Natural Pokini | Wendy Naepflin

Natural Flax

Dimensions: L510mm x W100mm

About Wendy

I am a forager by nature, my usual medium is harakeke, and I am motivated by a passion to create with natural matierals. 

My special varieties of harakeke, more than 20 different cultivars, are carefully grown in my spray-free organic pā. This is my precious renewable and sustainable resource. Working with harakeke inspires me to let its intrinsic nature guide my creations. Different methods of preparation lead to varied results. 

I make cuts, peel away layers to reveal the fibre with a mussel shell, soften the fibres with pounamu, dye them with both commercial and natural dyes from trees, and twine the fibre on my thigh. I also shred, weave the leaves into different shapes, then plait, twine, or knot everything together. 

Much of my time is spent caring for, cleaning, and harvesting harakeke while foraging and collecting other natural materials. Knowing that everything I use can return to the earth without leaving a long-term mark is important to me. As part of the plastic generation, I am acutely aware of the legacy we are leaving behind