Tīkawe is a suspended artwork made of harakeke, cotton and zinc-coated metal that was commissioned by Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū in 2022. It was created by four wāhine Māori who make art together under the name Mataaho Collective. They are Erena Arapere-Baker (of the iwi Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai and Ngāti Toa Rangātira), Sarah Hudson (of the iwi Ngāti Awa and Ngāi Tūhoe), Bridget Reweti (of the iwi Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāi Te Rangi) and Terri Te Tau (of the iwi Rangitāne ki Wairarapa). The artists established the collective in 2012 when they made their first artwork together during a residency at Enjoy Contemporary Art Space in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. They create large-scale works that interpret customary Māori practice in a contemporary way and occupy spaces in museums and art galleries that might not, in the past, have assigned large areas to the art of Indigenous women. Their mahi as a collective is connected to the ways communal practice and collaboration are valued within Māori culture. In 2024 the Mataaho Collective received the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale.

Tīkawe is formed from small harakeke braids woven into 40 bands that are about 2.5 centimetres wide. In total, the work is 530 metres long – the length of about six city blocks – and composed of 12 different kinds of intertwined strands of harakeke, or native flax, from the artists’ local areas. When installed in the foyer, these stretch in long, overlapping lines across the ceiling, connecting with the wall below the first-floor balcony, which is where you can stand closest to them.

The harakeke bands are divided into four groups of ten. Two groups start at the base of the balcony and extend horizontally and obliquely across the foyer, intersecting at several points. Where they cross, the bands form diamonds that in turn form a much larger diamond created by the intersection of all 20 bands with one other. The same effect is achieved with the other 20 bands, which also start at the base of the balcony but extend vertically towards the skylight above. At the anchor points to the walls and ceiling, zinc-coated metal ratchet straps keep the bands taut and firmly attached between one point and another. The pale straw-yellow colour of the braids reflects the light coming from the skylights and the glass facade of the gallery, creating magnificent reflections and plays of light and shadow.

In te reo Māori, ‘tīkawe’ means ‘to carry on the back’. The collective was inspired to make the work after a visit to the Canterbury Museum where they saw a kawe, the Māori strap used to carry heavy items on the back, including pēpi, or babies. They describe this work as “a powerful celebration of the strength and significance of harakeke”, which is employed in Māori culture for many purposes, including as a source of healing and to make clothing, baskets, mats, nets, adornment and more. This contemporary interpretation of a traditional practical object draws attention to the heavy loads that women often carry in their daily lives. It also acts as a metaphor for navigating life’s challenges through strong relationships.