Fiona Collis

Fiona Collis (Te Aitanga a Hauiti) is a contemporary Māori artist and specialist kakahu weaver based in Uawa, Tolaga Bay. Working predominantly with muka, she creates traditional Maori garments that honour ancestral practice, matauranga, and the enduring strength of wahine Maori. With over two decades of weaving experience, Fiona’s practice is grounded in whakapapa, wairua, and deep connection to people and place. While her customary works are known for their precision and refinement, her recent sculptural forms embrace intuitive, expressive processes that reflect lived experience and inherited memory. Taught by her grandmother, Fiona weaves in continuation of her whanau matriarchal line, giving presence to those who came before her.

Last Update:: 30/06/2025, 11:58 pm

Fiona Collis

Fiona's Live Project

Hau Kainga 2.0

Hau Kāinga is a large-scale woven installation that honors the whenua (land), moana (sea), and whakapapa (ancestral connections) of where I was raised in Te Tairāwhiti. Building on an upcoming exhibition at Tairāwhiti Museum (alongside my 2 sisters), this project will bring sculptural woven pods to life on the rocks at Tatarahake beach—forms crafted by hand using natural fibres and materials gathered from our whenua. Each pod is a physical and spiritual offering—an intimate reflection of the land, sea, and the people who have shaped who I am. Hau Kāinga is a celebration of home, family, and belonging that extends beyond gallery walls, inviting the community to engage with the living landscape of our East Coast. This work deepens the connection between my traditional weaving practices and contemporary installation art, anchoring cultural stories in place.

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