11/25/2023 0 Comments Artful yarn heroes![]() ![]() ![]() He’s way neater than me, I’m not about perfection at all. “I had to say to Rudi, I’m really sorry, but you’re going to have to learn how to crochet because I need assistance, and this project is getting bigger and bigger! Bless him, he was happy to learn, so I taught him and he picked it up really quickly. Sitting with others has meant sharing the workload, and she’s even managed to rope in her husband. The simple act of sitting here with others crocheting loops brings community together,” Lissy explains. “The mission for Wharenui Harikoa is to heal and transform intergenerational trauma into deeply felt joy, one loop at a time. You can see the pieces completed so far at The Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt from now until February 19, 2023. Left: Lissy and Rudi are hoping their massive work, Wharenui Harikoa, will be launched in its finished form at Matariki next year and will journey around Aotearoa. Lissy estimates that it will take 5000 balls to finish (you can help by buying a ball of yarn at ). It’s an ambitious undertaking – so far, it’s been over a year in the making and its taken almost 3000 balls of neon-coloured yarn. Lissy’s latest project is titled Wharenui Harikoa, a life-sized crochet House of Joy. Aroha and manaaki are everything that we as Māori express and it’s intangible, but crochet has given us a visual language.” “With the act of crochet you are connecting loops, so the whole symbolism of crochet is connection and that represents my Māori heritage. The medium she’s chosen may be different from her dad’s, but Lissy draws on his artistic flair as well as her family’s intergenerational and cultural connections. His daughter’s love for him lives on through her flamboyant creativity. Colin Cole was a local fashion designer well-known for his stunning gowns and debutante dresses. The youngest of eight daughters, she chuckles as she points out ruefully that with all those girls to contend with, it was little wonder her dad passed away early at the age of 57. I honestly can’t remember what drove me to Spotlight to go and get a hook, but the minute I did, I was obsessed.” My nanny crocheted, but I was seven when she died and I never got an opportunity to learn from her. I’ve always been creative, I’ve always loved textiles and textures. ![]() Her pieces weave together her past and present, with the art of crochet having become Lissy’s full-time labour of love. It’s also gained a following in the art world, winning a major sculpture award and being widely exhibited. Although you could be forgiven for thinking Lissy’s outlook on life is frivolous, it’s anything but.Īs a fibre artist and designer, her work is unmissable, often life-sized and loaded with the hope of effecting change. “The neon colours say – I’m here, I’m loud, I’m proud and I’m not going anywhere.” Lissy’s take on life is more often than not cheerful, her fingers constantly occupied with the hypnotic rhythm of crochet. There’s nothing subtle about Lissy Robinson-Cole – she’s larger than life, fluorescently adorned and radiating a joy that she’s determined to share. ![]()
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