This International Women's Day, we're celebrating the incredible women artists who have shared their unique talents with Nancybird over the years. Through their distinctive styles and perspectives, these artists have helped shape our collections and tell meaningful stories through their work.

We wanted to reconnect and hear about their latest journeys—the wins, the challenges, and the unexpected turns along the way. First up, we catch up with multidisciplinary artist Cora-Allan, whose dedication to reviving the art of hiapo (Niuean barkcloth painting) continues to make waves. From personal milestones to groundbreaking projects, Cora-Allan shares where life and art have taken her since our collaboration.

I have been very blessed and many adventures have happened in between our collab till now, my beautiful Nana Lafaiki passed away which was an unexpected loss that changed a lot of my heart space. With loss comes a lot of change and these have been evident in the depth of my practice and also how close my family continue to become. After she passed away there was a moment where i was going to stop making hiapo but then was encouraged to continue my practice, my Dad reminded me that Nana liked how happy it made people. So I have continued to develop my hiapo work and am focusing on making Tiputa which are ceremonial garments, I recently just made the Niue Prime Minister a Tiputa for the 50th constitution celebrations last year in October. Felt good to see a Tiputa being worn at an important ceremony in Niue, when I returned to Niue people were giving me lost of feedback about how beautiful it was. An item like that has not been presented or worn in Niue in a very very long time, maybe over 100 years.

I would recommend dealer galleries invest in women artists and in particular indigenous women's practices, in Aotearoa less than 5% of artists represented in these spaces are indigenous women however they have a strong reputation of representing Aotearoa at the Venice Biennale.

Women have strong practices and they deserve to be known, represented and their work valued. 

I pitch large ideas and combined my performance practice in with my hiapo works, I don't enjoy being the centre of attention so i find performance extremely difficult. I think being able to provide a live engagement with the audience opens a bridge of conversation but also for them to feel emotion whilst watching me paint and listening to intimate audio, this development has been a nice addition to my exhibitions. 

Nana Lafaiki a beautiful friend and elder, Viv Stone who was the Director of the McCahon house residency, The Pacifica Art Mamas and Jarcinda Stowers-Ama who has been a huge driving force in shaping my work and understanding of traditional art making spaces. 

When my grandparents asked me to make their hiapo burial garments, it sent me on a direction i never even dreamed about. 

Wait till you meet Daniel Twiss (my husband) he will be the boost and heart that I need to make life changing and enjoyable work. He is my biggest fan and I am his biggest fan, I could not do my work without his support and his genuine interest in what I do. He is always pushing me to enjoy the process, and hang out with friends because he thinks I work to hard. 

Women are great artists, they are confident and resilient which i think are characteristics that make memorable art. I was recently listening to Katy Hessels Art without Men on audio books and it was so crazy to have a sense of moments where women were great just were not recognised, and that male artists by far were the lesser makers. We have been amazing Maori and Pacific artists who are yet to come, but i look forward to watching the careers of artists that begin to share their stories and hope if anyway that my work or practice inspires them to push their own boundaries.