Curator Dely Roy Nalo descends from a chiefly line on Gaua Island, Torba Province. Working directly with ni-Vanuatu artists and their chiefs, Dely conducts research and conversations to create new spaces for the articulation of kastom (customary knowledge and practice) and ensure the intergenerational transmission of knowledge around the sustainable use of natural resources in an era of climate change.

For the Asia Pacific Triennial, Dely has devised an intergenerational project focused on the knowledge embedded in women’s weavings from the Banks Islands group. Working with her husband, children, and women from Gaua, Mere Lava and Mote Lava islands, Dely coordinated a weaving exchange in 2023. The Torba Weavers project brings together examples of weavings that flow from this workshop, all of which demonstrate how these traditions continue to change through the intricate exploration of colour, pattern and form.

The three exemplary garments created by Dely and her daughter Ashantee bring together the past, present and future, using natural materials to share Torba women’s changing ideas of style and a growing desire to use weaving to tell stories of people and place. Dely’s future-focused garment presents an image of Torba women connected to their environment and culture, using their natural resources and skills to participate in a changing world. By installing her fans in the gallery, Elizabeth Salvemal likewise transforms these handheld ornaments into symbols of Torba women keeping cool heads in the face of climate change.