Our Lunchtime Poetry Slam was wicked wicked excellent on Tuesday 4 May…
Thanks to the British Council, UK poet, producer, DJ.. Charlie Dark joined five Pasifika poets on the Centre Stage of the Otara Town Centre for an hour of poetic deliciousness…
Yolande Ah Chong is the best MC a Pacific Arts Summit could ask for!
Courtney Meredith bought her smoothness…
Charlie Dark was too cool…
Luisa Tora of the Niu Waves Writers Collective [Fiji] performed in Aotearoa for the first time!
The multi-skilled Ole Maiava.. aka Pasifika Festival Director!
All the poets: [L-R] Luisa Tora, Courtney Meredith, Drew Harding, Charlie Dark, Monica Cheung and Ole Maiava // super super cool… thank you all so much! It was an excellent event!
Featured on TV3 Nightline on Tuesday 4 May, a full interview with Charlie Dark can be seen here and a story on Radio New Zealand’s Tagata o te Moana show by Leilani Momoisea can be heard here
Hawaiian visual artist and tattooist Jordan Souza came to Auckland as the Tautai Trust 2010 Artist in Residence in March. The focus of the residency is networking and developing professional relationships. It was excellent spending time with Jordan, introducing him to Auckland-based Pacific artists and especially learning more about tattooing. He spent a month with my housemate Tanu Gago and I, spending days and nights talking art, tattooing, Hawaii… travel and music… and tattooing… lots of friends! Thank you Jordan, we will all remember you for the rest of our lives!
Jordan designed this custom piece in collaboration with Tanu, nine flowers represent his nine sisters.
After I tattooed a banana leaf outline on my left thigh, Jordan finished it off
Jordan met Monty Collins, Mangere-based graphic designer at Fresh Gallery Otara.
He added to Monty’s extensive sleeve and chest pieces with a Marquesian inspired chest/side piece.
We were all feeling Monty’s pain… but it looked so mean when it was finished!
My beautiful friend Melissa loves her new chrysanthemum tattoo.
Multimedia artist and story-teller, Nia-val Ngaro had a design in mind taken from the prow of a Cook Islands canoe.
This was a beautiful pre-wedding treat for Nia-val.
This custom piece was made for Samoan musician Quincy Ray Filiga.
Jordan tattooed two matching secala / kingfishers on my hips, which I love. The secala /kingfisher is the totem bird from my village Dravuni, in Kadavu, Fiji. The image is based on a kingfisher from the Nice Work stationery range, re-drawn by Monty Collins.
Encouraged to make an experimental video work for the Tautai event, Off Stage, Jordan collaborated with Tanu Gago to make this quick video, offering a passer-by on Karangahape Road a free tattoo!
