Tau Rima Tahiti: Crafting Performance

March 2, 2009-April 28, 2009
Location: Bridge Gallery

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library presents two exhibits, Tau Rima Tahiti and 'Ite 'Upa'upa, by curator and ethnomusicology candidate, Scott Bartlett, in the UH Manoa Library Bridge and Phase II Galleries, March 2 - April 28, 2009.

Tau Rima Tahiti describes skilled, steady, persistent handiwork, especially in competition, craftsmanship, or performance. Creativity, patience, and tau rima go into every costume, carving, and musical instrument that is part of 'ori Tahiti, or Tahitian dance.

Tau Rima Tahiti: Crafting Performance showcases the craft artists and the material artifacts of 'ori Tahiti in Hawai'i. Examples of locally made costumes and instruments show how artists in Hawai'i preserve Tahitian traditions through craftsmanship, innovation, creative use of resources, and the transmission of knowledge. Builders and makers construct these objects for the stage production, but their craftsmanship is a performance in and of itself. The materials of Tau Rima Tahiti celebrate these craftspeople and their central role in preserving Tahitian culture in Hawai'i.