Uhengaparaoa, Taonga Tuku Iho: Ancestral Gifts and Contemporary Māori Art

A collaborative exhibition connecting contemporary Māori textile artists from Whakatōhea with an ancestral kaitaka (cloak) in the museum collection. About Inspired by the legacy of Uhengaparaoa, a renowned Whakatōhea weaver who traveled to the East Coast of Aotearoa New Zealand to share her weaving knowledge, Uhengaparaoa, Taonga Tuku Iho brings ancient and modern Māori art into dialogue. At the heart of the exhibition is a treasured kaitaka (cloak) from the Fowler Museum collection, regarded as an ancestor by the Whakatōhea community. In response to it, contemporary Whakatōhea artists have created works that honor, reinterpret, and extend the ancestral traditions. Through their finely woven kete and kākahu as well as contemporary works incorporating recycled materials, feathers, and new forms, these artists demonstrate how mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) remains vital and evolving. Together, the works celebrate Whakatōhea identity, connection to whenua (land) and whakapapa (genealogy), and cultural resilience in the face of colonial suppression. Uhengaparaoa, Taonga Tuku Iho is a testament to weaving—and art more broadly—as a living practice through which generational practices and skills are remembered, renewed, and carried into the future. Major support for this exhibition is provided by the Mary Jane Leland Textile Fund and the Martha and Avrum Bluming Exhibition Fund. Additional support is provided by Dr. Carolyn Knobler and Dr. Charles Knobler. Special thanks to the Consulate General of New Zealand in Los Angeles. Read more Toggle Crafts Mixed media