In this collection, I
wanted to encapsulate the energetic unity between the people of various
cultures who call New Zealand home. New Zealand’s demographic is compiled of
people from all areas of the world. Whether we are a citizen by birth or have
migrated here - as equals we share the commonality of having a New Zealand
identity. To communicate this I explored textile processes that are habitual to
the five most numerous ethnicities that make up New Zealand’s ethnic
demographic - Maori, Chinese, Samoan, Indian and New Zealand European. I
experimented with Maori flax weaving, Chinese embroidery, Samoan tapa cloth
processes, Indian block printing and French tapestry weaving and identified
motifs which became key visual resources. These motifs were abstracted to avoid
developing imagery that could offend people to whom these motifs have great
cultural significance to. I have titled my collection Common Thread to
infer the commonalities we share as New Zealanders whilst referencing my
exploration and incorporation of motifs from textile processes primarily
involving cloth and thread.
