The President of the World Crafts Council and a delegation of international representatives visited the Ministry for Pacific Peoples in November, underscoring the global significance of Pacific indigenous crafts and innovation.
The World Crafts Council is an international non-profit organisation that promotes economic development through crafts, as well as organising forums, collaboration, exhibitions and other support for global craftspeople.
The visit provided an opportunity to strengthen connections between Pacific community leaders and artisans in Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider Oceanic region.
Ministry officials and the delegation held a focused discussion on the importance of supporting Pacific craft communities and sustaining cultural practices across Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, followed by a vibrant showcase by Pacific community leaders and artisans.
Secretary for Pacific Peoples Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone described the visit as, “a celebration of Pacific craft, and a platform to elevate the voices of artisans”.
“It was an honour to hear from these international creative leaders, and to help celebrate cultural identity through traditional craft.”
Gerardine says Pacific crafts are an important and evolving platform.
“We are seeing artisans reinterpret ancestral practices for contemporary contexts, integrating new materials, digital tools, and market strategies to keep culture vibrant while generating economic opportunities. This adaptive approach strengthens livelihoods and expands the reach of Pacific art across New Zealand and the global diaspora,” she says.
The interactive crafts showcase formed the centrepiece of the visit, presenting a wide range of craft forms, techniques and traditions.
Master carvers demonstrated the precision of carvings and canoe lashings, while weavers and textiles artisans displayed fine mats, tapa, tīvaevae and tipurepure. They explained how natural materials shape their work and nature inspires designs. Jewellery designers, wearable art creators, and artists working with upcycled materials highlighted the evolving nature of Pacific craft.
Digital creators also contributed modern interpretations of Pacific stories, reflecting the blend of heritage and contemporary expression.
Representatives from the Cook Islands, Tokelau, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea participated, illustrating the diversity of Pacific creativity in Aotearoa. Artisans included Mama Upukoina o Teariki Puia, Mama Akaiti Eitiare-Samuel, Leiataua Lesā Liana Leaitaua, Moses Viliamu, Magele Niuma’ana John Misky, Inangaro Vakaafi, Pepe Love by Joy Sipeli-Antipas, Melesiu Katoa, and representatives from Niuean Arts Collective Niutupu Pulapulaola.
Pacific community leaders included Afamasaga Jackie Curry, founder and director of Spacific Consultancy LTD, and Salā Laura Keil-Hall, founder and CEO of the Pacific Business Hub, who also brought together works from Under the Bird by Fuimaono Louise Thompson, Misiluki by Lufilufi Rasmussen, Tui Emma Gillies, and Koloa Jewellery by Sonia Fonua.
There was also a special feature of Papua New Guinean Bilum bags by Jessica Magala, an intern at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
The visit highlighted the power of cultural exchange and growing global recognition of Pacific knowledge and tradition through craftsmanship.