Lei McCornack (Eugene) weaves Tahitian baskets, does shell-bead work, and carves Hawaiian-style gourds. McCornack, who was born in Tahiti, learned these arts from older family friends when she returned to her birth country at age 26.
Bio
Lei McCornack, who has spent her first years in Tahiti at the end of World War II and just after, has lived in Eugene most of her life. She was five and a half when she came to the US after family friends adopted her. McCornack’s earliest memories are of weaving in Tahiti with her grandmother, a master weaver, who would work for days to prepare the 8-10-foot leaves. She stayed in touch with her Tahitian family over the years and returned at age 26 to visit her birth country. During her extended time there, McCornack spent each day at Le Marché, the municipal market in Papeete, where “aunties” (elder family friends) taught her weaving and shell-work skills. When she returned to Eugene, McCornack brought back both the knowledge to weave several traditional patterns and the pandanus leaves (rau fara in Tahitian) necessary to continue weaving baskets and hats. Although McCornack stresses that she does not possess the mastery that her Tahitian mentors have, her creations exhibit talent and artistry. Using leaves and shells that she gets during visits to Tahiti and Hawai’i, she weaves hats, market baskets, ornaments, and purses and uses Tahitian shells to bead hat and head bands, necklaces, bracelets, and ornaments. McCornack is also an avid gardener and is active in Eugene’s Polynesian community.
