Paying homage to the traditions and craft of Indigenous women weavers from Māori and Southeast Asian cultures
National Gallery’s Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden has seen several rotations of art installations throughout its time as part of its annual ‘Commission Series’ where one leading artist is invited to showcase site-specific works. This year for its seventh edition, New Zealander artist Lisa Reihana’s outdoor installation Glisten takes the stage.
Make your way up to the garden and you will be greeted by a three-sided large-scale art installation dazzling under the daylight. With each breeze, you’ll notice the artwork shimmers and moves kinetically. The work is made up of 114,000 shimmer discs, accompanied by sounds of a wind chime handmade by Reihana and collaborator Gary Hunt using repurposed materials. The artwork is also adorned with patterns inspired by Southeast Asian Songket and Māori Tāniko weaving. Through the marrying of art and nature, Glisten pays homage to the traditions and craft of Indigenous women weavers from Māori and Southeast Asian cultures and celebrates their roles as knowledge keepers before Asia and the Pacific regions became acquainted with Western culture.
“The patterns adorning Glisten are inspired by women weavers, I honour their stories and intricate skills. I hope visitors will be dazzled by its beauty, and to join me in celebrating the enduring legacy of Songket and Tāniko weaving,” artist Lisa Reihana says.
Artist Lisa Reihana is a multi-disciplinary artist whose works spread across a wide range of mediums including film, sculpture, costume, and body adornment, text and photography. As a woman of Māori and Welsh-English descent, Reihana has worked to broaden the portrayal of Pacific and Māori identities, knowledge, and culture, greatly impacting contemporary art and Māori art in New Zealand.
Everyone is welcome to experience the joyful artwork and explore the historical connections between Southeast Asia and Aotearoa New Zealand dating back to pre-colonial times.
The Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden is located on the fifth floor (#05-01) of National Gallery Singapore.
