Pacific Arts: The Journal of the Pacific Arts Association

This article, written as a personal response, follows two ngatu (Tongan barkcloths) from Canterbury Museum to Auckland’s Pah Homestead for the ‘Amui ‘i Mu‘a/Ancient Futures exhibition, which showcased the interconnectedness of Tongan material culture, identity, and visual language. The exhibition, part of a five-year collaborative project, featured works by senior Tongan artists Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi and Dagmar Vaikalafi Dyck alongside museum artifacts. This personal response highlights how Tongan artists are reclaiming cultural heritage and reasserting Indigenous knowledge in museum spaces, forging new pathways for understanding and representation.