Threaded Ed.20: A Seminal Issue Celebrating Māori Art and Design

A Unique Collaboration with Ngā Aho, Showcasing Indigenous Practitioners in Contemporary Art & Design

The Kaupapa (theme) for this issue is inspired by te ihi (the essence) of Matariki (Māori New Year). It is a time to acknowledge our influences and learnings; past, present, and future. This issue provides a platform to feature 10 indigenous practitioners at the forefront of Māori contemporary art & design. Each one sharing their cultural expression, stories, and visual identity to connect us professionally, spiritually, and physically with the unique identity and landscape of Māori creative practitioners.

Threaded Ed.20 is a product of ambitious and loving craftmanship by a small team. The team received generous guidance and entered into a new form of collaboration with members of Ngā Aho who informed values, processes, and protocols at every turn. This connection, inclusion, and exchange with our cultural partner Ngā Aho and the ten manuhiri make Ed.20 tino motuhake (extremely special).

Threaded magazine is a unique platform for print as the intention of the final product is to showcase best practice in all areas of design thinking and application as well as highlight paper and print collaboration and process. It attributes its wide readership (globally) to the high level of design, production values, and tactile considerations throughout from the outset.

Ed.20 officially launched six months later in August 2016 at Auckland Museum as part of Objectspace's National Craft, Applied Art, and Design Symposium. Themes like ‘changing lanes’ and ‘new beginnings’ emerged in February 2016. The team decided to dedicate Ed.20 exclusively to Māori art and design practitioners and mahi toi discourse and realized that they couldn’t do this without counsel from a cultural partner.

All of the patterns created are contemporary reinterpretations of Māori art/design derivative of taniko, tukutuku, tamoko, and raranga. Each one had to be specifically created to reflect the korero (story), artistry, and mahi (work) of each guest featured as well as connect subtly as a whole (see cover patterns where they work as a group). The team had a very open dialogue surrounding this approach which allowed them to have flexibility in their application and establish their own kawa (protocols) for using these components as a representation of each and every featured guest.

The issue celebrates Matariki, new beginnings, and acknowledges influences and learnings; past, present, and future. This edition’s intention is to increase awareness of contemporary Māori Art and Design but more importantly connect communities and industries locally and globally. This issue is a collaboration and co-edition with Ngā Aho featuring 10 of New Zealand’s most contemporary Māori artists and designers; Carin Wilson, Lisa Reihana, Rangi Kipa, Jack Gray, Elisapeta Hinemoa Heta, Lonnie Hutchinson, Natalie Robertson, Janet Lilo, Jessica Sanderson, and Martin Awa Clarke Langdon.

Threaded Ed.20 was awarded Silver in A' Print and Published Media Design Award in 2017. The Silver A' Design Award is rewarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.