ko au te kete

what’s in a name?

I should probably explain the name I chose for the website.

Ko Au Te Kete

In the indigenous language of my country, this basically translates to

I am the vessel.

In mahi raranga, techniques and concepts are layered with metaphor and are often a reflection on the nature of human behaviour and existence.

For instance, the whakapapa is the foundation or layout of the weaving strips to begin a basket or kete.

Depending on the type and size of container we are creating, we follow a prescribed format.

To begin with, the correct number of weaving strips must be uniformly sized and processed. They are then laid across one another to commence the base of the kete. Each strip is laid in pairs and if any are missed you end up with a mess!

All weavers, whether beginners or experienced have come to a point in their weaving where they realise something has gone wrong and that the only way forward is to go backwards to find the mistake.

Most of us understand that in order to face the messes we get ourselves into, we need to go back and reflect on the decisions we made that got us here. We need to see where we went wrong, tidy things up and continue to move forward.

Ko au te kete expresses, I am like a basket being woven, and I have the wisdom and vision to choose the threads that I weave into my life.