Join us for a special closing weekend programme for PUPURITIA: Storytelling and Contemporary Textiles with artist, Sione Tuívailala Monū.
In this hands-on session, within the exhibition space, Sione will guide participants in creating their own kafu couture – a bold, playful reinterpretation of traditional handmade Tongan kafu using plush synthetic ‘mink’ bedspreads.
Rather than cutting or sewing, you’ll experiment with draping, tying and styling your blanket into a unique wearable piece under Sione’s guidance.
At the end of the session, we will photograph the looks within PUPURITIA.
Some quilts and blankets will be available, but we encourage you to bring your own mink blanket or quilt if possible.
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Sione Tuívailala Monū, born in 1993 in Auckland, New Zealand, is an interdisciplinary artist of Tongan descent. They divide their time between Canberra, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand, working across various mediums including photography, moving-image, fashion and adornment, performance, and drawing. Their work delves into themes of identity, family, and the Pasifika queer experience in the diaspora. A significant aspect of Monū's practice involves the Tongan fine art of flower design, known as nimamea'a tuikakala. Traditionally, this art form utilises fresh tropical flowers, but due to their scarcity in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Monū adapts by using vibrant plastic flowers sourced from local shops. This approach not only honours cultural traditions but also reflects the adaptability inherent in diasporic life. Monū's work has been showcased in numerous exhibitions across New Zealand and Australia. Notable solo exhibitions include Stories, City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, 2023; Queer Encounters, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Warrane Sydney, 2023; Kindred: A Leitī Chronicle (w/ Manu Vaeatangitau), Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 2022; 'Ao Kakala Ōtautahi, SCAPE Public Art Season 2021, Ōtautahi Christchurch, 2021, and Leitī, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, 2021. In recognition of their contributions to the arts, Monū received the 2024 Emerging Pacific Artist Award from Creative New Zealand.
