_{Image: Arielle Walker, Whatu-woven Tauira in process, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.}

Please join us to celebrate the launch of Mending the Kupenga, a solo presentation by Arielle Walker.

Mending the Kupenga looks to the pūtahi — places of encounter and exchange — to advocate for the revival, sustenance, and continued innovation of ancestral practices. Anchored by her Taranaki Māori and Scottish/Irish Pākehā whakapapa, Walker creates “whatu-weavings” from fibres dyed with healing plants,(re)weaving connections to place through stories passed down and (re)learned over generations of tūpuna wāhine. Coinciding with Matariki celebrations across Aotearoa, Walker’s PhD exhibition culminates a year of seasonal making, from the rise of the star Puanga in June 2023 through to its return in June 2024.

If you wish to join us for a karakia to open the space, please arrive at 5pm. The opening event will follow the blessing from 5.15.

_{Installation view: Mending the Kupenga, 28 Jun - 19 Jul 2024. Photo: Emily Parr}

_{Installation view: Mending the Kupenga, 28 Jun - 19 Jul 2024. Photo: Emily Parr}

_{Installation view: Mending the Kupenga, 28 Jun - 19 Jul 2024. Photo: Emily Parr}

_{Installation view: Mending the Kupenga, 28 Jun - 19 Jul 2024. Photo: Emily Parr}

_{Installation view: Mending the Kupenga, 28 Jun - 19 Jul 2024. Photo: Emily Parr}

_{Installation view: Mending the Kupenga, 28 Jun - 19 Jul 2024. Photo: Emily Parr}