AKA, 2019
The artwork "AKA" is a 14-meter tall installation developed for the Àbadakone exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada. The name "AKA" is derived from the Māori word for vine and is inspired by the narratives of Whaitiri, the female deity who personifies thunder. The work emphasises the significance of wāhine (women) in Māori knowledge, celebrating their central role in mātauranga Māori and its continued preservation. This monumental piece combines traditional whatu (finger twining) techniques with modern materials, creating a space for contemplation and encouraging viewers to gaze upward towards a heightened state of consciousness.
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The choice of rope color, named "Poly-Pacific Blue," was inspired by a marine rope found in Honolulu, and the final iteration of AKA features a New Zealand-produced blue-green marine rope used in both fishing and farming industries. Most of the weaving process took place in a 12m high studio in Palmerston North, shared by Massey University Volcanologists. The nearly one-tone rope structure was then transported to Canada and completed in situ by Mataaho in the National Gallery's rotunda.
The artwork was nominated for the Jane Lombard Prize for Art and Social Justice at the Vera List Center for Art and Politics in New York and the Walters Prize 2020 in Aotearoa.
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2.5m x 14m
Copolymer fibre rope and steel
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Commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada for Àbadakone | Continuous Fire curated by Greg A. Hill, Christine Lalonde and Rachelle Dickenson.
Collection of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
The Stories of Women
A video developed by The National Gallery of Canada for their 2019 exhibition Àbadakone | Continuous Fire | Feu continuel.