As a lecturer at the Teachers’ Training College in Tongatapu in the 1980s, Lesieli Kato Kakala Tohi Tupou never dreamed that the rhythm of the ancient Tongan art of mosikaka weaving would provide the flow for such a large part of her life. Like many Tongan women, she grew up learning to weave, but as mosikaka was traditionally reserved for royalty, she had little firsthand experience of the ornate mosikaka containers made to hold precious items. The weavers who were entrusted with traditional mosikaka knowledge had surrounded the art with so much secrecy that it had fallen into almost total decline before Tupou was born.

As a teacher, Tupou was passionate about the importance of Tongan cultural knowledge, and so she organised for a group of her female students to visit Tuku’aho Memorial Museum. At the museum, Tupou and her students studied a finely constructed mosikaka basket, noting that there was a small area of damage at its base. After receiving permission to unravel the fibres, Tupou began to understand its method of construction.

Since that time, Tupou has dedicated many years to reinvigorating mosikaka weaving and encouraging its adoption by conducting workshops in churches and schools and for women’s community groups. Using fine strands of pandanus, she teaches students basic techniques before they begin to work with double-twisted coconut fibres.

More than simply exquisitely crafted body adornments and ceremonial accessories, Lesieli Kato Kakala Tohi Tupou’s works represent important acts of honouring Tongan culture, its resilience and adaptability.