Aotearoa Range

Introducing our Aotearoa range of fabrics.

Artist Biography – Linda Munn

Linda Munn was guided and mentored by a group of strong and forward thinking Wahine who were key members of the Black Women’s Movement Aotearoa, and subsequently became involved with merous protest movements. Land movement, Anti-nuclear demonstrations and the Hikoi to Waitangi, these were all significant in reclaiming the rights of Māori, the culture, language and land. In 1989, the idea of Māori being able to fly their Kara (flag), have been inspired by the whanau and First Nations People of Australia who had flown their own flag since 1974. Te Kawariki ran a flag design competition, from which we now have what has become the Tino Rangatiratanga, Kara which is uniquely Māori in its design, this also acknowledges all the whanau who were key to the concept, korero and Kaupapa.

Jan Dobson, Hiraina Marsden, Pou Erstich, moe mai moe mai…

Munn’s artistic practice reinforces the principles of Tino Rangatiratanga by utilising ancestral knowledge to explore the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of Māori cultural life. She works primarily with paint but works in sculpture as well using clay, wood and stone.
Her artistic passion centres on resistance, community, the protection of women and children against domestic violence and finally the sharing of knowledge. Munn has obtained a Diploma in Art from the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Whitcliffe College of Arts and Design.

Maunga – Mountain

A maunga explains the cultural marker and boundaries of Iwi (tribe), Hapu (sub-tribe) and whanau (family). This work has the icons of Niho Taniwha (the teeth of the taniwha) one of the meanings is a representation of family houses within a tribe.

Poutama – Stairway to heaven

This pattern can be found on the tukutuku panels within Whare tupuna on the marae. It signifies spiritual and educational meanings, the stepped pattern symbolises a journey toward attainment and the advancement of knowledge.

The colour palette signifies the connection between sky, land and waterways. The care and protection as kaitiaki to nurture and protect, because without land we will cease to exist as Tangata whenua (people of the land).

Awa – The Waterways and Rivers

Awa are significant, not only as a resource of fresh water but as landing sites and settlements and Pa sites. With this work, I wanted it to reflect the depths of the Awa, the Poutama is an interpretation of the waterways connected and travelling to the whenau (land), the colour reflects the Taiao (nature).

Whariki – Woven Floor Covering

Traditionally, a Whariki was utilised for sleeping and for floor coverings, Whariki also refers to the technique of weaving
together the strands of Harakeke (flax). We liken the strands to the weaving of Whakapapa (genealogy) and the people
to the land.
The colour palette reflects the many layers of ancestral history which is centred on Iwi, Hapu, Whanau (family), Te Reo (language) and Te Ao Māori (the world of Māori).