The Mirror Mama Project

LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY ART PROJECT

TEUKE MALAGA Tuvalu ( Raffia stars, one for each member of her birth family )

JUDY COOPER- Aotaroa ( Woven Nikau leave and tiny flax flowers in koru pattern )

I am Teuke from Tuvalu.I am making a star for all people in my birth -family. The central one is my mum, the other one are for each of my siblings. The stars make a picture, holding each other in place. A sea of stars-connecting us from one place to another. Our ancestors navigated the seas by following the stars. I navigate my path in this new land by contemplating on the stars.

In the interest of maintaining respectful relations with Tagata Whenua and local iwi, the pacific mama's at Corbans Estate Art centre work closely with kaumatua in Waitakere City.Whaea Judy Cooper -88 years old has been a positive contributer to the Pacifica mama's group as a harekeke expert. Judy learned her skills from watching her aunties at work and is verse in historical knowledge of Maori and the natural resources of Aotearoa. Judy has been weaving for over 25 years and uses primarily harekek and kiekie.

KIMIORA HAKAORO - Rarotonga ( Banana tree fibre with mother of pearl shells presented like flowers)

TIANA EPATI- Samoa ( Printed cloth,pe'a and tapa designs-layered)

I am Kimi from Rarotonga. My grandmother Esetera taught me to weave and sow from the age of 5 or 6. She was very strict about me concentrating and doing a beautiful job. A smack was never far...but I know she gave me a gift...she passed on her skills to me. Presenting flowers as a gesture of love, a gift- I have made my fans into flowers to be presented in loving memory of grandma Esetera.

I was raised in Samoa and have always been fascinated with traditional Samoan patterns and design most frequently seen in Tatau and on Siapo. When I came to New Zealand my passion for those motifs made me take up screen printing. I have since transferred many of those traditional patterns to my designs on fabric.

SEFUIVA SAIFOLOI- Samoa ( plastic strapping interwoven with natural pendanus fiber )

MARY AMA - Rarotonga ( Tivaevae )

My wish is to bring everything in my life together- and somehow pass that on. I am 73 now and I learned to weave late in life. Weaving connects me back to Samoa,to my memories of my village, of my aunties weaving...I remember my mum weaving -she passed away when I was still little.As I mix the traditional pendanus leaf of the Samoan fine mats with the plastic strapping I use to weave bags out of in NZ, I feel like I am retracing my steps somehow...We came here to New Zealand for our children's education. The plastic strapping seems appropriate to symbolize the new ways, modern life style we were faced with here...and I include the flax to honor the traditional weaving material of Aotearoa...As I weave memories pass through my mind- I remember being a teacher in Samoa, I think of my children and grandchildren...and their stories.... When I first came here I was a sower, a factory worker, a stranger in a new land and then slowly I became part of the new land...At 70 learning to weave and teaching again,teaching Samoan things somehow brings things to a full cycle... Everything seems to connect up, continue on...I enjoy getting a sense of that while I weave...

Kia orana to torou avaiki
`Ko taku Ipukarea`
e takoto maira ite `Moana-nui-o-Kiva`
Ko`Tumu-te-Varovaro`
Tei roto ia koe te `Vaka Takitumu`
ite tua itinga ra te akapuanga o taku
`Ui Tupuna` ko `Ngati Tangiia`
te vairanga o aku nga ariki-`Pa ma Kainuku`
Tei Aotearoa nei au ei akatupu ite ingangro tei papau ia ki te
Ui Tupuna e kia Rangatira ta taua Peu
Tupuna ite enua otetai ke...
Mou piri au iakoe ki te papa o taku ngakau kia
kore e ngaro te koreromotu ia taua e taku
Ipukarea te Kuki Airani.

English Translation
THE CALL FROM AVAIKI TO MY HOMELAND TUMU-TE-VAROVARO WHO SITS AMONG OTHERS UPON THE DEEP BLUE PACIFIC OCEAN.
VAKA TAKITUMU TO THE EAST , NAGTI TANGIIA WITH PA AND KAINUKU ARIKI DWELLS AND RULES THE VAKA FOR ALL OF US...
AOTEAROA HAS TAKEN ME AWAY FROM MY HOMELAND . I REACHED OUT FOR YOUR WARM AND COMFORTING ARMS. I TREASUE OUR CULTURE WITHIN MY HEART AND SOUL AS A SIGN OF MY COOITMENT AND CONNECTION TO OUR ANCESTORS AND FOR THOSE WHOM I RESPECTLY LOVE ACROSS THAT DEEP BLUE OCEAN-COOK ISLAND MY HOMELAND

FATIMA BULHAN-SED ; SOMALIA ( Somalian sleeping mat made of dry grass and wool )

Lemlem Habtemariam-Kifle ; Eritrea ( Woolen Prayer Rug )

I am Fatima Bulhan-Sed from Somalia.

I am weaving the sleeping mat of the Somalin traditional roundhouse. I was taught these skills by my mother. A similar technique is also used to make watertight vessels to carry water or milk from the cows,goats or camels.

Although I grew up in the city I have a head for the ancient crafts of my country. My hands follow the calls of my ancestors as they pull the fibres tightly together. I am weaving my dream of the ancient Somalia.

My Name is Lemlem Habtemariam Kifle originally from Eritrea, born in 1958. I am a mother of 4 boys. Due to my religious beliefs I left Eritrea in 1990 and lived in Sudan for 18 years with my youngest boys. We came to New Zealand 7 months ago as refugees. My husband and my two elder sons are still in Eritrea.
One of my sons here in New Zealand has his wife and new born baby still in Africa. I am weaving a rug of flowers, like a prayer mat. It is wovern on a wooden frame with 400 nails. Like an exercise in maths,patience and perseverance. I pray that one day my family can all be united in new Zealand and that my grandchild can grow up here. I sudan I worked as a teacher which I enjoyed very mcuh and teaching has really shaped me as a person. I am passionate about crafts and sowing and also enjoy reading and cooking. I always do crafts in my spare time and it helps make some extra money. I am thankful to God and all the peopla who gave me this chance to participate and show my abilitire of creation. Hopefully something will grow out of this project and I will continue to do my best. I am happy here and enjoying being a student for a change after working as a teacher for a long time. I am studying hard to learn English quickly so i can be a part of this new place and start work as a teacher again...

Azita Kusari- Iran / Kurdistan ( Beaded arab calligraphy- Ya Baha'u'labha-god is glorious- Bahai faith )

RACHEL GABIRE- Congo ( Embroidery on Linen )

I am Azita from Kurdistan. I was born in iran in Grasvasherin. At 5 years old we moved to Kurdistan- to the town of Ghorveh. We had lots of problems because of our Bahai religion and left Iran to go to Turkey as refugees.After three and a half years in Turkey we came to New Zealand.
I make many things with my hands. My work is about healing the bride and the pride in me. I surround myself with the vibrancy and the colors and the patterns of my culture of origin so I can feel safe and beautiful and pass this on to my young daughter.
For the Mirror Mama project I write Ya Baha'u'labha,sown in arab calligraphy. In English it would translate to 'God is glorious '. Baha'u'llah was the founder of the Bahai Faith and the faith of my family for which we had to leave our homeland. It is important that my portrait is placed underneath his name.

I am Rachel from the Congo. I was born in January 1974.
In my country the women do embroidery ,usually flower designs...but traditionally our art and patterns is all about dark and light, contrast , like the stripes of a Zebra.
I am Babyamulenge and my father , mother,siblings ,aunties and uncles including one of my children have been taken from me and are now in heaven.
I ran to Ethiopia with my 5 other children. For 10 months now we have been living in new Zealand as refugees.
I picture flight, I picture angels, flowers, peace. I picture transformation from darkness.