Waka huia are small wooden chests that safeguard taonga (precious objects). Their exteriors are often elaborately carved to reflect and enhance the prestige of their contents. Precious Cargo reworks this traditional Māori form to consider the connection between vessels and their contents. Artist and furniture designer Tim Wigmore is interested in the way waka huia both respond to the taonga they contain and can be viewed as art objects in their own right. For the show, he asked six renowned artists and craftspeople who use native timbers and materials to produce an important tool in their practice and built bespoke cabinets to house each of them. The show celebrates artists and craftspeople from diverse backgrounds who cross cultural divides through a shared enjoyment of native materials and ways of working.
