Elena Rei
Tūrangawaewae
Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāruahine, Samoa, Pākehā
Textile Processes by Elena Rei. Videography by Maija Stephens
Te mauri o te Taiao’. Yarn dyed with earth pigment handwoven on digital Jaquared loom. Photography by Maija Stephens.
Te whakatinana i a Hineteiwaiwa'. Yarn dyed with earth pigment handwoven on digital Jaquared loom. Photography by Maija Stephens.
Te mauri o te Taiao' (close up). Yarn dyed with earth pigment handwoven on digital Jaquared loom. Photography by Maija Stephens.
Bachelor of Design with Honours
‘Tūrangawaewae’ is an extension of the whenua I stand on, the ngāhere I walk through and waters I wade in. Centred around concepts of whakapapa, identity, reconnection and kaitiakitanga, this project becomes a tool for engagement and reflection on a restorative moemoeā for our environment. My exploration in earth pigment mahi is intricately documented by photographer Maija Stephens (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine, Pākehā), which becomes a strong thread embedded into this woven collection.