Antonia Estall - Freelance Creative, Textile Designer & Climate Advocate

Antonia Estall is a freelance creative with Cook Island and Irish heritage. Her professional journey began at university where she studied textile design. Since then, she has explored her identity and cultural values as a designer, writer and researcher in a diverse range of spaces. From creating tivaevae to leading the Aotearoa chapter of Creatives for Climate, Antonia has developed a strong sense of self and community through her multidisciplinary practice.

In Antonia’s fourth year at university, she investigated art and textiles in relation to the Pacific diaspora. As a young Cook Island/Irish wahine who grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau, this issue was close to home. Antonia lacked traditional Cook Island knowledge about textiles, and she admitted that learning about the customs of her own people by watching YouTube videos was jarring at times. However, her ability to form reciprocal relationships within her community enabled her to connect with the old ways. Self-aware and innovative, Antonia was destined to succeed.

True to form, Antonia credited her success to “the aunties” - older, wiser women who adopted her into their hearts as if she was their own, and showed her how to walk in her culture. These are the people who always validated Antonia’s identity and creativity. They bolstered her as she discovered the unconventional path of a freelance creative working through a Pasifika lens.

As an independent contractor, Antonia selects projects with sustainability in mind. She stresses the importance of embracing opportunities that optimise her ability to nurture herself, her community and the planet. Hence, Antonia is passionate about producing natural fibres and digging into the relationship between creative and primary industries in Aotearoa.

Although every day looks different for Antonia, the purpose of her mahi is consistent. Overall, she aims to enhance social and environmental well-being by promoting the cultivation of meaningful art. Sometimes Antonia is the curator, and other times she is the artist.