Tim Melville are proud to present an exhibition of 10 new paintings inspired by Tongan Tapa from Salome Tanuvasa’s family collection.

The making of Tapa (barkcloth) is widespread throughout the Pacific Islands and has a history that can be traced back to the early Polynesian migrations. Polynesian settlers brought the knowledge and skills whereby the inner bark of the paper mulberry could be beaten with a mallet, and the fragments joined, to make larger pieces of cloth that were then decorated with geometric designs. In Tonga, the barkcloth practice is known as ‘ngatu’ however in different regions it is known by different names. In Fiji it is ‘masi’ and in Aotearoa, ‘aute’. Samoa has ‘siapo’, Niue ‘hiapo’ and in Hawaii barkcloth is known as ‘kapa’. Today, Tapa and fine woven mats have evolved into symbols of social status and prestige as well as commodities representing spiritual, cultural and ceremonial identity.

Tanuvasa writes: These new paintings were inspired by my mother’s Tapa. The Tapa had been stored in black plastic bags in her wardrobe. Recently, when my family suffered a bereavement, it was time for them to be seen. We needed the best Tapa for our purpose and—with Mum’s guidance—we unrolled and unfolded them on the front lawn. The hand-drawn lines, the clear painted shapes and the warm earthy colours captured me immediately and I felt the Tapa transform a domestic space into one for paying respect. These beautiful objects created a space that held my family together through a time of sadness. At a time of tragedy they also helped me reconnect with myself.