Pacific Collaborators

Francois Wadra

A Kanak archaeologist from the Loyalty Islands. Since 2008 he has been researching Kanak collections held in British Museums. He will work with Julie Adams to research the objects collected by Paul D Montague in 1914, and held at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge.

Teiki Huukena

Teiki is a Marquesan tattoo artist based in Nimes, France. He has recently published a dictionary of Marquesan tattoo designs. He will work with the team studying Marquesan collections in Europe.

Pauline Reynolds

Pauline Reynolds is an historian and textile artist of Norfolk and Pitcairn Island heritage currently a PhD by Creative Practice Candidate at the University of New England in Australia. She began her research on the tapa made by her foremothers from Tahiti and Huahine while living in French Polynesia. Her research with Pacific Presences in museums in Britain and Germany will culminate in a tiputa made from modern fabrics to illustrate the traditional and innovative skills and knowledge used by the Polynesian women who voyaged from Tahiti to Pitcairn Island the Bounty mutineers.

Areta Wilkinson

Areta is a New Zealand jeweller of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Irakehu and Ngāti Wheke descent based in Oxford, New Zealand. She will work with the team and photographer Mark Adams to make an artistic inquiry of taonga Māori (Māori customary objects) held in museum stores in England and Germany.

Kaetaeta Watson

Kaetaeta was born in 1947 on one of Kiribati’s atolls, Tabiteuea. She is a weaver and teacher living in New Zealand for over 30 years. Kaetaeta is active in the preservation of Kiribati heritage arts. She is enthusiast to share the skills that she was blessed to learn as a child. She will work with Dr Ali Clark to investigate the process of making Kiribati Armour. They will research Kiribati suits of armour in New Zealand and in the UK museum collections and work towards making contemporary armour using the traditional techniques.

Chris Charteris

Born in New Zealand of Kiribati, Fijian and English descent, Chris is a sculptor, carver and jeweller. He creates new innovative work, evolving art forms that reflect the present yet are deeply rooted within past traditions. He will work with Dr Ali Clark to investigate the process of making Kiribati Armour. They will research Kiribati suits of armour in New Zealand and in the UK museum collections and work towards making contemporary armour using the traditional techniques.

Lizzy Leckie

Lizzy is a weaver , photographer and producer for Tungaru: the Kiribati Project. She is passionate about the maintenance and development of heritage arts by working with communities, research, hands on making and experimentation. She will work with Dr Ali Clark to investigate the process of making Kiribati Armour. They will research Kiribati suits of armour in New Zealand and in the UK museum collections and work towards making contemporary armour using the traditional techniques.