“This is to share stories about how we work and that, in particular, is through the arts.”
The statement was shared by Margaret Aull, a representative of the Te Atinga Contemporary Maori Arts Committee from New Zealand, which is here for a week-long exchange program to promote cultural exchanges with Fiji.
Ms Aull said it was important to have these engaging activities to allow cultural exchanges and conversations that had been further strengthened by the Fiji Museum through this event. She said an aim of the visit would be to share and create conversations about stories through their cultural display.
“So, we have our clay artists and they will be connecting with the Lapita pottery makers from Rewa, and our Maori contemporary printmakers will be connecting with our masi maker,” Ms Aull said.
She said the week-long program would feature discussions and sessions on learning legends and stories, “and through this engagement we hope we can then create further opportunities for artists from Fiji to come to New Zealand and connect them”.
The museum said in a statement the program would be an exciting event capturing contemporary and historical aspects of various art forms, which each have their own narrative and history.
“The Fiji Museum works to preserve the cultural heritage of both Fiji’s indigenous inhabitants and the other communities that have settled here over the past 200 years.”
The program, which opened at the Fiji Museum in Suva last week, runs through to tomorrow.
