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Kāhui Raranga: The art of tukutuku

Kāhui Raranga: The art of tukutuku

For just the next three months a stunning array of contemporary woven tukutuku panels is on display at Te Papa. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to view the panels before they head for New York! The 49 specially commissioned turapa tukutuku panels – made in the traditional lattice-work style used to decorate meeting houses – are destined to be a permanent installation on the New Zealand Wall at the newly renovated United Nations Headquarters, where they will stand as a unique statement of New Zealand’s national identity. The New Zealand Wall is a prominent feature in the building and is conspicuously located at the entrance to the United Nations Security Council chambers. The panels have been made by noted weaving artists from around the country, under the leadership of Christina Wirihana, in response to a request by Minister Pita Sharples. They are visually arresting, but it is the symbolism and meanings woven into the panels and the stories they hold that are the key to their appeal.