Located on Scarborough Terrace in Parnell, Auckland, Studio Carolina Izzo is a key hub for cultural preservation, focusing on the conservation of Pacific heritage. Led by head conservator Carolina Izzo, the studio is committed to maintaining taonga—cultural treasures—with a special emphasis on traditional Pacific practices.
During Auckland’s Heritage Festival, running until October 13, the studio hosted a discussion with Tongan artist Ebonie Fifita, exploring the intersections between Pacific art practices and conservation. Fifita highlighted the significance of ngatu, or tapa cloth, a cornerstone of Tongan cultural tradition.
Fifita explained that the process of creating ngatu is complex and deeply communal. Ngatu is made from the inner bark of the mulberry tree (hiapo), which is stripped, beaten, and flattened into thin sheets known as feta’aki. The pieces are then joined together through a process called koka’anga. “Each piece is worked on two rows at a time—langanga—a unit for counting progress,” Fifita said, emphasizing that while modern techniques rely on numbers, earlier methods used visual symbols.
Ngatu serves both everyday and ceremonial purposes, being gifted during significant life events such as weddings and funerals. “The practice is intergenerational and communal,” Fifita explained. Traditionally, women gather to beat and flatten the hiapo bark, fulfilling familial obligations and sustaining their communities.
Alisi Tatafu, who collaborates with Fifita, has introduced ngatu-making into schools in Tonga, highlighting its economic and cultural importance. “It helps women be economically stable and sustainable in Tonga,” Tatafu said.
For Fifita, ngatu reflects both historical and contemporary narratives. One piece showcased during the event depicted Ha’amonga ‘a Maui, a stone structure in Tonga, embodying the deep cultural meanings interwoven into these beautiful cloths.
Ngatu is more than just fabric—it is a living, breathing symbol of Tongan heritage.
Source: RNZ / Edited from article by Coco Lance
