Peruvian “living treasure” brings bold tapestry designs

Peruvian “living treasure” brings bold tapestry designs to Porirua

The dramatic, boldly colourful tapestries of “mega star” Peruvian weaver Máximo Laura are coming to Pātaka in Porirua this month.

Laura has been named one of Peru’s “Living Treasures” for his work that mixes ancestral weaving techniques with contemporary art and textile design.

His exhibition Eternal Vision will be on show at Pātaka’s TOI Gallery from Friday 21 July to 27 August.

It will be Laura’s only New Zealand exhibition while he is in the country for a series of workshops and lectures organised by Creative Fibre NZ.

“The colours and textures he uses are like something we haven’t seen here before. He has broken the boundaries of tapestry,” says Trish Armour of Creative Fibre, who recently travelled to Peru for a workshop with Laura.

“The colours he works in are so vibrant, and he uses different techniques to make his work almost three dimensional. It really is something quite different.”

Pātaka Contemporary Art Curator Mark Hutchins-Pond says Laura has created an eight-metre long, marine themed tapestry especially for the show and it will hang in the open Spine area of Pataka. The 16 tapestries in his exhibition will be for sale.

“We have a long history of working with Creative Fibre and it’s great to be working with them again to bring Laura here. He really is a mega star of the weaving world.”

Laura is a fifth generation weaver who learned his craft as a child at his father’s side while growing up in Ayacucho. His tapestries have featured in more than 140 exhibitions in 28 countries and have earned many awards.

Laura says he is inspired by Peru’s ancestral textiles and bold colours. “My work is nourished by symbols, stories, traditions….For me a colourless design is like a body without soul. It is through colour that all the elements gain energy, life, intention and real value.”

Laura will give a floor talk at the official opening of his exhibition on Saturday 22 July at 1pm.

Also opening at Pātaka on 21 July 2017 are:
TAKU HIKOI, LA’U MALAGA – My footprint, my walk, my journey.
This exhibition aims to showcase the achievements and the journey of people who are making art works as part of their recovery journey from mental illness to health and wellbeing. The work is by consumers from the Te Korowai-Whāriki mental health services based in Porirua, and includes large scale tape art, ceramics, stylised bird house models, charcoal drawings and masks.
Friday 21 July to 20 August, Bottle Creek Gallery, Pataka.

FLOCK TOGETHER.
Whanganui artists Leonie Sharp, Angela Tier, Tracey Piercy and Emma Cunningham bring their collective artistic talents together around one common theme – birds. Their work includes jewelry, ceramics, photography and mixed media. The artists all share a common interest in birds; however, for them the bird is more than purely subject matter. Feathers, bones, and wings are used as a resource, providing the material, and instilling meaning and beauty in their work.
Friday 21 July – 27 August, Toi Object Space, Pātaka

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