Tātou Studios is a workshop and design studio where traditional craft meets modern application, and where taonga are created to last for generations. Established in June this year, the idea behind it was simple but ambitious; to create a space that builds succession, giving Māori artists real opportunities to develop and produce quality work for the region. Led by project consultant and artist Kahu Paki Paki, the journey has been a challenging one to bring all the components together, he says. “Although we are in our infancy, this concept has been present in the minds of many in the Māori arts community.”
“We will also be delivering community wānanga for developing this succession and using them as a pathway for our emerging artists to have the confidence to take further steps towards a career in the arts.” Those wānanga are key to Tātou’s purpose: sharing knowledge and strengthening a community that’s as much about people as it is about art. One of the studio’s current collaborations speaks deeply to that purpose.
“We are currently working with Te Āwhina Marae with the delicate task of restoring the front-facing carvings of the meeting house,” says Kahu. “This one stands out because it is a true community project that already has a long lineage and also because it is a cultural icon of our region.”
Working alongside Te Ara Toki carving studio and the marae community, the project is a blend of skill and whakapapa. “We are working in collaboration to uplift the mana of their ancestral house and the whānau that occupy it.”
Tātou Studios is a working space, a place of making. The current gallery on Pascoe Street operates more as a showroom and a way to demonstrate what’s possible when traditional practice meets refined design. “I hope visitors see a community-focussed enterprise that is competent in producing high-quality projects and designs that will be visible in our public spaces across Te Tauihu,” says Kahu. “If they leave with a recognition of the possibilities that a sophisticated compatibility between traditional practices and modern application can be achieved, we know it will be a success.”
Most of the works are commissioned, and each one is treated with the care and attention of something meant to endure. “Our main focus is on the design consultancy service working with architects and developers to integrate Te Ao Māori into our visual spaces,” Kahu explains.
The studio is also expanding its workshop, bringing in skilled artists to create large-scale, museum-quality works. “It is an elevation of our craft and our practice. To take this type of work from the flea markets to the galleries and businesses of Aotearoa, and possibly the world.”
Whether the team is designing personal taonga or cultural installations, the goal remains the same: to create intergenerational taonga – treasures passed down from parent to child, each holding a story of whakapapa and place.
Tātou Studios | 027 702 7000 | 97 Pascoe St, Nelson
