He Toka Tū Moana: She’s a Rock , 2022  

heavy duty tie down webbing

Courtesy the artists  

Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with generous support from Creative New Zealand 

When it comes to the form and materials of their work, Mata Aho collective are inspired by customary Māori textile techniques, methods and concepts. He Toka Tū Moana | She’s a Rock (2022) is a large-scale installation work that responds to the site of The Cutaway. The collective have woven heavy duty tie down webbing between two columns, held together by ratchet straps, recognising Barangaroo as a place where fresh and saltwaters meet through the use of woven text on the webbing, and the directional flow of the straps around the columns. 

The title and concept for this work is influenced by a whakataukī, which draws on imagery of a rock standing firm in the ocean current. Much in the same way that Barangaroo is the name of a strong and staunch Cameraygal woman who lived in the area in the early days of the colony, for the artists, the image of a rock in the ocean current relates to the resilience of Indigenous knowledge systems carried by women. Existing on a monumental scale that eclipses the size and reach of an individual body, the work holds a physical space for Indigenous women.  

In completing research for this project, Mata Aho visited taonga Māori in museums in Aotearoa. They were drawn to customary strapping systems called Kawe, which are traditionally used in Māori culture to carry heavy loads long distances. With an understanding of these techniques and methods, Mata Aho collective use readily available materials to make their work, allowing the customary practice of Māori textile weaving to continue in new ways.