Mau kakī - Contemporary Whatu Neckpieces
Learn traditional whatu techniques to create eye catching contemporary neck pieces of your own design and colourway using the materials provided.
Medina holds a relaxed and grounded workshop with warmth and humour. The space feels safe, welcoming, and guided. She teaches in a way that is structured but never rigid: everyone moves at a steady, supported pace, with room to breathe, laugh, fumble, and try again.
The atmosphere is culturally anchored, and participants often describe it as memorable, confidence‑building, and surprisingly moving — a place where they feel held, capable, and connected.
About the artist
Medina is a Toi Iho–certified raranga whatu artist with more than three decades of practice. Her work moves between traditional fibre knowledge and contemporary expression, weaving muka, pīngao, and natural materials into sculptural forms, wearable pieces, and kaupapa-driven installations.
Medina believes she guides learners with patience, integrity, and the belief that mastery comes from slowing down, undoing, and doing again. As an artist, her work carries whakapapa, texture, and story. As a kaiako, she creates spaces where people feel capable, connected, and quietly lifted.
Her practice centres community, cultural continuity, and the joy of seeing others grow confident in what they create with their own hands.
