it out, to share it.'
For Beronia, PAPA amplifies this treasured knowledge and its origins.
'Our tūpuna were so clever in finding out what you can do with harakeke.
'These days we take it for granted. They did all of the science. We're learning and using the techniques that they did hundreds of years ago.'
Madeleine Crutchley is a journalist for Viva and lifestyle and entertainment at The New Zealand Herald. She covers stories relating to fashion, culture and food and drink, from her hometown of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Recently, she's written about dressing during the climate emergency, alternative fashion futures and contemporary sculpture artworks.
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