Grounded in the constellation Puanga and its narratives, this creative workshop with artist Vanessa Edwards invites participants to reflect on the past year and the year to come through star weaving.

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You’ll begin by exploring Vanessa’s perspectives on looking to the stars for inspiration and guidance, before learning to weave whetū (stars) using hand-printed materials created by Vanessa Edwards and fellow Karanga atu, Karanga mai artist Alexis Neal. These whetū can then be transformed into a necklace or brooch, using simple binding and knotting techniques taught during the session.

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About Vanessa Edwards:

Edwards is a printmaker and graduate of Taupō Quay School of Fine Arts, Whanganui, where she learnt under Marty Vreede and Faith McManus. Based in Whanganui on the west coast of the North Island, NZ, Edwards has been making and exhibiting throughout New Zealand and beyond since completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2002.

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A founding member of Toi Whakaata – Māori Print Collective (2006), Edwards has been a part of the NZ print conversation for over 20 years and has represented Māori printmaking in several contexts. Her passion for print as an Indigenous form of expression has seen Edwards develop and refine a Māori and/or Indigenous approach to her print practice. Her works explore concepts around decolonising space through her practice, her imagery, and her engagement.

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