In his latest exhibition “Le Oneva: Misunderstood Aitu”, Pacific vanguard artist Andy Leleisi’uao gives renewed visual expression to the experience of being a New Zealand-born Samoan in the 21st Century. Well-known for the social and political flavour of his art, Andy challenges his audience to question conventional views about being Pacific in New Zealand. “We must always revere Samoa and respect its culture for the sense of pride and duty it allowed us to inherit”, he says. “But why should we allow ourselves as New Zealand-born Samoans, let others and especially ourselves be patronised or be stereotyped as ‘Pacific Islanders’? Our experience, lifestyle and goals are different. Our dreams are different. Our contribution to this great country is different. We are ‘New Zealand-born Samoans’ and should be recognised as such”. The exhibition runs from 31 March to 14 April 2009 at the Whitespace Gallery, 12 Crummer Road, Ponsonby, Auckland.
Fea'gafe Heads", 2009, Andy Leleisi'uao. Acrylic on canvas, 760 x 1150 mm. Image courtesy of Whitespace Gallery.
The Auckland public will have a unique opportunity to hear renowned Pacific artist and Starmap Champion, Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi, speak about his painting and sculpture practice, on Saturday 28 March 2009 at the Fresh Gallery Otara (5/46 Fairmall, Otara Town Centre). Filipe will speak from 12.00 to 1.30 pm about Colour and Contrast, his solo exhibition at Fresh Gallery Otara.
Filipe Tohi, "Colour and Contrast". Montage courtesy of Fresh Gallery Otara.
Papua New Guinean artist Jeffry Feeger will speak about his home, his art and the significance of his New Zealand experience as an artist in residence on Thursday 2nd April 2009 (6.00 – 7.30 pm) at Whitespace (12 Crummer Road, Ponsonby). Jeffry is the recipient of the inaugural artist in residence programme sponsored by the Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust and Pacific Cooperation Foundation. This talk will mark the conclusion of his residency.
Tongan artist and Starmap Champion Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi, will present a series of new paintings alongside maquettes and sculpture based on the Tongan lalava (sennit binding). This solo exhibition explores recent works using classic patterns – some with traditional sacred hues and others with exceptional infusions of colour. Tohi says about the exhibition, “my work transforms the technology of the past into a modern representation of identity and experience”. The exhibition opens on Thursday 19 March and runs through to 11 April 2009 at the Fresh Gallery Otara, 5/46 Fairmall, Otara Town Centre, Manukau City.
"Untitled" (2008). Acrylic on canvas by Filipe Tohi. Image courtesy of the Tohi Foundation.
The New Zealand regional street dancing got off to a flying start in Auckland last weekend with eleven groups qualifying for the National Championships in April. LiL Saintz won the junior grade, with ReQuest taking the Varsity division, while TMC won the adult competition. The competition continues this Saturday 14 March with the Waikato/Bay of Plenty and Wellington regional rounds in Hamilton and Lower Hutt respectively. The Christchurch and Northland rounds will take place on Saturday 21st March. The New Zealand national championships will be held on the 3rd and 4th of April 2009. West Auckland group “Sweet and Sour” won last year’s Varsity Division and went on to win the gold medal at the World Championships in Las Vegas. Hamilton’s “FDC Supremacy” was awarded bronze at the same event.
“Sweet and Sour” Perform for gold at the 2008 World Championships in Las Vegas
Ten young poets from the South Auckland Poets Collective (SAPC) will perform poetry through spoken word, song and drama as part of Auckland’s “Celebrate Pasifika”. Armed with their notebooks and voices, the poets perform fresh and creative pieces to expression their Pasifika worlds. The collective has been collaborating since November 2007 and performs on Saturday 14 March (9.30-10.30 pm) at The Basement, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland. Tickets can be purchased from buytickets.co.nz or from the box office for the Edge at the Aotea Centre.
A mixed media exhibition of well-known and emerging Pacific artists has opened this week at the Artstation Gallery in Auckland as part of “Celebrate Pasifika”, a month-long programme bringing together a large line up of Pacific visual and performing arts, free family events, and workshops. “Language People” explores verbal and visual language through painting, video installation and cartooning. Renowned Pacific writer and Starmap Champion Albert Wendt is exhibiting his paintings alongside cartoonist Johnny Angel, creator of the first Samoan super hero. Emerging artists Linda Tanoai, Leilani Burgoyne, Nooroa Te Hira, Lily Laita, Siliga David Setoga, Vaimaila Urale and Nooroa Tapuni are also exhibiting their work. A special spoken word event hosted by poet, artist and community educator Mua Strickson-Pua will be held today, 10 March from 5.30 to 7pm at the Artstation Gallery, 1 Ponsonby Road, Newton, Auckland. The exhibition is curated by Janet Lilo and supported by the Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust. It runs until 18 March 2009.
Tattoo Session 3, video still image, 2008, by Vaimala Urale. Image courtesy of Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust.
Film-maker, scriptwriter, and playwright Toa Fraser has been named the University of Auckland’s Young Alumnus of the Year. Toa has directed two feature films, written five plays and has been nominated for 16 national and international awards – ten of which he has won. Following the international success of “No 2”, Toa’s second film Dean Spanley, starring Peter O’Toole, Sam Neil and Jeremy Northam, has received rave reviews and is currently showing at cinemas around the world. This exceptional young film-maker of Fijian, English, and New Zealand heritage will deliver a public lecture, “Animal Tangles: That’s the carnal and the heavenly right there” at 12pm on 14 March 2009 at the Owen Glenn Building. The lecture is free and open to the public.
She is one of the Pacific’s leading literary stars … her books have been described as “a storytelling triumph” … her performances are electrifying … she is currently based in American Samoa … and she has just accepted to be the Starmap Champion for the month of March. Award-winning novelist Sia Figiel is the author of Where We Once Belonged, the novel which won the “Best First Book” in the South East Asia/South Pacific region of the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1997. The novel gained further acclaim after its adaptation to the stage by David Armstrong. As a play it won the “Absolutely Positively Outstanding New New Zealand Play of the Year” prize at the 17th annual Chapman Tripp theatre awards in Wellington in 2008. Sia has published two other novels, The Girl in the Moon Circle (1996) and They Who Do Not Grieve (1999), a book of prose poetry To a Young Artist in Contemplation (1998), and Terenesia, a CD of performance-poetry with poet Teresia Teaiwa (2000). This month, Sia invites you to submit questions about her work, the people and ideas that inspire her, and her views about Pacific Literature. She also provides advice on the paths to success in creative writing. Click here to submit a question or comment.
Sia Figiel at the premiere of the play "Where We Once Belonged" in Wellington, March 2008.
Now in its 7th year, Pollywood brings together the talent of Pacific Island directors, producers, writers and actors for three nights of celebration. Among the directors who will screen their films is Brett Wagner, whose “Chief” won Best Dramatic Short Award at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival 2008 and achieved a Certificate of Excellence at Bafta. Also featured is Justine Simei-Barton’s “The Trophy” which was invited to the 58th Internationale Filmfespiele in Berlin 2008 as well as the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival 2008. Alongside these films, will be experienced director Damon Fepuleai’s “In Search of Bigfoot”, Louise Tu’u’s “Do Not Disturb”, Ryan Woodward’s “The Turtle and Shark”, and “The Pe’a” a work in progress from Popo Lilo. Audiences will be treated to a brief “Questions and Answers” session with directors at each screening venue. The premiere night is at Galatos, Galatos Street, Newton, on 16 March (7pm). The second night is at the Otara Music and Arts Centre on 18 March (7 pm) and the last show is at the Corbans Estate Centre on 19 March (7pm). The event is organised by Craig Fasi who has been the driving force behind Pollywood since its inception in 2002.
