Barkcloth making is an eminent art form across most of the Paci fc. In Tonga in particular, barkcloth making—known locally as ngatu, is a thriving art form of contemporary expression. It is also a means for women to create capital and an object used in the gift and exchange economy through which it often enters family collections, many of which include works from across the Paci fc, pointing to a radically di ferent genealogy of art collecting. While Tongan ngatu is often large in scale, this 32 metre long ngatu ‘uli, or black ngatu, is an exceptional piece. It has particular signi fcance in funeral ceremonies but is also meant to be appreciated as an object in itself, inviting its viewers to re fect on abstraction as an art vocabulary with multiple lineages.
Designed & Developed by: Curves n' Colors | Visual identity by: Wkshps
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