A new Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū exhibition features 50 extraordinary tāoga (treasures) from Canterbury Museum’s extensive Pacific collections.
Made in the Pacific: A Collection of Tāoga celebrates the enduring significance of Pacific art and craft practices. The Museum objects will be displayed alongside contemporary artworks to highlight the continued strength and evolution of Pacific art forms.
The exhibition has a particular focus on tools and processes relating to tapa, also known as barkcloth. Tapa takes different forms around Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific, where it is known as aute (Aotearoa), siapo (Sāmoa), hiapo (Niue), kapa (Hawaii), 'uha/masi (Fiji), ngatu (Tonga) and 'ahu (Norfolk and Pitcairn Islands). The Gallery invited multidisciplinary artist, curator and hiapo maker Cora-Allan to curate the exhibition, which celebrates the skills and knowledge embedded in customary practices and the contemporary artists who continue to draw inspiration from them today.
Visitors will encounter tapa in a range of different forms – as large-scale pieces, small samples and in the form of tīputa (a poncho-like garment). Several items have been included because they demonstrate the use of natural dyes such as indigo, turmeric and smoke. Shown alongside the tapa are a range of tools used to work the barkcloth, such as ike (beaters) and lapa (liners). Many bear the marks and wear of frequent use.
Made in the Pacific: A Collection of Tāoga opens on 28 March and closes on 11 October 2026. Read more about the exhibition.