An exhibition being hosted at only four venues around New Zealand has stopped in at Timaru’s Aigantighe Art Gallery.
‘‘Rivers: Metaphor for a Journey’’ is an exhibition comprised of 48 works from more than 20 members of the the Professional Weavers Network of New Zealand.
Exhibition convener and internationally recognised weaver Trish Armour said rivers symbolised vitality, fertility and the cycle of life.
‘‘They naturally flow and change over time, symbolising the passage of time and the transformative nature of life.
‘‘The exhibition gives an insight into how the weaver interprets the theme of how rivers impact the world, how the world impacts rivers, how they change the landscape, or how they impact our lives, and the lives of wildlife who live in and near the water.
‘‘Each work in this exhibition is personal to the weaver.’’
Featured in the exhibition is work from South Canterbury-based weaver Mary Anderson.
She said her three-piece devore style wall hanging Changing Course was inspired by her experience with the subject matter and previous work as a cartographer.
‘‘Tengawai River in South Canterbury has been our northern boundary on two blocks of the family farm since 1946. The hanging mounted on the left shows the Tengawai River course in the late 1930s.
‘‘The one in the middle shows us all the power of nature. On March 13 1986, heavy rainfall in the upper catchment caused extensive flooding, large stock losses and devastation to the homes and properties further downstream.
‘‘My dad Dave Lundie drowned while endeavouring to save a mob of sheep. A helicopter thankfully rescued my two brothers from a willow tree: this life-saving tree I’ve highlighted with a bead.
‘‘The final hanging on the right shows the Tengawai River course in 2022.’’
She said it was very exciting to be a part of the exhibition and to have it on display at the Aigantighe.
‘‘It’s been hung so beautifully, I’ve never seen our work hung to this standard before and the lighting is really just top notch.
‘‘I don’t think I’ve seen a better weaving exhibition.’’
Aigantighe Art Gallery exhibitions curator Izzy Hillman said it was really special to host an exhibition of this calibre.
‘‘We don’t typically have weaving exhibitions very often, the last time would have been a creative fibre exhibition a long time ago. It’s a very highly specialised skill set and for me it’s been quite a learning experience.
‘‘If there are interested weavers in the community or even just hobbyists, come along and see the variety of different mediums that are possible within the world of weaving. It’s important to not have it in your head as a restrictive definition.
‘‘Everyone’s welcome to come and have a look.’’
The exhibition will run until March 22.
