Punarua Exhibition Arrives At Taupō Museum

Punarua: Weaving work honours legacy of Tūwharetoa knowledge holders

Taupō Museum is set to unveil Punarua, possibly the largest piupiu ever created, in its Aotearoa debut following a standout international premiere at the prestigious 2024 Biennale of Sydney.

Commissioned especially for the Biennale, Punarua was designed and led by Hone Bailey, a member of the local weaving collective Te Whā ā Huna, which also includes Paehoro Konui, Meraania Heke Chase-Perich, and Manu Fox. The piece pays tribute to the late Koro Te Kanawa Pitiroi, a respected leader of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and tireless advocate for the preservation of iwi knowledge.

Hone Bailey, recognised online for sharing insights into te ao Māori with a large and loyal following, is an integral part of Te Whā ā Huna. Punarua is very much the work of the collective, whose artistry and cultural depth shaped the taonga from its base in Tokaanu, a place known for its geothermal beauty and celestial connections, reflected in the names of its streets.

The work draws inspiration from the ancestral narrative of Māui-takitaki-i-te-rā and was created using traditional weaving techniques passed down through generations. This project is not only a celebration of intergenerational storytelling but a labour of love and legacy by weavers deeply connected to the whenua.

“This taonga is a living piece,” says museum curator Piata Winitana-Murray. “By exhibiting Punarua during Matariki and then long term in the Tūwharetoa Gallery, we honour the fact that these traditions are still very much alive - practiced, celebrated, and shared with whānau and the community.”

Punarua offers a moment of celebration and reflection during Matariki. The exhibition shares not just the piupiu, but the journey to create it, with an accompanying documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes, from the first threads to its international debut.

Punarua will first be exhibited in the art gallery before moving to the Tūwharetoa Gallery on long-term loan at Taupō Museum for two years. This placement reflects the wishes of the weavers to share it publicly with their whānau and community, and to remind visitors that taonga within museums are not only relics of the past, but part of ongoing traditions.

Punarua opens at Taupō Museum on Saturday, June 7. There will also be an opportunity to hear all four artists discuss the creation of this unique and significant piece at 10.30am that same day.

The museum is open from 10am to 4.30pm daily, with free entry for local residents.

This Matariki, come and witness a taonga woven from ancestral wisdom and community pride.

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