Artist’s statement
Vanessa Tanner
This series of kete explore creation and the natural world.
They embody the learning taken place to overcome technical challenges of incorporating materials associated with the elements - water, earth, fire and air.
Tangaroa
Vanessa Tanner
Marine life - undersea corals, little fishes, seaweed moving - flashes of light through the water, water moving.
Tuatara
Vanessa Tanner
Spiky ridges yet soft muka, like the crested spines that are not as hard as they appear.
Ruapehu unrest
Vanessa Tanner
Inspired by newspaper articles titled this way.
The body represents magma coming up through the volcano as it is heating up and is embellished with five Meaning Stone being ejected from the top.
Te Pō
Vanessa Tanner
The place of potential.
Takahē
Vanessa Tanner
In its habitat, in the tussock - colours of the takahē, feathers and beak.
The piu (strands that sway) provides the rustle of movement through the tussock.
Tūī
Vanessa Tanner
Underdyed blue then black to achieve the shimmer of the tūī’s colour.
The insert and the tassel represent the poi (throat tufts) of the tūī.
Pīwakawaka
Vanessa Tanner
This kete is two sided. One side represents the fanned tail feathers, with its row of Meaning Spikes .
On the other side, the Meaning Pattern of woven holes and white overlays represent a fluttering pīwakawaka catching insects.
Ruru
Vanessa Tanner
This Meaning Bag or basket has a black and brown shimmer pattern that represents the ethereal movement of a Meaning Small owl native to Aotearoa New Zealand. Also called: morepork, Ninox novaeseelandiae. in flight amongst trees, with Meaning Golden sand sedge - Ficinia spiralis highlights representing eyes.
