The Pataka Museum of Arts and Cultures in Porirua will host Ngatu Tu’uli – the Past is Now, an exhibition by contemporary Tongan artist Kulimoe’anga Stone Maka. Based on the sacred Tongan ngatu ‘uli (black tapa), Kulimoe’anga Stone Maka’s works are beautifully painted large-scale abstract pieces on tapa and canvas. Adapting traditional ngatu ‘uli techniques, Maka makes his black paint by collecting smoke from candlenut seeds, a painstakingly long and slow process. He also creates his own pigments from red clay and the bark of mangroves and draws using smoke, creating richly textured works. The public is invited to view the Tongan ngatu ‘uli (black tapa) and the innovative and dynamic art-making techniques that Maka uses when exploring this sacred and traditional Tongan art form. The exhibition runs from 19 February to 8 May, 2011 at the Pataka Museum. (Kulimoe’anga Stone Maka, Tu’angatu, Image courtesy of the artist).
Creative New Zealand is now accepting applications for the first round of 2011 grants. Its contestable funding guide on how to apply is now available online from the Creative New Zealand website. Pacific language translations of the funding guide information are available. Creative New Zealand will be funding the following Pacific priorities:
- Projects that preserve, develop and transmit, Pasifika heritage art forms.
- Projects that develop New Zealand Pasifika artists and contemporary arts practices.
Applications to the Quick Response Grants close this Friday 4th February (6 week decision for projects up to $7,500)
Applications to the Arts Grants also close on Friday 4th March (12 week decision for projects up to $65,000).
For further details visit www.creativenz.govt.nz or contact; Makerita Urale, Senior Programmes Adviser, Pacific Arts: makerita.urale@creativenz.govt.nz, Ph (04) 473 0880.
The 2011 Pacific arts calendar kicks off with the exciting launch of Jessica Hansell’s Pholosoflygirl: Brain Map of a Pacific Misfit at the Fresh Gallery Otara in South Auckland on Thursday 27 January 2011. Philosoflygirl is a new zine-book and Hansell’s first formal collection of writings, collages, epiphanies, illustrations, obsessions, recipes, outfits and brain-waves. It provides a closer look into her tri-racial punk prose and perspectives not seen since her underground efforts, This is not a Comic and Fight the Fight. The Launch will be followed by “How To Be A Zine-Maker”, a free hands-on workshop with Jessica Hansell and Riki Anderson on Saturday 29 January. The workshop will introduce participants to the history of zine culture and the basics of researching and creating their own zine. Space is limited so registration is essential. Contact Nicole at Fresh Gallery Otara by 25 January Ph 09 271 6019 // Nicole.Lim@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. For more information about Jessica Hansell, visit her Coco Solid website at www.CocoSolid.com. (Image: Nefertiti, 2010, by Jessica Hansell. Courtesy of Fresh Gallery Otara and adapted for publication on Pacific Starmap)
The Okaioceanikart Gallery in Auckland is proudly exhibiting Fatu Feu’u’s latest woodcuts. The exhibition honours the memory of Feu’u’s dear friend and mentor, the late Professor Roger Green. The woodcuts are a series of three, influenced by Samoan Tapa traditions and Lapita pottery which date back 3000 years. “Lapita Green”, is inspired by the 3,500 year old piece of Lapita pottery known as the ‘long nosed God’, which was given to Professor Green more than 35 years ago in the Eastern Solomon Islands. “Lapita Mulifanua” is the village in Samoa where Lapita shards were discovered some 30 years ago. “Lapita Kone” is the area where the Lapita was discovered in Northern New Caledonia. Feu’u is a pioneer of Pacific art in New Zealand and frequently blends traditional elements such as siapo and tatau into his contemporary art. His work has been exhibited in galleries in New Zealand and around the world. (Image of “Lapita Kone” wood cut on paper, 750 x 530 mm, by Fatu Feu’u, 2010. Adapted from the Okaioceanikart website).
Creative New Zealand and the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies are celebrating the 15 anniversary of the Pacific Artist residency at the University of Canterbury. Applications for the residency award are now invited from established traditional or contemporary Pacific Artists in the fields of textiles, ceramics, painting, sculpture and the literary and performing arts. The residency was established in 1996 and aims to provide artists with an opportunity to develop new directions in their artistic practice. It also aims to support and promote the development of indigenous Pacific art in New Zealand. To provide the recipient with the time, space and facilities to develop their artistic practice in an academic environment, the award is tenable for a period of three months. The award is worth $15,000. The Artist will be required to reside in Christchurch for the duration of the scholarship and will be expected to contribute to the Macmillan Brown Seminar series and other activities. Past recipients of the residency include Tusiata Avia (2005), Sheyne Tuffery (2006), Johnny Penisula (2007), John Ioane (2008) and Kulimoe’anga (Stone) Maka (2009). This year’s recipient was Christchurch-based actress, musician, song-writer, playwright and manager of Pacific Underground, Tanya Muagututi’a. Applications close on 28 January 2011. For more information, contact Moana Matthes at moana.matthes@canterbury.ac.nz, ph (64-3) 36402957 or visit: http://www.pacs.canterbury.ac.nz/for/artists.shtml. (9 Heavens, 2008, John Ioane. Image courtesy of Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies)
Fresh 10 marks the end of another successful year for South Auckland’s Fresh Gallery Otara. This exhibition showcases a selection of works by South Auckland Pacific artists whose art has featured at the gallery during 2010. Fresh 10 is curated by Nicole Lim and features works by Leilani Kake, Niutuiatua Lemalu, Pelenato Liufau, Cerisse Palalagi, Jacinda Pini, Genevieve Pini, Ema Tavola and Czarina Wilson. The exhibition opened last night and runs until 24 December 2010. For general enquiries contact nicole.lim@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or phone 09 271 6019. Meanwhile, Tanu Gago’s exhibition You Love My Fresh continues until 12 December at the Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts, 13 Reeves Road, Pakuranga. (Image: Video still, Kia Ora 2 Kia Orana (2010), by Leilani Kake. Image courtesy of Fresh Gallery Otara)
Exhibitions by two of New Zealand’s most prominent contemporary Pacific artists will end this Saturday 27 November 2010 at Auckland’s Whitespace Gallery. Andy Leleisi’uao and Janet Lilo are both artists whose work consistently pushes at the edges of contemporary Pacific art. Andy has had success this year with a solo exhibition at Kips Gallery in New York followed by a three month residency in Taipei. He was the first Pacific artist to be awarded a three month residency at the prestigious Mc Cahon House. He has used the time to produce a body of work for this exhibition about love, acceptance and abandonment. Janet Lilo is back from a successful residency in Japan and has been described as an artist with “an acute consciousness of the politics of representation” Her work as a visual artist, social commentator and community documenter is likened to “a breath of fresh air for the contemporary Pacific arts sector” (Ema Tavola, 2009). (Image adapted from the Whitespace Gallery website)
The Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Weta Workshop Award for Creativity has gone to Auckland-born and Samoa-raised Samuelu Siilata. He received the award last Friday, 19 November 2010, at a ceremony in Auckland to honour high-achieving Pacific youth. Samuelu’s creativity encompasses poetry, music, dance, painting, carving, costume, design, screenwriting and more. But his real passion is film. Speaking about his award, Samuelu said “as soon as I heard about The Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Award for Creativity and the opportunity to work at Weta, with a paid internship, I knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime. When I found out I was one of the finalists I was just blown away – the interview was conducted by Weta creators and directors, Andrew Taylor and Tania Rodger. They gave me a full tour of all the studios – it was just an amazing experience.” Samuelu loves ancient history and culture and says he wants to bring those worlds back to life through the cinematic screen: “I believe that cinema audiences are looking for novelty – you see the effects of indigenous culture in huge blockbuster films like Avatar. My goal is to tell the stories that have not been told – Polynesian stories. I want to show and share these worlds which no one has ever seen before, worlds that, say, the first European explorers such as James Cook saw them. I think that would be amazing.” In offering advice to arts graduates, Samuelu said, “there are a lot of expectations about getting a job when you’ve finished a degree – but it’s important not to lose heart. I believe there’s a season for everything so this year has been a good year to take stock.” For more on this story, visit the Auckland University website.
The Mansfield Gallery of contemporary art in Nelson is proudly exhibiting Ikamana, Fatu Feu’u’s memorial to the loss and devastation caused by last year’s tsunami. One of his paintings is in honour of his home village of Poutasi. His tsunami work is imbued with hope rather than despair and incorporates the rich patterns of siapo (printed barkcloth) and tatau (tattoo), the bright sky and seas, lush greens, glittering fish and spirit gods of his native Samoa. Feu’u also blends in his New Zealand influences, and says he “paints for the future”. Since the 1980s, Feu’u has been a pioneer in the creation of a fresh genre of Pacific art, and was a strong force in influencing a new generation of Polynesian artists. His paintings and sculptures are exhibited in many galleries around the world including Te Papa Tongarewa, the Centre Culturel Jean-Marie Tjibaou in New Caledonia, the Frankfurt Art Museum, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Ikamana continues at Mansfield Gallery until 27 November 2010.
Dunedin weaver Misa Emma Kesha has won the Senior Pacific Artist’s award ($10,000) at the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Awards 2010. Accepting the award, Mrs Kesha said the award was a “gift” for her whole community. Mrs Kesha was influenced by her mother and grandmother and said weaving was an everyday activity when she was growing up in Samoa. This changed when she came to New Zealand and her involvement in the Pacific community arose out of a desire to keep the tradition and culture alive. She established the Multicultural Weavers Association in Dunedin in 1983 and tutored in places such as Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia and Australia. In 1998, she became the first woman in her family to be given the matai title Misa, in recognition of her contribution to the family and community in Samoa. Describing weaving as her passion, Mrs Kesha’s aim as an artist is to “promote and preserve the art of weaving” through the sharing of knowledge, especially with the younger generation, lest it be lost in modern society. The Arts Pasifika Awards were set up in 1996 to encourage and celebrate excellence in Pacific arts in New Zealand. To read a full report of this story read the article in the Otago Daily Times. (Image of Misa Emma Kesha (left) and Pele Walker, adapted from the Otago Daily Times)
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