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Art & Oceania: Case Studies
University of Toronto, 2021
Contents Brett Graham and Rachel Rakena: Āniwaniwa 1 Anna Yermolina tahiri ra’a 4 Sibel Isikdemir Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi: Veiloto Haukulasi 7 Anna Yermolina Michael Parekowhai: Kiss the Baby Goodbye 10 Dina Theleritis Lisa Reihana: In Pursuit of Venus [Infected] 13 Charlotte Koch Greg Semu: Auto Portrait with 12 Disciples 16 Yang Zhou Ralph Hotere:Dawn/Water Poem 18 Rowyn Campbell Mathias Kauage: Independence 21 Yang Zhou Brett Graham: Snitch 23 Megan Brohm Maika’i Tubbs: Stepping Stones 26 Charlotte Koch Michel Tuffrey Filipe Tohi: Pisupo lua afe 29 Sibel Isikdemir
Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Brett Graham and Rachel Rakena: Āniwaniwa
Anna Yermolina
Āniwaniwa, Brett Graham (1967-) and Rachael Rakena (1969-), 2007, Aotearoa (New Zealand),
multimedia sculptural installation, dimensions variable.
Āniwaniwa (2007) is a multimedia sculptural installation co-created by
Brett Graham (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Pākehā) and Rachael Rakena
(Ngāpuhi and Ngāi Tahu). The term “āniwaniwa” has several
overlapping meanings, all of which give insight into the symbolism of
this artwork. The term can mean “the blackness of deep water, storm
clouds, a state of bewilderment, a sense of disorientation, and confusion
as one is tossed beneath the waters” as well as a rainbow as a symbol of
hope.1 The term is also a place name for a set of rapids at Waikato
River’s narrowest point. This is where Graham’s grandfather’s village of
Horahora was located before it was flooded in 1947 following the
creation of a new hydroelectric power station downstream at Karapiro.2
Āniwaniwa can be viewed as an illustration of the Māori connection to
1
Alice Hutchison,“Introduction,” in Āniwaniwa Catalogue, 52nd International Art Exhibition La
Biennale di Venezia, 2007, http://www.brettgraham.co.nz/photos/tangaroa-water/brett-
graham-aniwaniwa-catalogue.pdf.
2
Ibid., 3.
1
Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
water, as well as a way to process the forced displacement and
migration of the people living at Horahora from their homeland.
Āniwaniwa consists of five sculptural vessels suspended from the
ceiling. These sculptures were carved by Graham and represent
wakahuia, which are treasure boxes or vessels meant to contain
precious objects in order to protect their mana.3 In this context, these
vessels may be seen to preserve the memories and spiritual connection
to a lost ancestral land.
The vessels contain screens that face downwards towards the floor and
project visual clips and sound recordings filmed by Rakena of
underwater scenes. Some of the scenes simply show objects like
powerlines, unfinished weaving, or hanging laundry, while others show
submerged human actors in eighteenth century clothing going about
routine activities.4 These actors exhibit the desire to hold on to a
formerly normal way of life. For example, one of the actors is a woman
trying to light a fire while wearing mourning clothes. Fire is often seen
as a “metaphor for a culture being quietly sustained” wherein the fire
represents “the occupation and therefore ownership of land, which has
been maintained through generations.”5 The submerged woman is
unable to light the fire, however, which speaks to the theme of cultural
loss. These images seem to explore Rakena’s interest in Māori identity
in relation to land as “being in a state of flux, a fluidity that like the
borders of a river, [is] constantly changing, likened to intangible
cyberspace digital networks.”6
Viewers are meant to observe the work by lying down on mats placed
under the suspended sculptures in a dimly lit room. This unusual
method of viewing disorients the typical gallery experience, while the
act of watching a projection in a dark room creates the sense of being
enveloped or submerged by the projected images. This sensory
experience represents āniwaniwa the disorientation that follows
being thrown into water reminding viewers of the forced
displacement of the Māori of Ngati Koroki Kahukura from their
homeland and the literal and figurative submersion of their histories.
The carving on the exterior of the vessels evokes the pattern of coral
reefs, while their dark colour suggests that they are “unearthly” and
originating from the darkest depths of the ocean.7 This form may
reference to the ways in which rising sea levels caused by global
warming are diluting the acidity of ocean water and causing the
widespread devastation of coral reefs, while also submerging many low-
3
Alice Hutchison,“Introduction,” in Āniwaniwa Catalogue, 3.
4
“Brett Graham and Rachael Rakena: Āniwaniwa,” City Gallery Wellington, 2008,
https://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/brett-graham-and-rachael-rakena-aniwaniwa/
5
Ibid., 4.
6
Alice Hutchison,“Introduction,” 2.
7
“Brett Graham and Rachael Rakena: Āniwaniwa,” City Gallery Wellington
2
Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
lying Pacific islands like the Tuvalu group.8 This reminder of the
disastrous effects of climate change expands the meaning of the work to
universal concerns, and it held particular weight when the piece was
first exhibited at the Venice Biennale of 2007.
References
Hutchison, Alice. “Introduction.” in Āniwaniwa Catalogue. 52nd
International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, 2007.
http://www.brettgraham.co.nz/photos/tangaroa-water/brett-
graham-aniwaniwa-catalogue.pdf.
“Brett Graham and Rachael Rakena: Āniwaniwa.” City Gallery
Wellington. 2008. https://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/brett-
graham-and-rachael-rakena-aniwaniwa/
8
Alice Hutchison,“Introduction,” in Āniwaniwa Catalogue, 4.
3
Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
tahiri ra’a
Sibel Isikdemir
tahiri ra’a, early–mid-19th century, Rurutu or
Tupua'I Island of the Austral Islands, Wood,
coconut fiber, human hair, The Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
This tahiri ra’a (usually translated to fly whisk) from the Austral
Islands in French Polynesia dates from the early to mid 19th
century. It is a ritual object meant to be fanned rapidly in a circular
motion to prompt the gods to cross over from their spiritual world to
our human world.1 In its original context, this whisk was spun by
priests in ritual ceremonies to call on deities2 and to help them
transition from the dark, spirit world called te po to the world of light
and life of te ao.3 These rituals were done in special religious
precincts. Polished pearl shells were bound to the tahiri’s fibers
which would jingle as they hit each other and reflected light to create
an appropriate atmosphere for summoning the gods.4
1
Maia Nuku, ATEA: Nature and Divinity in Polynesia, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin,
v.76, no. 3 (Winter, 2019), 38,
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Atea_Nature_and_Divinity_in_Polynesia.
2
Khan Academy, “Fly Whisk.”
3
Nuku, ATEA, 41.
4
The Met, “Flywhisk.”
4
Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Great care can be observed from the attention to detail in its formal
characteristics, which complement its function as a sacred object. To
start, there are two distinctly colored fibres binding the wooden
handle: brown human hair and red/yellow coconut fiber.5
Genealogical significance lies in the use of these materials with the
hair symbolizing connection between chiefs and their ancestors.6 The
weaving together of human hair and coconut fibers can be
interpreted as the literal representation of the spiritual and human
realms mixing together when spun.7 The feather-like whisk at the
bottom is made of springy coconut fibers twisted together.8
The filial on top is carved into an abstracted figure that represents
an early deified ancestor.9 Its hands are clasped together, and its
long face and nose is a proboscis shape. Its facial features are
simplified to one brow, and the two notches on its head evoke a
hairstyle common to male chiefs.10 Another prominent feature of the
carving is its protruding navel which alludes to the belief that the
stomach was where knowledge was contained (as opposed to the
head).11 When viewed from the side, one can see how the figure has
two heads and two sets of limbs. It represents one singular figure in
motion, and this visual duplicity would have enhanced the
appearance of movement when the tahiri was rotated.12 Additionally,
there is a column of disks below the figure echoing its feet, further
expressing a spinning movement visually.
Tahiri means to spin,13 which is a fitting name for an object dynamic
both in form and function. The terms “fly whisk” and “fan” were
attributed to it by early European explorers due to its resemblance to
such objects. However, it is clear from its careful craftsmanship and
sacred purpose that it is not such a mundane item. The use of a
whisking device for divine ceremonies can be explained by how
closely linked the theme of dynamism is to images of Polynesian gods
and ritual practices.14 Even atua, the collective term for Polynesian
deities, refers to a repeated revolving movement around a central
axis,15 reinforcing this strong connection. Thus, the fly whisk is a
medium to facilitate communication with ancestral spirits through
5
“Fly Whisk (tahiri ra’a), Austral Islands,” Khan Academy, accessed October 18, 2020, 5:20,
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-oceania/oceania-peoples-and-
places/polynesia/v/tahiri-austral.
6
“Flywhisk (tahiri ra’a),” The Metropolitan Museum, accessed October 18, 2020,
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/313676.
7
Khan Academy, “Fly Whisk.”
8
Nuku, ATEA, 41.
9
The Met, “Flywhisk.”
10
Ibid.
11
Khan Academy, “Fly Whisk.”
12
Nuku, ATEA, 41.
13
Khan Academy, “Fly Whisk.”
14
Nuku, ATEA, 38.
15
Nuku, ATEA, 41.
5
Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
dynamic ritual practice. However, its materiality also derives from
matter imbued with mana that not only makes it a bridge to the
other realm, but a part of the cosmological framework itself.
References
Khan Academy. “Fly Whisk (Tahiri), Austral Islands.” Video.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-oceania/oceania-
peoples-and-places/polynesia/v/tahiri-austral.
The Metropolitan Museum. “Flywhisk (tahiri ra’a).” Accessed
October 18, 2020.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/313676.
Nuku, Maia. ATEA: Nature and Divinity in Polynesia. The
Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v.76, no. 3 (Winter, 2019).
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Atea_Nature_and_
Divinity_in_Polynesia.
6Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi: Veiloto Haukulasi
Anna Yermolina
Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi is a Tufuga Lalava, a master craftsman in
the Tongan traditional art of lalava—the art of binding (or lashing) with
coconut sennit. Since he became a full-time artist in 1990, Tohi has been
recognized on an international level through numerous exhibitions and
has produced commissioned public sculptures around the world. Tohi
instills his Pacific Island heritage in his artworks, while also
reimagining traditions by implementing contemporary methods and
ideas so as to experiment with the lines between his Pacific cultural
identity and modernity.
Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi (1959-), Veiloto, Haukulasi c. 2009,
Aotearoa (New Zealand), wool and nails on wood panel, 1200 x 600mm.
Image source: http://www.lalava.net/index.php/archive.
Lalava, also known as Haukafa, is a Tonagn binding technology for
tools, houses, and canoes. It is traditionally done with kafa processed
coconut fibre (sennit) in two contrasting colors (often black and beige or
red) woven together. Tohi studied the intricate geometric designs of
lalava patterns to understand the language and symbolism hidden
within its many layers; its elaborate line-space intersections hold
important visual histories of Tonga recorded by preceding Tufunga
Lalava.1 Tohi recreates these patterns in various modes in his own
contemporary practice according to a system that he calls
“lalavaometry.”2 He believes lalava patterns represent the balance of
daily life as well as literal and metaphorical ties to Tongan cultural
1
Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi.” Tautai Guiding Pacific Arts. Accessed October 21, 2020.
https://archive.tautai.org/artist/sopolemalama-filipe-tohi/#prettyphoto[group]/4/.
2
Ibid.
7Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
knowledge. He says lalava contains a "visual language” that was not
only used by ancestors for voyaging, but that also “communicated
principles of cultural knowledge and history” because for him “the
sennit patterns of the Pacific convey our memories and experiences as
well as carry us from place to place.”3
Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi, Veiloto, Haukulasi c. 2009, detail.
Image source: https://archive.tautai.org/artist/sopolemalama-filipe-
tohi/#prettyphoto[group]/4/.
One reimagining of lalava is a practice invented by Tohi called
Haukulasi, wherein traditional Haukafa binding patterns are translated
from round posts bound with sennit to flat, wooden surfaces decorated
in coloured wool with nails as separators and supports. The Veiloto
pattern is shown in the example of Haukulasi above. The Veiloto
pattern is derived from the Veimau pattern, a similar lashing design of
Tohi’s that resembles a clean checkerboard. The wool for the Veiloto
pattern is bound to form a geometric grid that is oriented diagonally so
that the grid squares are positioned like diamonds and represent stars.
This grid pattern references other forms employed by Pacific peoples’
that were designed to show the positions of islands and ocean swells so
that navigators were able to voyage between islands. The
dimensionality of the Veiloto pattern further recalls this tradition in
how the centres of the squares concave inwards while the corners seem
peaked outwards, mimicking the swelling flux of ocean waves. These
references speak further also to the theme of migration and to Tohi’s
notion that lalava acts as a carrier of knowledge and identity over the
expanse of these great spaces and physical movements.
3
“Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi.” Tautai Guiding Pacific Arts. Accessed October 21, 2020.
https://archive.tautai.org/artist/sopolemalama-filipe-tohi/#prettyphoto[group]/4/.
8Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
This Veiloto Haukulasi uses red and black wool in an alternating
arrangement of squares that are either plain red or black, or a
crisscrossed combination of the two. Tohi favours the use of wool
because it is available in a variety of vibrant colours, allowing him to
“experiment with optical play.”4 By bringing this practice to a
contemporary art environment, Tohi renegotiates traditional signifiers
of cultural identity in order to create a complex representation of what
the modern Tongan identity and experience looks like today.
Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi, The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, image source:
https://architectureau.com/articles/apt7-at-goma/
References
“Archive.” Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi. Accessed October 21, 2020.
http://www.lalava.net/index.php/archive.
“Lalava List.” Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi. Accessed October 21, 2020.
http://www.lalava.net/index.php/ct-menu-item-17#2.
“Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi.” Tautai Guiding Pacific Arts. Accessed
October 21, 2020. https://archive.tautai.org/artist/sopolemalama-
filipe-tohi/#prettyphoto[group]/4/.
4
Lalava List.” Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi. Accessed October 21, 2020.
http://www.lalava.net/index.php/ct-menu-item-
17?highlight=WyJvcHRpY2FsIiwicGxheSIsIm9wdGljYWwgcGxheSJd
9Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Michael Parekowhai: Kiss the Baby Goodbye
Dina Theleritis
Michael Parekowhai, Kiss the Baby Goodbye, 1994, Powder-coated steel,
Each: 4600 x 3600 mm (entire piece), Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Appropriation of Māori cultural material by Pākehā (NZ of European
descent) artists was a critical issue of 1990s art in Aotearoa/New
Zealand. Michael Parekowhai added to this debate with Kiss the
Baby Goodbye, a reworking and reconsideration of Gordon Walter’s
painting Kahukura (1968). Parekowhai’s response takes the form of
a black enamel powder-coated steel sculpture of a giant kitset model,
similar to that of a child’s small toy model, with pieces ready to be
snapped out for assembling. Walters’ piece is considered by some as
appropriation, and in turn Parekowhai’s work is read as
“reappropriation,” but these terms may be too simplistic when
applied to complex cultural markers and exchanges: Kiss the Baby
Goodbye goes beyond reappropriation.
In Kahukura, Walters used the koru (unfurling fern motif)—for
which he was heavily criticized—two-dimensionally, while
Parekowhai presents the koru in three-dimensional form. This
switch from the two-dimensional surface of Walter’s painting to a
three-dimensional structure brings the piece into the viewer’s
physical space, thus making its own independent statements about
place and ownership.
In considering the initial communicative content of the piece,
Parekowhai could be drawing on the legacy of the ready-mades of
Duchamp, asking the viewer to consider art as play, and asking the
viewer to take an active approach in conceptually completing the
work of art (by drawing on the assembly of kitsets as an analogy for
10Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
that).1 These points are relevant and valid but stop short of a more
fulsome analysis, which must consider language and Māori culture
in art and society at large.
Paintings of Kowhaiwhai (Māori motifs that tell a story, with each
motif having its own meaning) are commonly found on the rafters of
whare tupuna (tribal meeting houses); they function as “elements of
meeting houses in which ancestral presences were embodied” and in
which the rafters “recapitulated a founder's ribs.”2 It is hard to
ignore how the linear, architectural, metal patterning of
Parekowhai’s sculpture echoes the architectural structure of such
rafters and, thus, displays an indirect nod to Māori ancestral spaces.
Consider also the use of steel by Parekowhai, which is suggestive of
strength, the materiality of construction, and permanence. The
weight and power of Parekowhai’s steel kitset seems to provoke
Walters with the question, “You think that this (appropriation) is a
game?”
This solid (steel) anchoring of Parekowhai’s piece in such a
statement elevates Māori art and culture above and beyond the
borrowing of their indigenous aesthetics by Pakeha artists; it is a
taking back and overt assertion of Māori power and it is the
proclamation that Māori art is not a passive presence.3 Though there
is no text included in this piece, there are elements of language that
support the statement Parekowhai is making, and these cannot be
overlooked. Parekowhai includes a second circle in the bottom right
corner of the second panel (a deviation from Walter’s painting),
which “looks like a period or full stop.”4 This punctuation suggests a
finality and a “full stop” to the statements that Parekowhai is
making—a having the last word of sorts—and circles back to the title
of the piece that tells Pākehā to kiss the debate goodbye and to give
indigenous cultural appropriation a rest.
1
Robert Leonard, “Michael Parekowhai: Kiss the Baby Goodbye,” Robert Leonard
Contemporary Art Writer and Curator, November 11, 2020, https://robertleonard.org/michael-
parekowhai-kiss-the-baby-goodbye/.
2
Nicholas Thomas, “Kiss the Baby Goodbye: ‘Kowhaiwhai’ and Aesthetics in Aotearoa New
Zealand,” Critical Inquiry, 22, no. 1 (1995): 90–121.
3
Rangihiroa Panoho, “Maori: At the Centre, On the Margins,” in Headlands: Thinking Through
New Zealand Art (Sydney: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1992), 123–28.
4
Ibid., note 2.
11Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
References:
Leonard, Robert. “Michael Parekowhai: Kiss the Baby Goodbye.” November 11, 2020,
https://robertleonard.org/michael-parekowhai-kiss-the-baby-goodbye/.
Panoho, Rangihiroa. “Maori: At the Centre, On the Margins,” in Headlands: Thinking
Through New Zealand Art (Sydney: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1992), 123–28.
Thomas, Nicholas. “Kiss the Baby Goodbye: ‘Kowhaiwhai’ and Aesthetics in Aotearoa
New Zealand.” Critical Inquiry, 22, no. 1 (1995): 90–121.
12Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Lisa Reihana: In Pursuit of Venus [Infected]
Charlotte Koch
Lisa Reihana, In Pursuit of Venus [Infected], 2015, multimedia digital video. Excerpts of the video installation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmMRF5nw9UI
Lisa Reihana (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāi Tū) first exhibited In
Pursuit of Venus [Infected], between 2015-2017.1 It was first
displayed in the Auckland Art Gallery, followed by the New Zealand
pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale before travelling to the Royal
Academy of Arts in London, and then on to its current location at the
Art Gallery of Ontario for the 2019 Toronto Art Biennial.2 This
vibrant and monumental installation is emblematic of the resilience
of indigenous Māori and Pacific culture despite a history of violent
colonial suppression.
In Pursuit of Venus [Infected] is a 22.5-metre-wide and 64-minute-
long video art installation running the length of an entire enclosed
gallery wall.3 The video pans from left to right across an idyllic
populated landscape to create what Reihana calls a “panoramic
pantomime.”4 It features roughly 70 vignettes depicting various
Polynesian cultural practices and interactions between Polynesians
and Europeans. It is set to a complex soundscape by James Pinker
featuring various languages and music indigenous to the Pacific
Islands.5 The sounds are synced to scroll across the gallery with the
people and events that are producing it to create a wholly immersive
experience, changing the viewers perception depending on where
1
"Lisa Reihana: In Pursuit of Venus [infected]." Art Gallery of Ontario.
2
Smallman, Etan. "Why I Made Captain Cook Lose His Breeches: Lisa Reihana on Her Colonial
Video Epic." The Guardian. October 15, 2018.
3
Smallman, Etan. "Why I Made Captain Cook Lose His Breeches: Lisa Reihana on Her Colonial
Video Epic." The Guardian.
4
"Lisa Reihana: In Pursuit of Venus [infected]." Art Gallery of Ontario.
5
Smallman, Etan. "Why I Made Captain Cook Lose His Breeches: Lisa Reihana on Her Colonial
Video Epic." The Guardian.
13Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
they are in the room.6 This audio component, combined with the
monumental size of the installation, places the viewer in the
landscape and on the same footing as the life-sized figures depicted.
Reihana’s artwork references an early 19th century French wallpaper
design by Jean-Gabriel Charvet entitled Les Sauvages de la Mer
Pacifique. This wallpaper is based on accounts of Captain James
Cook’s trips to Tahiti, New Zealand and elsewhere in Polynesia, as
well as on popular colonial landscape paintings of the time. 7 The
landscape in Reihana’s installation stays still, its trees are painted
in the same style as the 19th century picturesque landscapes found in
the Charvet wallpaper. The wallpaper however, serving a decorative
rather than ethnographic function, is full of inaccuracies. These
extend from the choice to include plants only found in South
America, or the choice to dress these figures in neoclassical Grecian
clothing, to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes of Pacific
peoples.8 Colonial art from this time period often places indigenous
bodies in fictional landscapes to be sold to a European consumer,
therefore commodifying colonial misrepresentations of Pacific
culture.9
Reihana’s installation seeks to reclaim that culture. It frames scenes
of the resulting colonial violence (physical and cultural) against
Pacific peoples, as well as traditional Polynesian ceremonial
practices, in the context of the same utopian and fetishizing
landscape of the wallpaper.10 She seeks to correct the depictions of
Māori and Pacific peoples in the Charvet wallpaper by bringing them
to life. This is accomplished though a more accurate context and
clothing benefitted by precise cultural knowledge, and also by giving
them agency though movement, dialogue, depictions of cultural
exchange and exposition of their culture. The installation contrasts
the stereotypical nature of the landscape with the acute realism of
the figures in the video.11 This undeniably modern medium also
emphasizes that Māori and Pacific culture has roots in the past and
is very much alive in the present, having adapted to new
technologies to promote cultural heritage.
In summary, Lisa Reihana’s In Pursuit of Venus [Infected] harnesses
21st century innovations in media to reimagine a 19th century
6
Smallman, Etan. "Why I Made Captain Cook Lose His Breeches: Lisa Reihana on Her Colonial
Video Epic." The Guardian.
7
Ibid.
8
Gifford, Adam. "Lisa Reihana: Close Encounters of the Pacific Kind." NZ Herald. August 26,
2017.
9
"Lisa Reihana: In Pursuit of Venus [infected]." Auckland Art Gallery.
10
Smallman, Etan. "Why I Made Captain Cook Lose His Breeches: Lisa Reihana on Her Colonial
Video Epic." The Guardian.
11
"In20: Exhibitions: In Pursuit of Venus." ImagineNATIVE.
14Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
depiction of Polynesian culture. It is a reflection on the complexities
and horrors of colonial relationships and seeks to reclaim history
from a Pacific perspective.
References
Brettkelly-Chalmers, Kate. "Lisa Reihana." Ocula. August 07, 2020.
Accessed October 01, 2020.
https://ocula.com/magazine/conversations/lisa-reihana/.
Gifford, Adam. "Lisa Reihana: Close Encounters of the Pacific Kind."
NZ Herald. August 26, 2017. Accessed October 01, 2020.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/visual-
arts/news/article.cfm?c_id=355&objectid=11442264.
"In20: Exhibitions: In Pursuit of Venus." ImagineNATIVE. Accessed
October 01, 2020. https://imaginenative.org/in20-exhibitions-ago-
in-pursuit-of-venus.
"Lisa Reihana at Art Gallery of Ontario." Toronto Biennial of Art.
Accessed October 01, 2020. https://torontobiennial.org/work/lisa-
reihana-at-ago/.
"Lisa Reihana: In Pursuit of Venus [infected]." Art Gallery of
Ontario. Accessed October 01, 2020. https://ago.ca/exhibitions/lisa-
reihana-pursuit-venus-infected.
"Lisa Reihana: In Pursuit of Venus [infected]." Auckland Art Gallery.
Accessed October 01, 2020.
https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/whats-on/exhibition/in-
pursuit-of-venus-infected?q=/whats-on/exhibition/in-pursuit-of-
venus-infected.
Smallman, Etan. "Why I Made Captain Cook Lose His Breeches:
Lisa Reihana on Her Colonial Video Epic." The Guardian. October
15, 2018. Accessed October 01, 2020.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/oct/15/lisa-
reihana-in-pursuit-of-venus-infected-oceania-royal-academy-
london.
15Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Greg Semu: Auto Portrait with 12 Disciples
Yang Zhou
Greg Semu, Auto Portrait with 12 Disciples, 2010
In 2010, Greg Semu created the digital work Auto Portrait with 12
Disciples. This photograph was produced in New Caledonia, and is a
digital C-Type print. The purpose of this photographic series is to
explore the effects of colonization and engage in wider conversations
about Pacific history, diaspora, and issues of representation.
Greg Semu is a New Zealand-born photographer of Samoan descent.
Semu’s works often incorporate both Christian and Samoan imagery.
Semu has a similar series of photography entitled “Battle of the Noble
Savage,” which re-enacts scenes from fictitious battles. Semu’s
photographic practice directly references historical art. Auto Portrait
with 12 Disciples quotes the iconic 15th century fresco, The Last Supper,
by Leonardo da Vinci, and “Battle of the Noble Savages” refers to
French history paintings, such as those by Jacques Louis David of
Napoleon.1 Semu often collaborates with local Indigenous peoples to
recreate this imagery.
Auto Portrait with 12 Disciples is a complex work. Semu is not only the
photographer but the subject too, as he embodies the central Christ
1
Steve Dow, “Greg Semu uses Samoan tattoo and Christian iconography to start a
conversation.” Art Guide Australia. (2016, October 6). Retrieved from
https://artguide.com.au/greg-semu-uses-samoan-tattoo-and-christian-iconography-to-start-
a-conversation; Greg Semu, “Battle of the Noble Savage,” 2007, Retrieved from
http://www.gregsemu.photography/battle-of-the-noble-savage
16Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
figure from the Last Supper. In this rendition, Semu is surrounded by
local Kanak actors as the 12 disciples, and is set before a feast of
traditional Samoan food. The work uses humour to critique the colonial
legacy in the Pacific,
References
Dow, Steve. “Greg Semu uses Samoan tattoo and Christian iconography
to start a conversation”. Art Guide Australia. (2016, October 6).
Retrieved from https://artguide.com.au/greg-semu-uses-samoan-
tattoo-and-christian-iconography-to-start-a-conversation
Semu, Greg, (2010). Auto Portrait with 12 Disciples (from the series The
Last Cannibal Supper, Cause Tomorrow We Become Christians).
http://www.gregsemu.photography/battle-of-the-noble-savage
Semu, Greg. (2007). Battle of the Noble Savage. Retrieved from
http://www.gregsemu.photography/battle-of-the-noble-savage
17Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Ralph Hotere:Dawn/Water Poem
Rowyn Campbell
Ralph Hotere’s “Dawn/Water
Poem” is a series of anti-nuclear
paintings inspired by Bill
Manhire’s minimalist poem of the
same name. Its concluding piece,
Dawn/Water Poem III, serves
both as a warning against the
testing of nuclear weapons, and
as a visually exciting finale in the
context of the first two works.
These paintings were created
during the long period of French
nuclear testing in the Pacific,
specifically at the Mururoa and
Fangataufa atolls, and refer to
the experiences of those
personally affected by the project.
The National Library of New
Zealand's website states: “The
Ralph Hotere, Dawn/Water Poem III, 1986, three-word poem by Bill
Acrylic on canvas, Christchurch Art Gallery, Manhire ... is printed twice on
Aotearoa/New Zealand
each recto, once at the top of the
page in lower case letters, once
again at the bottom in upper case, but the A in dawn is missing.”1 A
connection can be drawn between the words ‘dawn’and ‘water’ to images
of a ‘nuclear sunrise’ above the Pacific Ocean. Perhaps the missing ‘A’ in
the poem could stand for ‘atomic,’ ‘atoll,’ or ‘Aotearoa,’ the homeland of
both the poet and the artist.
Miriam Kahn’s investigation of the relationship between French nuclear
testing and the idealization of French Polynesia (specifically in images
of tropical scenery and beautiful women displayed on Tahitian
postcards) provides important context for this analysis.1 Kahn writes
that in 1994, president Gaston Flosse forbade government agencies to
“use any images of French Polynesia that were not produced by the
government agency Institut de la Communication Audio-Visuelle.”2 This
allowed French officials to use their economic and political power to
1
National Library of New Zealand. “Dawn/water text by Bill Manhire; images by Andrew
Drummond.”
2
Miriam Kahn. “Tahiti Intertwined: Ancestral Land, Tourist Postcard, and Nuclear Test Site,”
American Anthropologist, Vol. 102, No. 1 (2000): 7-26.
18Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
paint a highly romanticized portrait of Tahiti, covering up their
exploitation of the land and its people. It may be coincidental that the
first Polynesian tourism boom coincided with the start of nuclear testing
in the region, but the French certainly used this concurrence to their
advantage. This issue of deceptive visual representation amplifies the
need for sincerity in images regarding the Pacific, a need which Ralph
Hotere fulfills in his Dawn/Water series.
The work in focus, Dawn/Water Poem III, stands out from the series as
an expression of outrage. The ‘X’ on red should at first convey a sense of
unyielding opposition and anger, but its form is actually weakened
against the striking backdrop. Perhaps Hotere’s warning has come and
gone unnoticed, his protests muffled by the sounds of nuclear
destruction and by the propaganda of those who wield its apocalyptic
power. This would align the emotion of Dawn/Water Poem III more
closely with the works that preceded it, culminating in a potent mixture
of red anger and black grief. Adding to this sense of mourning is
Hotere’s use of the name ‘Mururoa,’ one of the affected French
Polynesian atolls. This name appears several times down the middle of
the piece, emerging from the blocky ‘SUNRISE’ text at the top. Here
‘SUNRISE’ appears to be stamped, as if someone has attempted to
formally imbue the nuclear project with positive connotations. Hotere’s
choice to then paint ‘MURUROA’ in a messier, more intimate
handwritten style alludes to the ‘realness’ of the situation and the
innocence of those affected. The meaning of the numbers floating along
the black border is less clear, but they may symbolize the rise in
casualties from nuclear testing and warfare, or possibly be counting
down to a worldwide nuclear apocalypse.
The most noticeable difference between this work and the first two in
the series is the switch from muted, gloomy greys and blues to this
brilliant scarlet. All three works have the ‘SUNRISE’ motif, and the ‘X’
in Poem III is carried over from Poem II. There is a
gradual shift in mood throughout the series, starting with
Poem I’s relatively neutral response, in which the only
obvious emotional representation (in red and white)
appears to be crushed underneath a dismal block of grey.
Poem II is mournful and incorporates the familiar ‘X’
warning symbol. Hotere’s use of blue here evokes imagery
of the Pacific Ocean, the brushstrokes suggesting crashing
waves or perhaps the physical movement of wildlife.
Poem III works well in its political context, but analyzing
it as part of a series can uncover so much more about the
artist’s process and intentions. Only with the stylistic
choices of Hotere’s first two works in mind can the
passion displayed in Dawn/Water Poem III be fully
appreciated. This buildup of emotion not only results in a Ralph Hotere, Dawn/Water Poem II, 1985,
Acrylic on canvas, The Fletcher Trust
visually satisfying series of artworks, but it also
Collection, Aotearoa/New Zealand
reflects the anxiety experienced worldwide throughout
and after the major decades of nuclear testing.
19Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
References
New Zealand History. “Nuclear testing in the Pacific.” Accessed October
17, 2020. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/nuclear-free-new-
zealand/testing-in-the-pacific
Kirchhof, Astrid Mignon; Meyer, Jan-Henrik. “Global Protest against
Nuclear Power. Transfer and Transnational Exchange in the 1970s
and 1980s.” In Historical Social Research Vol. 39, No. 1 (147),
165-190. 2014. Accessed October 16, 2020.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/24145787
National Library of New Zealand. “Dawn/water text by Bill Manhire;
images by Andrew Drummond.” Accessed October 17, 2020.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/21804094
Thakur, Ramesh. “The Last Bang before a Total Ban: French Nuclear
Testing in the Pacific.” In International Journal Vol. 51, No. 3,
466-86. 1996. Accessed October 17, 2020.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40203124?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_con
tents
Radio New Zealand International. “Former French Polynesian president
Flosse gets suspended jail sentence for corruption.” June 2006.
Accessed November 3, 2020.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/162869/former-
french-polynesia n-president-flosse-gets-suspended-jail-sentence-for-
corruption
Kahn, Miriam. “Tahiti Intertwined: Ancestral Land, Tourist Postcard,
and Nuclear Test Site.” In American Anthropologist, Vol. 102, No.
1, 7-26. 2000
20Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Mathias Kauage: Independence Celebration 4
Yang Zhou
Mathias Kauage, Independence Celebration 4, 1975. Stencil, National Gallery of Australia,
Canberra.
Mathias Kauage, a Papua New Guinean artist, created Independence
Celebration 4 in 1975. This print was produced in Port Moresby, Papua
New Guinea. Printmaking was increasingly used by artists in Papua
New Guinea in the late 1960s and reached its peak of popularity the
1970s. Printmaking is often used to present strong and vibrant images,
and early examples continue to resonate with audiences today. The
inspiration for this work stemmed from a specific period of social,
political, and artistic change in Papua New Guinea.
The National Gallery of Australia has described Mathias Kauage as
“Papua New Guinea’s best-known contemporary artist.”1 Kauage was a
joint winner of the Blake prize for Religious Art in 1987, and in 1997 he
was awarded by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to art. Kauage first
became a professional artist by working in acrylics, metalwork, drawing
1
Melanie Eastburn, “Imagining Papua New Guinea,” National Gallery of Australia,
https://nga.gov.au/imagining/essay.cfm#:~:text=Now%20Papua%20New%20Guinea's%20best,f
or%20his%20services%20to%20art.
21Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
and printmaking in the 1970s. His style has been described as ‘lively’,
witty’, full of ‘exuberance and vibrancy.’2
After generations of colonial rule, Papua New Guinea established its
independence in 1975 as a free nation. At this time Mathias Kauage
created this series of stories and images, both traditional and
imaginary, to express the emergence of new forms of artwork in Papua
New Guinea and to celebrate its independence.
The artist’s themes center around the common thread of navigating
post-colonial life in Papua New Guinea. Kauage’s artwork provides a
much-needed platform to engage the public on the history of Papua New
Guinea and to celebrate the independence of Indigenous communities.
References
Eastburn, Melanie. “Imagining Papua New Guinea,” National Gallery of
Australia,
https://nga.gov.au/imagining/essay.cfm#:~:text=Now%20Papua%2
0New%20Guinea's%20best,for%20his%20services%20to%20art.
Accessed October 2020.
Gore, Charles. “Review of Kauage's Visions: Art from Papua New
Guinea.” Journal of Museum Ethnography No. 18, (2006): 177-180.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40793824. Accessed October 2020.
2
Charles Gore, “Review of Kauage's Visions: Art from Papua New Guinea,” Journal of Museum
Ethnography
No. 18, (2006): 177. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40793824.
22Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Brett Graham: Snitch
Megan Brohm
Currently on display at the
Honolulu Museum of Art,
Brett Graham’s snitch
(2014) is a self-proclaimed
“tongue-in-cheek”
postcolonial commentary.1
This three-foot-tall
sculpture is a portrait of
Stitch, the adopted alien
from the animated Disney
film Lilo and Stitch (2002).
Intricately carved out of
foam, the sculpture is an
accurate replication of the
Disney character: long,
upward-curved ears, large,
round eyes, a spherical
nose, and straight-lined
mouth. The figure holds a
frontal stance with slightly
Brett Graham, snitch, 2014, Sculpture (Carved
bent knees and arms held
foam, tar, feathers), 3 ft. Honolulu Museum of Art
out with its hands balled
into fists. The details of
Stitch are impressively
rendered, right down to the notches on each ear, but there is one
alarming distinction from the original character: Graham’s rendition of
Stitch is completely covered in a mixture of black tar and feathers. This
unsettling depiction of a beloved character symbolizes the destructive
impacts of forced contact between foreigners and Indigenous
communities in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, specifically
between Americans and Hawaiians.
Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand), Brett
Graham is a sculptor whose work focuses primarily on exploring
“Indigenous histories, politics, and philosophies.”2 For example, works
such as Land, Lust, Lost comment on histories of cultural genocide of
the Māori people in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.3 Other
works address contemporary politics, such as Te Hōkioi, which
1
“'Snitch' meets his maker—artist Brett Graham,” Honolulu Museum of Art, last modified
March 22, 2017, https://honolulumuseum.org/stories/2017/03/contemporary-art/snitch-
meets-his-maker-artist-brett-graham/.
2
“Haurongo / Bio,” Brett Graham, accessed September 25, 2020,
http://www.brettgraham.co.nz/brett-graham-about.html.
3
“Land, Lust, Lost,” Brett Graham, accessed September 25, 2020,
http://www.brettgraham.co.nz/brett-graham-land-lust-lost.html.
23Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
references the 2007 New Zealand police raid on the Tuhoe community of
Ruatoki.4 His work strives to engage a geographically diverse audience
with these past, present, and ultimately ongoing Indigenous injustices,
and snitch is no exception to this objective. In fact, the work was
originally made for Binding and Looping: Transfer of Presence in
Contemporary Pacific Art, an exhibition at the University of Hawai‘i Art
Gallery composed of diverse Pacific artists and voices.
In snitch, Graham is illuminating the damaging consequences that
American contact had on the Hawaiʻian Islands. In a number of ways,
Stitch’s character was a symbolic choice for this project.Stitch is from a
Hawaiʻi-based movie that was made by Americans, so the use of this
character immediately references the relationship between the two
states. Sculpting a famous Disney character is also bound to be
recognizable and grab the attention of a diverse audience. Moreover, in
depicting the character’s customary frontal stance and thick, wide-set,
and short legs, Graham is drawing a parallel with traditional Māori
statues of divinities.5 Aside from the character's outward iconography,
Stitch’s behaviours are specifically fitting for Graham’s commentary.
Anyone who has watched Lilo and Stitch is aware of the character’s
inevitably destructive behaviours.6 Thus, Graham’s recreation of Stitch
symbolizes the harmful impact foreigners had on Pacific cultures in the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the time period in which Hawaiʻi
was eventually annexed by Americans. The tar and feathers add
another level to this symbolism of destructive contact, as this was an
infamous form of punishment during the American Revolution; victims
of these attacks were the so-called “traitors” of the Revolution, working
against American goals of freedom and independence. Graham’s
decision to cover his sculpture in tar and feathers points out the irony in
America’s idealization of their pursuit of these goals.7
Graham utilizes a degree of playfulness and humour in snitch that
grants the viewer an accessible route to reflection and criticism, as his
work breaks the ice and invites conversation regarding America’s
problematic treatment of the Hawaiian Islands. Overall, snitch is a
strong addition to the ever-growing collection of Pacific postcolonial
commentaries, as Graham humorously yet thoughtfully illuminates
Indigenous histories and injustices through his art.
4
“Te Hōkioi,” Brett Graham, accessed September 25, 2020,
http://www.brettgraham.co.nz/brett-graham-te-hokioi.html.
5
“Take a second glance at Brett Graham’s ‘snitch’,” Honolulu Museum of Art Blog, last
modified June 17, 2016, http://blog.honoluluacademy.org/take-a-second-glance-at-brett-
grahams-snitch/.
6
Ibid.
7
David A. M. Goldberg, “Binding and Looping: Transfer of Presence in Contemporary Pacific
Art,” Asian Diasporic Visual Cultures and the Americas 2, no. 1-2 (March 2016): 156-7.
24Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
References
Brett Graham. “Haurongo / Bio.” Accessed September 25, 2020.
http://www.brettgraham.co.nz/brett-graham-about.html.
Brett Graham. “Land, Lust, Lost.” Accessed September 25, 2020.
http://www.brettgraham.co.nz/brett-graham-land-lust-lost.html.
Brett Graham. “Te Hōkioi.” Accessed September 25, 2020.
http://www.brettgraham.co.nz/brett-graham-te-hokioi.html.
Goldberg, David A. M. “Binding and Looping: Transfer of Presence in
Contemporary Pacific Art.” Asian Diasporic Visual Cultures and the
Americas 2, no. 1-2 (March 2016): 152-157.
Honolulu Museum of Art. “'Snitch' meets his maker—artist Brett
Graham.” Last modified March 22, 2017.
https://honolulumuseum.org/stories/2017/03/contemporary-art/snitch-
meets-his-maker-artist-brett-graham/.
Honolulu Museum of Art Blog. “Take a second glance at Brett Graham’s
‘snitch’.” Last modified June 17, 2016.
http://blog.honoluluacademy.org/take-a-second-glance-at-brett-
grahams-snitch/.
25Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Maika’i Tubbs: Stepping Stones
Charlotte Koch
Maika’i Tubbs is a Hawaiian
artist currently living and
working in Brooklyn, New
York. His artwork entitled
Stepping Stones was created in
2016 and displayed as part of
an exhibition entitled “Plastic
Fantastic” at the Honolulu
Museum of Art.1 Tubbs’ work
subverts his viewer’s
expectations to present a
compelling commentary on the
environment,
overconsumption, and
American colonial legacies in
Hawaii.
Tubbs works largely in
sculpture and installation
made from garbage, and
Stepping Stones is no
exception. It is made of plastic
shopping bags, cardboard,
Maika'i Tubbs, Stepping Stones, 2015, cigarette butts, food wrappers,
multimedia installation plastic containers, junk mail,
paper towels, posters, parking
tickets, ocean plastic and glue. All of the materials are stuck together in
the shape of individual stones and spread out across a gallery floor.
Some are cut open to reveal that the inside of the stone is in fact made
of bright, unnaturally coloured, trash. Others are left whole to resemble
complete rocks. The stones that are cut open are intended to resemble
geodes and other natural rock formations.2 During the original
installation, these stones were covered with inflated gelatin bubbles
which deflated over the course of the exhibition and glowed in the dark
when shown under ultraviolet light.3 The bubbles and “trash geodes”
were placed on the floor of the exhibition space in a rough line to mimic
1
Travis Hancock, "How Maika'i Tubbs Learned to Turn His Garbage-pile Freakout into
Art." .Honolulu Museum of Art Blog - Honolulu Museum of Art Blog. August 29, 2016.
2
Moana Nepia, “About the Artist : Maika’I Tubbs.” The Contemporary Pacific 30, no.1 (2018):
VII-XVI
3
Ibid.
26Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
the arrangement of rocks on a beach or along a coastline. The bubbles
suggest water in this imaginary landscape, making reference to the
beaches in Hawai’i where some of the trash used to create these rocks
was collected.
The shape and content of these rocks are inspired by plastiglomerate, a
geological term meant to designate the fusion of microplastics and rock
or coral. This substance is a by-product of human pollution, which is a
theme that Tubbs explores often in his work. He uses recycled material
to produce sculptures that appear naturalistic only from afar. These
works reference the invasion of unnatural substances into the natural
world, and the increasingly hazy border between natural and artificial
life. Climate change threatens the existence of many Polynesian islands,
islands that must contend with violent storms and rising sea levels, as
well as limited landfill space. Tubbs’ 2010 artwork A Life of Its Own,
similarly explores the invasion of trash by representing an invasive
floral species in Hawai’i. The plant is fashioned from plastic cutlery,
another direct-to-landfill product. Tubbs views this as an exploration of
what it means to be Hawaiian in the 21st century. The work is a
representation of the conflict between Polynesian cultural legacies and
American capitalist hyper consumption.4
Stepping Stones ultimately comments on the American appropriation
and misuse of Hawaiian land. Tubbs combines the collected trash from
Hawaii with garbage compiled from outside his studio in New York.5 Its
amalgamation within the rocks emphasises how much America is to
blame for the pollution affecting the islands. This is highlighted further
through the gelation bubbles around the stones that glow in the dark,
giving them a radioactive luminesce.6 These bubbles reference the
nuclear testing conducted by Americans that took place in Polynesia
throughout the 20th century, an activity that resulted in chemical
pollution in addition to the plastic pollution discussed above. Stepping
Stones comments on the age of the Anthropocene, referencing the
landscapes that are so central to Polynesian cultural identity and
critiquing their exploitation by uninvited guests.
4
Travis Hancock, "How Maika'i Tubbs Learned to Turn His Garbage-pile Freakout into
Art." .Honolulu Museum of Art Blog - Honolulu Museum of Art Blog. August 29, 2016.
5
Emerson Krull, "Maika'I Tubbs and A Connection to Place." Bates College. January 22, 2019.
6
Moana Nepia, “About the Artist : Maika’I Tubbs.” The Contemporary Pacific 30, no.1 (2018):
VII-XVI
27Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
References
Hancock, Travis. "How Maika'i Tubbs Learned to Turn His Garbage-pile
Freakout into Art." Honolulu Museum of Art Blog - Honolulu
Museum of Art Blog. August 29, 2016. Accessed October 23, 2020.
http://blog.honoluluacademy.org/how-makai-tubbs-learned-how-to-
turn-his-garbage-pile-freakout-into-art/.
Krull, Emerson. "Maika'I Tubbs and A Connection to Place." Bates
College. January 22, 2019. Accessed October 23, 2020.
https://www.bates.edu/museum/2019/01/22/maikai-tubbs-and-a-
connection-to-place/.
"Maika'i Tubbs." Museum of Arts and Design. 2015. Accessed October
23, 2020. https://madmuseum.org/learn/maika’i-tubbs.
National Gallery of Canada. "National Gallery of Canada Artist
Interview: Maika'i Tubbs." June 25, 2013. Accessed October 23,
2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8suJYqda-5s.
Nepia, Moana. “About the Artist : Maika’i Tubbs.” The Contemporary
Pacific 30, no.1 (2018): VII-XVI doi:10.1353/cp.2018.0001.
"Stepping Stones." Maika'i Tubbs. Accessed October 23, 2020.
http://www.maikaitubbs.com/stepping-stones.
28Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Michel Tuffrey Filipe Tohi: Pisupo lua afe
Sibel Isikdemir
Pisupo lua afe (Corned Beef 2000) is a sculpture of a bull made of
flattened and recycled tin cans. The corned beef cans are fastened
together with rivets, and the work stands at 115 cm tall and is the size
of a small, life-size bovine.1 The cans are of the brand Golden Country,
and are golden yellow, accentuated with red stripes. This piece explores
the themes of prevailing colonial legacies and stereotypes in the Pacific,
as well as political, health, and environmental issues that communities
may face.
Michel Tuffery, Pisupo lua afe (Corned Beef 2000), 1994, mixed media, tin sculpture, 65cm
(width) x 115 cm (height) x 217 cm (depth), Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
(Wellington) in the Pacific Cultures collection
1
Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000),” Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, accessed
September 27, 2020, https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/235630.
29Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Michel Tuffery is a versatile artist who has made not only sculptures
but paintings, etchings, and mixed media works pertaining to Pacific
culture.2 Pisupo lua afe is one of many tin can cattle sculptures from his
“Povi” series (“povi” meaning “bull”). The series critiques the Pacific’s
high consumption of imported canned foods and the environmental
harm caused by the disposal of these cans.3
“Pisupo” refers to tinned food in Samoan, but the term came from pea
soup, the first tinned food that was brought to Samoa during the
Colonial Period in the Nineteenth Century.4 It was considered an item
of high value and was gifted on special occasions like weddings and
funerals by Pacific Islanders. Corned beef is still popular in the Pacific,
and Pisupo lua afe additionally comments on health issues related to
the product as corned beef is high in cholesterol, sodium and fat.5
Pisupo lua afe was first displayed in the “Bottled Ocean” exhibition at
the City Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand in 1994.6 This exhibition
displayed contemporary Pacific Island works that drew attention to the
problematic stereotypes associated with the idea of Pacific identity as
“other.” Tuffrey’s piece was made for this show, which was curated by
the artist Jim Vivieaere. The object was displayed behind a Perspex
screen, facing the viewer to give it the impression of a commodity
behind a window-shop display, alluding to the frequent exotification and
commodification of the Pacific.
References
“Bottled Ocean.” City Gallery. Accessed September 27, 2020.
https://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/bottled-ocean/.
Lythberg, Billie. “Michel Tuffery, Pisupo Lua Afe.” Khan Academy.
Accessed September 27, 2020.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/pacific-
apah/polynesia-apah/a/michel-tuffery-pisupo-lua-af.
2
“Works on Paper,” Michel Tuffery, accessed September 27, 2020,
https://micheltuffery.co.nz/portfolio/works-on-paper/.
3
“Povi Series,” Michel Tuffery, accessed September 27, 2020,
https://micheltuffery.co.nz/portfolio/sculpture/.
4
Dr. Billie Lythberg, “Michel Tuffery, Pisupo Lua Afe,” Khan Academy, accessed September 27,
2020, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/pacific-apah/polynesia-
apah/a/michel-tuffery-pisupo-lua-af.
5
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, “Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef 2000) - Tales
from Te Papa episode 15,” Youtube video, 3:05, October 18, 2011,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKDXsrEq_mQ.
6
“Bottled Ocean,” City Gallery, accessed September 27, 2020,
https://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/bottled-ocean/.
30Journal: Art & Oceania Case Studies
Michel Tuffery. “About Michel Tuffery.” Accessed September 27, 2020.
https://micheltuffery.co.nz/about-michel-tuffery/.
Michel Tuffery. “Povi Series.” Accessed September 27, 2020.
https://micheltuffery.co.nz/portfolio/sculpture/.
Michel Tuffery. “Works on Paper.” Accessed September 27, 2020.
https://micheltuffery.co.nz/portfolio/works-on-paper/.
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. “Pisupo lua afe (Corned
Beef 2000).” Accessed September 27, 2020.
https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/235630.
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. “Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned
Beef 2000) - Tales from Te Papa episode 15.” Youtube video, 3:05,
October 18, 2011.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKDXsrEq_mQ.
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