For several years, Nikau Hindin has been learning the art of making aute (Māori tapa / barkcloth), a skill that until recently had not been practiced in Aotearoa for over a hundred years. Hindin decorates her aute with dynamic patterns based on tukutuku and tāniko weaving designs. They are painted using kōkōwai, which is a natural pigment from local clays. This work, Rere Runga Rawa | Ascend to the higher realms, signals a shift in her practice as she begins to explore manu aute (kites made from aute) after working collaboratively with Rongomai Grbic-Hoskins. Hindin says: “Kites symbolise joy and leisure time but can also bring foreboding warnings. I think the duality of these sign reflects the double-edged needs of our current social climate. I think we need to rest more and escape in extreme joy, but we also need to confront the climate emergency. One way we can do this is by recognising Indigenous knowledge and learning how to be good tangata Tiriti.”

(Die Cuts and Derivations, 11 March – 2 July 2023)