Buiniga
Aratoi Art + Museum, 2023-24
Lead artist: Natasha Ratuva
Public programs co-ordinator: Emele Ugavule
Photographer: Saint Andrew
In iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) culture the head and hair symbolize mana and connection to the spiritual realm.
In this exhibition Natasha Ratuva presents masi artworks that reinterpret traditional patterns from Fijian masi (iTaukei barkcloth) and kuta (woven pond reeds) into contemporary compositions with the buiniga, an iTaukei women's traditional hair practice as the central theme. This exhibition is a celebration of this powerful and beautiful symbol of iTaukei culture and womanhood.