Na vakaraitaki iyau oqo e tiko kina na itaba, matavulo, masi kei na ulu cavu. Ai matai ni ulu cavu me tali ni oti e 200 na yabaki.
From the artist collective, Na Tolu, an exhibition of photographs, masks, body adornment, and the first ulu cavu (hair wig) made in more than 200 years.
Na Ulumate e vakamacalataka e dua na ivalavala makawa vaka iTaukei ka a sega ni vakayagataki tu e Viti ena loma ni 200 na yabaki sa oti.
E dau vakayacori na Ulumate ena gauna ni vakaloloku ni somate, me dau koti na drauniulu me caka kina na ulu cavu. E dau tokari tiko na ulu cavu me yacova ni sa tubu tale na drauniulu. Ni bera na gauna ni Lotu va-Karisito e dau tokari talega na ulu cavu ena gauna ni valu. Ni sa oti na gauna vakoloni, e dau tokara o ira na Qita (o ira na turaga digitaki) na ulu cavu ena nodra yadrava voli na iteitei ni koro.
Na Tolu, e dua na ilawalawa dau ni cakacaka ni liga ka ratou tekivutaka o Joana Monolagi, Ole Maiava kei Daren Kamali.
Na Ulumate e vakaraitaki kina na cakacaka ni liga e cakava Na Tolu ena vica na yabaki sa oti ka vakaraitaka na bibi ni cakacaka ni liga vaka-iTaukei. Na veicakacaka oqo e vakaraitaka ka vakabulabulataka tale na veicakacaka ni vakadidike e vakumuni, kei na iyau mai na vale ni yau makawa maroroi me kakua ni guilecavi kina na ivalavala kei na itovo vaka-iTaukei.
The Ulumate Project features recently created objects and images by the artist collective Na Tolu that reflect the important making practices of iTaukei. This body of work responds to, and re-poses, objects and historic images from museum and research collections to ensure the traditions of iTaukei are not forgotten.
Ulumate or ‘dead head’ describes the ancient practice of human hair wig-making by iTaukei (Indigenous Fijians) that’s been inactive in Fiji for two centuries. Ulumate was traditionally observed during a time of mourning when the drau-ni-ulu (hair) was cut and made into a wig, then worn until the hair beneath grew back. In pre-Christian Fiji, ulu cavu (hair wigs) were also worn in warfare. Post-colonisation, qita (selected men) wore ulu cavu as they stood guard over the village plantation.
Na Tolu, founded by Joana Monolagi, Ole Maiava and Daren Kamali, has been revitalising the practice of ulumate through research informed by ulu cavu held within institutional collections and by historic images of iTaukei.
The Ulumate Project is developed by Objectspace and supported by Creative New Zealand.
IMAGE: Na Tolu, Ulu cavu, 2021. Hair and magimagi (coconut sinnet) string lace
