Kesseli Carmichael and Professor Paul Adams, Photography

Tapa cloth is one of Tonga’s most treasured possessions. Each design painted on the surface of the pounded bark contains cultural value and significance. The process of making a full piece of tapa is long and rigorous, which adds to the value of the piece. Tapa cloth is traditionally given at two major life events: weddings and funerals. Before a wedding takes place, the family of the bride presents a large amount of tapa to the family of the groom. In a funeral setting, it is given to the family of the deceased.

During my stay in Tonga, I was able to witness and photograph how tapa cloth is used during a funeral as well as a wedding; I was also able to photograph the process of creating tapa cloth from start to finish. The first step in the process is to obtain the bark from which tapa is made. There are a few ways the women who make the cloth obtain the necessary bark used. Some families have a plantation where they grow the trees. If this is the case, every few days the women will take machetes, cut down a few of the tall, thin trees and strip them of their bark. Another way the essential bark may be obtained is in the market. When purchased from the market, the bark has already been stripped from the trunk.

Once the bark has been obtained, it must be soaked in water to soften. Then the women gather together, either outside or within someone’s home. They take logs the have been flattened on one side and spread the bark on top. They are then able to use a sort of mallet, called a ike, to pound the bark out. During this time the women will often sing together while they work. It is pretty easy to find women pounding out the bark, or tutu, when you are walking around the villages. The pounding creates a loud, hallow noise that is constant and steady. The whack of the ike is a recognizable and familiar noise to anyone who has spent time in Tonga. Most of the women were very excited to have this process photographed and felt special that they were the ones shown performing the familiar and ancient steps to create this treasure.

After the bark has been pounded and hung to dry, the women come together in what is called a koko’anga. Many women, and sometimes young girls learning the process from their elders, gather around a huge log, flattened on one side, to put the many pieces of tutu together to create one large tapa. A couple of different items can be used to piece everything together. A common one is a sort of vegetable, like a potato, that is wetted down and rubbed over each piece. This sticks the pieces of tutu together. Once the tapa is dried, the women will paint it with designs. The women use a type of paint purchased at market or made from red dirt found outside the villages, mixed with water. Generally the tapa is divided into many different squares and the designs are painted within these squares.

Once the tapa has been completed, it is used in a number of different ways. Most commonly, as mentioned above, it is presented at funerals or weddings. I was able to photograph both of these events and show how tapa is used in both.

At a wedding, the bride’s family gathers many pieces of tapa, along with mats and blankets, and presents this to the groom’s mother. Generally, after the bride has prepared herself for the wedding, all the women from the bride’s and groom’s families will gather in a large room where the items have been piled. The bride’s mother will then give a description to the mother of the groom of all the items gathered together. The groom’s mother will then accept this and the items are actually then presented to the bride and groom. Several members of the wedding party also wear the tapa. For example, during the wedding I witnessed, the groom’s escort was wearing tapa cloth wrapped all around her body and tied at the waist by a rope. It was very interesting to be able to photograph the ways tapa was used during this time and the importance placed upon it.

The funeral I went to was for a man who was the noble in his village. Because he was of such importance, there was an immense amount of tapa presented to his family. The night of the funeral it was pouring rain outside and still there was a very long line of locals waiting their turn to present their tapa and mats to the family of the deceased. Similar to the wedding, there was a presentation of sorts at the funeral. The men gathered around in a circle and each village would send a representative to give an accounting of what gifts they had brought to honor the deceased noble.

It seems everywhere you turn in Tonga there is some way in which tapa cloth is being used. I feel very privileged and thankful that I was able to photographically document the steps and process of making this beloved artwork that is such a tradition in Tonga. The one major frustration I ran into during my stay was the rain. When it is raining, the women do not make their tapa cloth because of the wetness. It rained for a major part of the time I was there and I consider myself very blessed that the rain let up long enough to enable me to capture the images I needed in order to accomplish this project.

I am currently in the process of finding the right magazines in which to publish my photographs. I am working closely with a fellow BYU graduate, who also spent time in Tonga studying tapa cloth, in preparing an article to accompany the images I captured. I also hope at some point to be able to display these images.

I am very grateful for the experiences the ORCA grant enabled me to have. The time I spent in Tonga learning more of the culture and the importance tapa cloth plays in that culture will remain with me forever. I hope to be able to pass this knowledge and love of Tongan cultures to others through the images I have created.