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Ula-lei necklace by Niki Hastings-McFall
Object No. 2015/73/1
Niki Hastings-McFall (b.1959) is a New Zealand born jewellery artist of Samoan and Pakeha heritage. A prominent figure in the local and international contemporary Pacific art scene, Hastings-McFall is known for the conceptual significance of her works, often exploring key issues related to cultural identity, the impact of globalisation on traditional island life and the inter-relationships and dichotomies between Western and Pacific culture. In this particular work, 'Segasegaa Mau'u' (also referred to as 'Ula Sega' - pronounced 'ooh-luh say-ng-uh'), Hastings-McFall reinvents the traditional form of the Pacific ula-lei using everyday materials to make a critical commentary on migration and Western cultural stereotypes of Pacific islanders. 'Traditionally, lei were created from organic materials such as seeds, shells, flowers, leaves and so on', says Hastings-McFall. 'With the migrations of the 50s and 60s from the Pacific to urban New Zealand, the Pacific peoples' environment changed dramatically. In accordance with this geographical relocation, the materials available for manufacturing lei and other material cultural forms also changed, although the forms themselves remained familiar and easily identifiable...A subliminal material narrative comes into play when using materials originally intended for functions far removed from the purpose for which they've been employed...In this case, the weedeater nylon speaks of borders, boundaries, ownership and possession of arbitrary, surreal delineations - of the suburban compulsion to manicure, clip, cut, chop, cultivate, control and impose order on the random organic territory it seeks to dominate'. Hastings-McFall's 'Urban Lei' series was made over a period of 12 years (2003-2015) and draws on materials sourced from Hastings-McFall's own contemporary surburban environment. This includes net curtains, plastic milk bottles, supermarket shopping bags, fish shaped soy sauce containers, luminous plastic toys, clothes pegs and, in the case of this paritcular lei, weedeater nylon. 'Teasing out the aesthetic possibilities from a diverse range of everyday items has made me look at rubbish in a very different way', says Hastings-McFall. 'One man's junk is another man's treasure'. Melanie Pitkin Curator, 2015
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Summary
Object Statement
Ula-lei necklace, 'Segasegaa Mau'u' (Urban Lei series - Weedeater Variants), acrylic, designed and made by Niki Hastings-McFall, Auckland, New Zealand, 2015
Physical Description
An ula-lei necklace made from looped strips of translucent, red acrylic.
DIMENSIONS
Height
90 mm
Width
90 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
This ula-lei was made by Niki Hastings-McFall in Auckland, New Zealand, 2015 using acrylic (weedeater nylon). The title of this particular work refers to the Samoan Sega (pronounced 'say-ng-uh') bird or parrot finch. This bird is endemic to Samoa and is under threat by forest degradation and invasive species. Hastings-McFall says, 'This small bird was greatly prized for its beautiful red plumage as the colour red is sacred throughout Polynesia. The feathers were used to adorn chiefly objects and accorded much status in their own right. The Sega bird is mentioned in oral histories as one of the gifts sent down from Lagi (the heavens) at the time of the first fale (house) building. The Sega bird is often cited in legends and sayings and the red feathers confer great mana upon the wearer, recipient or wearer.' The vibrant red hue in this work references these ancient Polynesian traditions and the symbolism imbued within the Pacific peoples' cultural landscape. The Polynesian's spiritual connections to the land and his 'Kaitiake' (caretaker) approach to his relationship with the land are contrasted with the colonial European model of ownership and control.
HISTORY
Notes
Niki Hastings-McFall (b. New Zealand 1959) studied visual arts and jewellery at Auckland University and the Manukau Institute of Technology. Of mixed Pakeha-Samoan heritage, Hastings-McFall is considered a significant artist in the contemporary local and international Pacific art scene. She has exhibited her works both in New Zealand and overseas (including a number of defining exhibitions exploring Pacific culture, like 'Bottled Ocean' (New Zealand), 'Latitudes' (France), 'Paradise Now' (USA) and 'Pasifika Styles' (UK)) and is represented in several international collections, including the British Museum, Chartwell Trust, Museum of Volkekund Germany, Te Papa Tongarewa New Zealand and GOMA Brisbane.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Purchased with funds from the Yasuko Myer Bequest, 2015
Acquisition Date
26 November 2015
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