Unlocking histories of Pacific arts

Saturday, 9 December 2023

In October this year I attended the Pacific Arts Awards at Te Papa. Gathering on the ground floor, the excitement in the air was palpable. To come together to celebrate Pacific excellence was a much-needed respite at that time. This was also the launch of Pacific Arts Aotearoa, a seminal book edited by Dr Lana Lopesi about the dynamic history of Pacific arts in Aotearoa.

The book itself is magnificent – it’s a hefty 500+ page volume encased in a bold hard cover that instantly makes me think, I need this. Everything about the book is visually stunning – from the bright yellow page edges, to the rich array of images inside, to the innovative way the text is formatted on each page. The design, by Shaun Naufahu, really makes this book a work of art in itself.

Pacific Arts Aotearoa is the result of a multi-year project, project-managed by Faith Wilson, to document the history of Pacific arts in Aotearoa. It started as the Pacific Arts Legacy Project, supported by Creative New Zealand and hosted by The Pantograph Punch, before Penguin Random House reached out about creating a book from the series.

The project grew from there, evolving into a volume that explores the past 60 years of Pacific arts in Aotearoa. What’s special about this book is that it draws upon contributions from communities. Here, artists, dancers, theatre makers and musicians write about their own lives and careers. They share personal stories of migration, connection, community, love and loss. They talk about reclaiming forgotten art forms, discovering new ones and reconnecting to ancestral whenua.

Some talk about the works of their loved ones who have passed – whether their work was recognised widely, or only shared within families. Others document the many collectives that have been established to pass on knowledge of different crafts to future generations.

The book provides a detailed – but by no means comprehensive – view of Pacific arts history, circling back to a few vital publications and exhibitions such as Mana magazine and Home AKL, which was exhibited at Auckland Art Gallery in 2012.

Threading through are pieces about iconic figures in Pacific arts such as Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, Teuane Tibbo, Paul Tangata and many others, as well as multiple essays that weave through the bigger themes of the book. Lopesi tracks a history of Pacific arts from the rapid post-war increase in New Zealand’s Pacific populations, through the 70s and 80s, all the way up to the current generation’s works, and how Pacific arts will move into the future. The multitude of voices in this book not only come from different islands – they also represent an array of different lived experiences. The voices of disabled and LGBTQ+ artists are welcome, urgent and necessary.

It’s clear from the onset that Pacific histories are far from homogeneous – that every island is its own world. This is an important thing to remember, and why I enjoyed reading the book so much. Pacific Arts Aotearoa thrives on the multiplicity of history – a way of seeing the past that is natural to Māori and Pacific peoples. There is no one ‘right version’ of history. There are as many versions of history as there are people who have lived through it.

A main theme of importance in this book is that art is not just about individual expression, it’s about community. Collectivism has been a vital part of Pacific arts, and continues to be an important reason why Pacific arts are flourishing. Art is also not a luxury, but a necessity – something that improves wellbeing, and is a part of life. It has also been tied to activism for generations.

The richness of this book prompted many epiphanies. I have dipped into it many times over the past few months, and relish the opportunity to learn more about artists I’ve admired for years, and to meet artists I hadn’t heard of. More than anything, Pacific Arts Aotearoa has made me realise that the world of the arts isn’t a closed system. There really is space for everyone. There are many stories to be told, and many ways to tell them. As Lopesi writes, “These artists have taught us: why wait for people to unlock the door, when you hold the key?”

It’s worth mentioning the Pacific exhibitions currently on at Pātaka Art + Museum – all of which represent distinct ways of being that are discussed in Pacific Arts Aotearoa. I particularly want to acknowledge the work of Falepipi he Mafola Niuean Handcraft Group Inc, who have contributed to the book, and whose exhibition Fenoga Tāoga Niue I Aotearoa is on at Pātaka until February 2024.

I also want to acknowledge Manu Vaea, whose exhibition ‘Koe Tau’atāina o e Leitī | The Freedom / Emancipation of the Leitī’ explores their identity as leitī – the Tongan third gender. Stories about diverse indigenous sexualities and genders are all part of the reclamation of our histories, a discussion which I was grateful to see expanded upon in Pacific Arts Aotearoa.

• Pacific Arts Aotearoa, published by Penguin Random House NZ, $65 RRP. Available for purchase online and in book stores.