Rānui Ngārimu

Rānui Ngārimu (née Phillips; born 1946) is a New Zealand Māori weaver and textile artist. She has chaired Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, the national Māori weavers' collective, and is formally acknowledged as a master weaver by appointment to the collective's Kāhui Whiritoi group in 2008.

Ngārimu created the cloak, Te Māhutonga ('the Southern Cross'), worn by the flag bearer of the New Zealand Olympic team. She has also been an integral member of the team researching Te Rā, the last known Māori sail.

In the 2020 New Year Honours, Ngārimu was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She is heavily involved in supporting kapa haka and te reo Māori.

Personal biography Ngārimu was born in Christchurch.

Upon her marriage she moved to the West Coast and lived for 26 years in Ōtira. As a member of this group Ngārimu hosts students to discuss weaving and encourage the development of exhibitions. She also supports and provides guidance on the strategic direction of Te Roopu Raranga Whatu and champions weaving through national institutions and international networks. She also created a cloak given to the mayor and city of San Francisco. Ngārimu was also commissioned by the New Zealand chapter of Zonta International to design and weave a kākahu (Māori cloak) for use by members representing the chapter at international conventions. Ngārimu subsequently created a kākahu named Tohu Aroha (Gift of Love).

As part of her weaving practice Ngārimu repairs, restores, and replicates customary Māori garments. She works with Catherine Smith of the University of Otago and Donna Campbell of the University of Waikato studying the sail from a Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) perspective combined with western scientific knowledge.

In 2021/2022 a selection of her works were exhibited at the Christchurch Art Gallery in the Te Puna Waiora: The Distinguished Weavers of Te Kāhui Whiritoi exhibition.

Notable works

Ngārimu and Te Aue Davis wove Te Māhutonga (the Southern Cross), the Olympic cloak. This cloak is now in the collection of the Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa. This book was the culmination of Ngārimu's participation in the Māori Art Meets America exhibition that visited San Francisco in 2005.

Community involvement

Ngārimu is a member and former chairperson of Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, having been invited onto the committee of Aotearoa Moananui A Kiwa in 1988. Ngārimu also works to support the use of te reo Māori, volunteering as a teacher of Te Ataarangi and uses as a learning tool cuisenaire rods. She is also the New Zealand Olympic Committee kuia.

Awards and honours

In 1986 Ngārimu was voted the West Coast Woman of the Year.

Family Ngārimu is the sister of Miriama Evans with whom she co-wrote The Art of Māori Weaving. Ngārimu was married to Harold Carr "Judge" Ngārimu who died in 1997, and raised five children with him.

Ngārimu affiliates with Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Mutungā iwi.

Selected publications

Evans, M. & Ngārimu, R., The Art of Maori Weaving: The Eternal Thread, Huia Publishers, Wellington, 2006. Ngārimu, R., My Favourite, (March–May 2007) Bulletin vol. 148 p. 3 Ngārimu, R., Norman Lemon's Untitled, (23 March 2015) Bulletin vol. 179