Ioane honours the powerful women in his aiga who are the inspiration behind his work ‘Matrix Malu’. Ioane’s installation is a portal into the matrix of an ancient language and culture where the malu (traditional Samoan female tatau) and her constellation of stars safely guide the va’a (canoe) through life – the va’a which symbolises the pe’a (traditional Samoan male tatau).

Video by NoSix
Watch the virtual tour from ‘Oh My Ocean’ here

@ioaneioanenz

For further information please email us 
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

KALISOLAITE ‘UHILA
FALE-SHIP HOME RESIDENCY 2021

Conceptual, relatable and thought provoking, award-winning performance artist Kalisolaite ‘Uhila explores everyday life, making durational performance works that are often informed by his Tongan heritage. Through his performances he often seeks to promote a sense of understanding and togetherness. For his Fale-ship residency he utilises documentation to explore the connectedness he experienced during lockdown, working with the niu (coconut) as his focus.  

Ko Sia Ko Veiongo Toku Maunga, 
Ko Vava’u Toku Awa, 
Ko Tahi Pasifiki Toku Moana, 
Ko Holonga Toku Iwi, 
Ko Taulepa Toku Hapu, 
Ko Tonga Ta’eapa Uesiliana Toku Marae, 
Ko Api ko Onehaka Toku Wahi Noho, 
Ko Lomipeau Toku Waka, 
Ko Fusipala ‘o Pangai Toku whaea, 
Ko Sione Helehele Toku Matua, 
Ko Kalisi Langi- Uhila Toku Wahine 
Ko Lavinia Mo Melino Toku Tamariki 
Ko Kalisolaite ‘Uhila Toku Ingoa, 
No Reira, Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou, Tena tatou Katoa. 
A drifter from the ocean… maumau-taimi on land. 
what inspires me is my wife and kids they are my purpose in my everyday life. 
The world is my studio and I create when I’m awake and when I’m asleep I dream of my why? 

Exploring connectedness and the idea of the ‘essential’ led Kalisolaite to create his work ‘Coconut is Life / Niu Life’. He employs the niu (coconut) itself as the vessel of this exploration as he and his family prepare traditional Tongan dishes that utilise every part of the treasured fruit. In this video work, Kalisolaite takes us through the process of preparing the niu and making the food he loves and reminds him of home.  

Check out Kalisolaite’s highlight video as he reflects on his Tautai Fale-ship Residency! 

Being at home, surrounded by his wife and kids, Kalisolaite was challenged to work differently. Primarily a solo performance artist, Kalisolaite instead embraced his surroundings and the connectedness to his family, allowing their presence to enrich his Fale-ship residency.

“…you know being locked down and not much things are accessible for us, it kind of makes us think more of improvising or emphasizing what we have and just accepting things, instead of sometimes taking things for granted.”

– Kalisolaite ‘Uhila

@kalisolaite

For further information please email us 
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We are excited to share a digital preview of our latest exhibition ‘Oh My Ocean,’ curated by Nigel Borell and showcasing works by Tautai Fale-ship 2020 recipients.

‘Oh My Ocean’ is a light-hearted riff on the popular social media phrase ‘Oh My God’ (and its acronym OMG). The show’s name is a play on words, meaning and digital expression, but underneath the jest is a serious statement about Moana people and our integral relationship to the ocean as the centre of one’s world – of one’s identity. In this regard, it is a powerful reclamation of space and cultural renewal. 

We acknowledge the nine incredible artists that feature in ‘Oh My Ocean’: Rawiri Brown, Fa’amele Etuale, Ioane Ioane, Elisabeth Kumaran, Sani Muliaumaseali’i, Michel Mulipola, Iata Peautolu, Keva Rands, and Chris Van Doren. We would also like to acknowledge Nigel Borell, ngā mihi for your support in bringing this show to life. 

Stay tuned for Michel Mulipola’s work, which will be going up on the Moana Wall on East St soon! 

We can’t wait to share this incredible new exhibition with you all when are able to safely reopen. Until then, arohanui, stay safe.

Video by NoSix

To stay up to date head to our Facebook and Instagram

Oh My Ocean runs from October 30 2021 – January 29 2022

For further information please email us 
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

A new group exhibition curated by Nigel Borell presents a fresh take on the legacy of Moana people and connection to place. 

Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust presents Oh My Ocean, bringing together work developed by nine artists during the 2020-2021 Covid-19 lockdowns. The exhibition, curated by Nigel Borell, is open from Saturday 30 October (or when Covid-19 alert levels permit after this date).

Oh My Ocean is a lighthearted riff on the popular social media phrase ‘Oh My God’, exclaimed in surprise, shock or amazement. The phrase is a play on words, meaning and digital expression, but underneath the jest is a statement about the integral connection between Moana people and the ocean as the centre of one’s world – of one’s identity.

Curator Nigel Borell says, “Much like the phrase, Oh My Ocean is an exuberant and fresh take on the legacy of Moana people and our connection to place. Moana artists offer their own exclamations and reclamations as expressions full of hope, ambition and sovereignty.”

“Amongst the shifting circumstances of the pandemic, these artists have shown how – even when creating in sustained isolation – we have innumerable connections.”

Oh My Ocean includes work by Rawiri Brown, Fa’amele Etuale, Ioane Ioane, Elisabeth Kumaran, Sani Muliaumaseali’i, Michel Mulipola, Iata Peautolu, Keva Rands and Chris Van Doren. Through a dynamic blend of media that reaches across comic book illustration, sculpture, installation art, digital media, textile design and performance, these artists tell stories that celebrate and share a Moana worldview.

All artists exhibiting in Oh My Ocean participated in Tautai’s Fale-ship programme, an initiative born of the Covid-19 lockdowns to support artists working across a range of artistic disciplines to develop and make work at home. It is the second of two group exhibitions showcasing Tautai’s Fale-ship artists.

“We’re excited to be rounding out Tautai’s full year of exhibitions with Oh My Ocean, the finale show by our 2021 guest curator Nigel Borell. This blockbuster offering provides urgent and sacred insight into the work of contemporary Tagata-Moana artists and the power of our community.”

Courtney Sina Meredith, Tautai Director

Exhibition details:
Oh My Ocean
Saturday 30 October 2021 – Saturday 29 January 2022
Tautai Gallery, Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road, Auckland Central
Open 10am–4pm, Tuesday–Friday, 11am – 4pm, Saturdays

Head to our Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on the show!

For further information please email us
Tautai.org  #tautai4lyfe

TAUTAI Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust Annual General Meeting 2021

Tautai Gallery – Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road

Tautai AGM 2021 is on Monday 30 August, 6pm at Tautai Gallery.

UPDATE: Due to the current Level 4 Covid-19 restrictions, the Tautai AGM, previously advertised for 30 August, has been postponed until further notice. A new date will be set when Auckland returns to Level 2.

You are warmly invited to our Annual General Meeting on Monday 30 August at 6pm. The meeting will be held at Tautai Gallery – Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road, Auckland. All welcome!

Tautai AGM 2021 related content for download:

For further information please email us via tautai@tautai.org

Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

Karlya Smith chats to Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti artist Melissa Gilbert about her practice.

Melissa Gilbert is an artist, storyteller and student, who focuses on “the constant talanoa of identity, connection and healing”.

Talanoa means to unravel, untie and examine through discussion in Samoan. Gilbert’s work is heavily influenced by her lineage rooted in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.

Her multi-faceted practice includes performance, painting, moving image and installation. And with an honours degree in fine arts still underway, that list may morph more.

Just like her work, Gilbert’s distinctive style is a blend of influences and experiences.

Read the full article here.

Video by NoSix

Moana Waiwai Moana Pāti is on at Tautai Gallery till September 25th

For further information please email us 
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

A new group exhibition curated by Nigel Borell presents a diverse range of work by nine Moana artists.

Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust presents Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti, bringing together work developed by nine artists during the 2020-2021 Covid-19 lockdowns. The exhibition, curated by Nigel Borell, is on from Saturday 12 June until 25 September 2021.

Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti, can be poetically translated to “from open seas to the shallow waters,” which Borell explains is a fitting metaphor for what has been an exceptional year worldwide.

“For the artists, the Covid-19 lockdowns brought about new opportunities to create and make. We’ve seen how adversity and innovation have gone hand-in-hand for many of them, and the work they have created is testament to the strength and creativity of artists”

– Nigel Borell

Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti includes work by Salvador Brown, Melissa Gilbert, Lyncia Müller, Tuāfale Tanoa’i AKA Linda T., Ashleigh Taupaki, Jasmine Tuiā, Christopher Ulutupu, Tyla Vaeau and Jaimie Waititi. The exhibition celebrates the diversity of Pacific creatives, and includes film, digital image-making, painting, tatau, poetic prose, sonic landscapes and performance.

All artists exhibiting in Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti participated in Tautai’s Fale-ship programme, an initiative born out of the Covid-19 lockdowns to support artists working across a range of artistic disciplines to develop and make work at home. It is the first of two group exhibitions showcasing Tautai’s Fale-ship artists.

Tautai Director Courtney Sina Meredith says, “During the Covid-19 lockdowns, our priority was to support our artistic community to make, create and connect. The unique circumstances of isolation has impacted creative work in a number of ways. This year, our focus as an organisation is to redress the isolation of those lockdowns and work to bring our community back together, into our gallery space, to share work, talanoa and celebrate all that is Pacific creativity.”

Exhibition details:
Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti
Exhibition Opening: Friday 11 June at 6.00pm
Exhibition Runs: Saturday 12 June – Saturday 25 September 2021
Tautai Gallery, Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road, Auckland Central
Open 10am–4pm, Tuesday–Friday, 11am – 4pm, Saturdays

Head to our Facebook event page and Instagram to stay updated on the show!

For further information please email us
Tautai.org  #tautai4lyfe

Inside the wave are ocean bodies
by Hōhua Kurene and Natasha Ratuva
curated by Cora-Allan Wickliffe

The Moana Wall is an outdoor exhibition space located on East Street’s hoardings surrounding the Karangahape Station construction site. Using the existing infrastructure as a canvas that highlights contemporary Pasifika artists and celebrates the diverse community of Karangahape Road. The MOANA WALL aims to highlight a significant era of Karangahape Road’s history and its lasting connection to Pasifika communities today.

All photographs by Ralph Brown

Inside the wave are ocean bodies is featuring on the Moana Wall until May 2021

For further information please email us
Tautai.org  #tautai4lyfe

Si’oto’ofa! Tautai is proud to announce it’s first exhibition of 2021.

<< Voyagers: The Niu World >>
Created by Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows
and Tui Emma Gillies

Following the announcement that Auckland will be moving to Alert Level 1, we are happy reschedule the opening for VOYAGERS – The Niu World to Friday 19 March .

Combining pieces created during Aotearoa’s lockdown and new work, this exhibition aims to tap into the spirit of the great explorers of the Pacific, consulting the stars and charting a course into the wild blue expanse.

“The waves have never been bigger or more threatening, the storms have never been so savage, the fires have never been so close and hot. And we are expressing this in the medium we were brought up in, tapa painting, which has been passed down from generation to generation by those people who made the original voyages and their ancestors before them. This exhibition is dedicated to all us Voyagers navigating The Niu World.”

– Tui Emma Gillies & Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows

We are honoured to be working with these talented women and we look forward to sharing their work with you all.

Voyagers: The Niu World
20 March – 22 May 2021
Tautai Gallery, Level 1 – 300 Karangahape Road, Auckland Central

Voyagers: The Niu World has now ended.

For further information please email us 
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

Covid-19 update from Tautai HQ

Afio mai, Aere mai, Malo e me’a mai, Fakatalofa atu, Veikidavaki, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Ulu tonu mai, Welkam, Haere mai! 

Last updated 10 November 2021

We’re working to get our space ready to reopen, with community safety being our top priority. We appreciate your patience as we develop new procedures to make sure your visit to Tautai is safe and enjoyable. We’ll let you know as soon as we have a reopening date.  

Ma le alofa mai, 

Team Tautai 

For latest announcements follow us on Facebook and Instagram and join our mailing list.

Tautai Gallery and HQ – Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road

For more information email us
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

We are looking for people to join Tautai’s
Ngāue ‘Ofa Volunteer team!

Located in Tamaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand – Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust is a charitable trust dedicated to championing Pacific arts and artists. We work to bring the community together through a range of events, activities, and exhibitions. Proudly supported by CNZ, Foundation North and Fetu Ta’i patrons, Tautai is able to provide unique opportunities for the Oceanic arts community.

This year we were excited to open Tautai Gallery and hub. For 2021, we are excited to extend our opening hours! Tautai Gallery will now be open from Monday – Saturday. 

We’re looking for volunteers who can commit to at least one Saturday a month as a visitor host to manaaki our visitors, help to navigate the gallery / hub and occasionally support public programmes.

If you are interested there will also be an opportunity to help with our public events which happen regularly throughout the year, ranging from live performances to talanoa and exhibition openings.

As a Tautai Ngāue ‘Ofa volunteer you will gain practical experience in the arts sector, as well as learn from and build relationships within the Pasifika arts community.

If you are interested in becoming a Tautai Ngāue ‘Ofa we would love to hear from you!

Please fill out the form below or download it here, and send it to tautai@tautai.org

Applications are open all year round!

Vinaka, Fakaaue Lahi oue tulou, Fakafetai 
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Tautai!

For further information please email us.
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

MOANA WALL

Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust and Link Alliance are proud to present the MOANA WALL.

An outdoor exhibition space located on East Street’s hoardings surrounding the Karangahape Station construction site. Tautai will curate and project manage the outdoor exhibitions from 2020 – 2023. The 70m hoardings will be transformed into the MOANA WALL using the existing infrastructure as a canvas that highlights contemporary Pasifika artists and celebrates the diverse community of Karangahape Road.

The MOANA WALL aims to highlight a significant era of Karangahape Road’s history and its lasting connection to Pasifika communities today.

The grand opening will be held on Friday 4 December celebrating its first exhibition Inside the wave are ocean bodies by artists Natasha Ratuva and Hōhua Ropate Kurene, curated by Cora-Allan Wickliffe. The exhibition will remain until April 2021.

‘This new site specific work is an exploration of the crucial mechanisms that inform our connections as Moana communities. Through photographic, digital media and poetry Hōhua and Natasha created a narrative that celebrates the connections of their Fiji, Samoan and Māori whakapapa.’

On Friday 4 December we will reveal the MOANA WALL to the public for the first time, followed by an evening of outdoor festivities on East Street which includes food stalls, live performances and more!

For further information please email us.
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

SALTWATER / Interconnectivity

Tautai Gallery is transformed to embody the Moana / Solwara worldview

Co-curators Katharine Losi Atafu-Mayo and Giles Peterson have transformed the Tautai Gallery to embody the Moana/Solwara worldview with SALTWATER/Interconnectivity on until January 30, 2021.

Peterson references the late Teresia Teaiwa, ‘she summed it up so well – we sweat and cry salt water, so we know that the ocean is really in our blood – this is the key ingredient for the building blocks of life, it’s also the essence of who we are and captures the incredible journey of navigating the Moana / Solwara.’ Atafu-Mayo and Peterson understand fully the flow of life, the two first meeting as teacher and student. ‘I taught Kat but I find myself learning so much from her, it really has been quite incredible, she’s amazing,’ he says of their collaboration.

The six exhibiting artists are drawn from Aotearoa and across Te Moana Nui a Kiwa; – Peter Elavera, Katharine Losi Atafu-Mayo, Te Ara Minhinnick, Shawnee Tekii, Telly Tuita and Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu. Their lived experiences magnified through the largeness of the exhibition.

‘We’re using a grand scale to highlight its focus from our incredible artists and that will be apparent to those visiting the show,’ says Peterson and Atafu-Mayo. The curators are excited that the show’s narratives around social justice, equity, gender and sexuality identity, climate change, language diaspora and ancestral knowledge are viewed uniquely through a Moana / Solwara worldview.

SALTWATER / Interconnectivity has now ended.

For further information please email us 
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

Just as the Pacific arts sector has grown, Tautai has grown with it.

We are excited about our new gallery which will enable us to further support and serve our community.

“Nearly 40 years ago… I didn’t even think we were going to have a Tautai organisation and to have this space now – it’s just amazing.”

– Fatu Feu’u, Tautai Founding Patron

Stay Creative, Stay Connected!

For further information please email us.
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

Moana Legacy

Multi-disciplinary show that heralds Tautai’s new space

6^th July – 18^th September, 2020 
Tautai Gallery  Mon – Fri 11am – 4pm

Moana Legacy is Tautai’s first exhibition in its new gallery space, the show has been developed from an existing partnership with Blak Dot Gallery, Naarm (Melbourne) featuring moana artists working in both Aotearoa and Australia. Continuing the conversation in Tautai’s new expanded space in the heart of Auckland, this show offers up assorted approaches to the idea of legacy.

As artists of the moana, one often looks back to move forward, contemplating the connections to ancestors and finding a place within a narrative that is as deep as the ocean itself. Our ancestors left behind stories of legend with impressive characters, some continue to shape our contemporary stories of today. 

A legacy is the story of someone’s life, it is something that a person leaves behind to be remembered. Legacies are pathways that guide people with their own decision-making – inspiring them to build a legacy of their own.

With this in mind, the artists in this exhibition investigate notions of legacy  and their link to the moana. Featuring photography, installation, video, sculpture, hiapo and painting, Moana Legacy is a celebration of our own legacies and what it means to be an artist of the Pacific

Curated by Cora-Allan Wickliffe, this show features Ahsin Ahsin, Cora-Allan Wickliffe & Kelly Lafaiki, Gina Ropiha, Israel Randell, Mereani Qalovakawasa, Naawie Tutugoro, Rangituhia Hollis and Talia Smith.

Moana Legacy runs from 6 July – 18 September, 2020.

Moana Legacy has now ended.

For further information please email us 
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

Postcards Unlocked

Digital postcards from Pasifika artists across Aotearoa and beyond

Postcards Unlocked was a digital activation featuring 40 artists over 40 days. The project was launched during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown in Aotearoa to encourage meaningful connections through the digital moana to uplift our community and celebrate Pacific creativity. Additionally, Postcards Unlocked provided some financial relief for the community, as each featured artist was gifted a koha.

Every postcard offered a peek into the creative process and inspiration from members of Tautai’s treasured Pasifika arts community – covering visual arts, music, dance, tatau, design, poetry, prose, performance, film, fashion, and emerging art forms. The mixture of participating artists allowed us to tautoko some well-known names as well as emerging talents working in a variety of mediums. 

The activation used Tautai’s social media channels as a platform and included artists at all stages of their careers, from all over Aotearoa and beyond. Using the digital moana we extended the reach of Pacific art during a time when people were using the internet more than ever. Originally the tagline for Postcards Unlocked was “30 days 30 artists” but due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the project we showcased an additional 10 artists, resulting in the 40 postcards over 40 days. Tautai felt the alofa from our community with many likes, shares, comments, and new followers across our social channels – the Tautai Facebook Page now has over 5,000 followers!

Tautai exists to uplift and celebrate Pacific art in its many forms. We acknowledge the participating artists who made every day a journey of discovery for our aiga and supporters. As we ease our way out of lockdown in Aotearoa we are adapting to meet the needs of a changing world. Placing our makers and our thinkers at the forefront of all we do – there are new opportunities on the horizon grounded in the resilience and innovation of Postcards Unlocked.

The Entire Postcards Collection

For further information please email us.
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

Looking to connect? Please do!
We’d love to hear from you

At Tautai we champion Pacific creativity, so if you’re an artist, researcher, curator, educator, student, writer or journalist and would like to contact Tautai, there are several ways to get in touch.

Office Hours: Mon – Fri 9–5:30pm
Gallery Hours: Tue – Fri 10am – 4pm, Sat 11am – 4pm

After Hours:
We frequently have events which often run outside office and gallery hours.
To keep up to date with our events by following our Facebook and Instagram accounts and subscribe to our mailing list

Physical Address:
Tautai HQ and Gallery,
level 1, 300 Karangahape Road, Newton,
Auckland 1010, Aotearoa New Zealand

Postal Address:
Tautai Pacific Arts Trust
PO Box 68 339, Wellesley Street West,
Auckland 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand

Tautai Online:
Facebook | Instagram | Website | Twitter | Youtube | LinkedIn | Pre-2020 Web Archive

Tautai Information
Zoe Lewis, Tautai Assistant – ddi +64 9 376 1665 | +64 21 065 1656

Tautai Gallery
Gloriana Meyers, Gallery Assistant – ddi +64 9 376 1665 | +64 27 688 8518

Tautai Media and Communications
Sam McKegg, Media Manager – ddi +64 9 376 1665 | +64 21 134 7520

Tautai Public Programmes
Mile Fane, Programmes Manager – ddi +64 9 376 1665 | +64 21 557 693

Tautai Administration
Danielle Meredith, Operations Manager – ddi +64 9 376 1665 | +64 22 0296 8392

Tautai Director
Courtney Sina Meredith, Director – ddi +64 9 376 1665

For general enquiries please email us.
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

About Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust

Over the past 30 years we have grown to become Aotearoa’s leading Pacific arts organisation with a multidisciplinary focus.

Office Hours: Mon–Fri, 10am – 5:30pm
Gallery Hours: Tues–Sat, 11am–4pm

Welcome to Tautai, Aotearoa’s leading Pacific arts organisation.

Located in Tamaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand – Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust is a charitable trust dedicated to championing Pacific arts and artists. Tautai was formed in the 1980s when leading Samoan artist Fatu Feu’u and his peers came together with a shared aspiration to support and promote Pacific visual artists.

In the years since, we have grown to become Aotearoa’s premiere Pacific arts organisation with a multidisciplinary focus. We bring artists and the wider Tautai aiga together through a range of events and activities locally and globally.

Proudly supported by Creative New Zealand, Foundation North and Fetu Ta‘i Patrons, Tautai is able to provide unique opportunities for the Oceanic arts community. Situated in the heart of Auckland’s CBD on Karangahape Road, Tautai’s newly expanded premises now includes a gallery space dedicated to showcasing the works of contemporary Pacific creatives all year round. In addition, Tautai’s full programme of activities and events include live-streamed artist talks and performances, a brand-new international strategy, workshops, internships and partnership initiatives that encourage growth in the sector.

Tautai draws on the Samoan word for navigator and illustrates the organisation’s commitment to guiding moana arts in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Tautai’s Board of Trustees is chaired by leading Pacific artist Lonnie Hutchinson (Ngāi Tahu, Sāmoa), she is supported in her role by fellow Trustees: Brenda Railey (Secretary), John Gandy and Stephen Tamatoa Cairns.

“Tautai is a place, a people and a purpose.” – Director, Courtney Sina Meredith 

For further information please email us.
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe

Tautai Online
Contact Us | Facebook | Instagram | Website | Twitter | Youtube | LinkedIn | Pre-2020 Web Archive