Fun, warm and vibrant, Tai’s work speaks to her own experience, embracing and celebrating her culture in the hopes that it will inspire others to do the same. Doing her Fale-ship in lockdown encouraged Tai to hone her skills and expand her knowledge by exploring digital mediums.
‘Isope ‘Akau’ola is an emerging talent offering a distinctly Tongan perspective to choreography and performing arts. The sincere nature of ‘Isope’s work reflects his Fale-ship experience. Sharing a bubble with his loved ones created an environment of collaboration, reflection and learning.
A new group exhibition curated by Nigel Borell presents a fresh take on the legacy of Moana people and connection to place.
James Waititi is a multidisciplinary, gender fluid artist whose work explores the environment, racial and cultural politics, and the gender and queer spectrum.
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.
It is such an honour to be re-launching the programme after a hiatus in 2020. We are so excited to see the interns flourish in their roles at arts organisations across Aotearoa!
Karlya Smith chats to Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti artist Melissa Gilbert about her practice.
Inside the wave are ocean bodiesby Hōhua Kurene and Natasha Ratuvacurated by Cora-Allan Wickliffe
The Moana Wall is an outdoor exhibition space located on
Inside the wave are ocean bodiesby Hōhua Kurene and Natasha Ratuvacurated by Cora-Allan Wickliffe
The Moana Wall is an outdoor ...
Tāmaki Makaurau is in Alert Level 4. Following government guidelines, Tautai is temporarily closed and we have suspended shipping items from our shop.
We are looking for people to join Tautai’s Ngāue ‘Ofa Volunteer team!
Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust and Link Alliance are proud to present the MOANA WALL with it’s first exhibition ‘Inside the waves are ocean bodies’ by Natasha Ratuva and Hōhua Kurene. Curated by Cora-Allan Wickliffe.
Tautai founding patron Fatu Feu’u speaks about the growth of the Pacific arts sector
Our activation Postcards Unlocked showcased 40 artists over 40 days during Aotearoa’s lockdown.
Looking to connect with us? Please do! We would love to hear from you
Tautai is Aotearoa’s leading Pacific arts organisation with a multidisciplinary focus
Fale-ship: Tai Nimo
TAI NIMO
FALE-SHIP HOME RESIDENCY 2021
Fun, warm and vibrant, Tai’s work speaks to her own experience, embracing and celebrating her culture in the hopes that it will inspire others to do the same. Doing her Fale-ship in lockdown encouraged Tai to hone her skills and expand her knowledge by exploring digital mediums.
– Tai Nimo
“I am of Tongan, German descent on my father’s side and Cook Island, Pakeha on my mother’s side. My conceptual practice is centred around being ‘Afakasi’ (mixed) and my creative practice is Illustration, stop-motion animation and traditional drawing. I’m currently located in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty and this is where my Fale-ship Residency is taking place (although my heart will always be for Mangere). I’m in my final year of undergraduate studies (BFA) at UoA Elam, School of Fine Arts. I’m extremely passionate in creating work that reflects my mixed heritage and how I navigate my identity in today’s environment.”
Using illustration and stop-motion, Tai navigates her Afakasi identity through her art. A sense of nostalgia and memories of childhood are explored through the colourful palette of her self-portraits. Proudly presenting herself and her culture through bold lines and flowing movement.
‘In Between’
Tai Nimo, 2021
“In Between – is a series of self-portraits I illustrated based around the different forms my cultural identity has taken during different stages of my life. I chose to incorporate the bright ‘Lunch Box’ colours as a reference to my inner child, as a way of acknowledging her and the struggles she faced growing up as an Afakasi.”
“I drew each frame of the stop-motion animations. One challenge to creating these animations was working within the time frame of two weeks. A highlight of working in a tight schedule, was being able to create short clips in which I feel represents me best in my skills and conceptual ideas. These animations are to be played on loop.”
TAI NIMO
Check out Tai’s highlight video as she reflects on his Tautai Fale-ship Residency!
Tai reflects on her Fale-ship experience in the Bay of Plenty in contrast with her upbringing in Mangere, South Auckland. The Fale-ship Residency allowed her time to reflect upon her childhood growing up as an Afakasi kid, and how she proudly embraces her cultural identity today.
“This work is me and is proudly mine… I do want to share myself with people who are willing to look at my art, as these are a reflection of my identity, childhood and these are self-portraits. So I would want them to see me, for me.”
TAI NIMO
Video by @NoSix
For further information please email us
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe
Fale-ship: ‘ISOPE ‘AKAU’OLA
‘ISOPE ‘AKAU’OLA
FALE-SHIP HOME RESIDENCY 2021
‘Isope ‘Akau’ola is an emerging talent offering a distinctly Tongan perspective to choreography and performing arts. The sincere nature of ‘Isope’s work reflects his Fale-ship experience. Sharing a bubble with his loved ones created an environment of collaboration, reflection and learning.
“Mālō e lelei ko hoku hingoa ko ‘Isope ‘Akau’ola and I hail from the villages of Lotofoa and ‘Utulau in the beautiful kingdom of Tonga but I was born and raised in Tamaki Makaurau. My residency is currently taking place in Mt Roskill/Puketāpapa. I am currently in my second year, studying towards my Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts majoring in Contemporary Dance. My passion for dance originated from a love of Pasifika dance and theatre. As a child of the Pacific diaspora, I have found parallels within my own identity and the art that I want to create. I also aspire to develop a practice for myself as a New Zealand-born Tongan artist.”
‘ISOPE ‘AKAU’OLA
‘Manatu ki ‘Api’
Thoughtful, fresh and evoking loto-māfana, ‘Isope reflects on the value of tauhi vā (nurturing relationships) and holding space through choreography and moving-image. Inspired by the visual language of music videos, ‘Isope’s work shares the perspectives of his mother, a proud Tongan from Mt Roskill and himself, a child of the Pacific diaspora. Interweaving visual symbolism and gestural motifs, ‘Manatu ki ‘Api’ asks ‘What is home? What can I call home? and What remains of home within us?’
‘Isope presents his final work: ‘Manatu ki ‘Api’ (Remember Your Home)
Featuring: Fisioko ‘Akau’ola, Mj Pelarion, Pepetua ‘Akau’ola, ‘Isope ‘Akau’ola
“I have lived in the same state home in Mt Roskill for my whole life. Mt Roskill is currently going through a huge redevelopment phase where state homes are being demolished in favour of new houses and the people who live in them, majority being Pacific and Maori, are and have been evicted. For children of the Pacific diaspora we are constantly in search of home. We are not from here but we walk this land. When home is being demolished and you are forced to move out or when home is seas away, what is home? What can we call home? and What remains of home within us?”
‘ISOPE ‘AKAU’OLA
Music/Sound Credits:
Angi e Matangi – Holonga Kava Club
Multi-stage fitness test (MSFT)
Check out ‘Isope’s highlight video as he reflects on his Tautai Fale-ship Residency!
‘Isope shares his experience of creating during lockdown. He was able to collaborate with his bubble to produce his final work ‘Manatu ki ‘Api’ filmed at his home and neighborhood of Mt Roskill. The idea of ‘hope’ is present throughout his work and a relevant concept to the world we live in today and the uncertainty that surrounds us.
“I would love for people to take away a sense of hope. I think hope is such a beautiful thing to have and to hold on to. I think there’s hope for the community and there’s hope for people like me, and there’s hope for the world that I’m imagining or the world that we are imagining together.”
– ‘Isope ‘Akau’ola
Video by @NoSix
For further information please email us
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe
Exhibition – Oh My Ocean
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
Artist Spotlight: James (Jaimie) Waititi
James Waititi is a multidisciplinary, gender fluid artist whose work explores the environment, racial and cultural politics, and the gender and queer spectrum. For ‘Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti’, they produced a new publication and public work for our Moana Wall, both titled ‘Remoanafication: Time is a space’.
“[The works] developed from the theories and the kōrero that I had during my Fale-ship around Moanafication, and what it means to recentre the narrative of our tipuna and the way of looking at our historical context.”
Jaimie Waititi
Video by NoSix
Moana Waiwai Moana Pāti is on at Tautai Gallery till September 25th
For further information please email us
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe
AGM 2021
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
Cultural Safety Workshop: Photo Gallery
Fa’afetai tele lava to our teina interns, tuakana mentors, and host organisations participating in the 2021 Tautai Oceania Internship Programme! We had a wonderful day connecting you all with each other, strengthening relationships and developing cultural safety skills within the workplace.
Thank you to Andrea Edwards for facilitating the cultural safety workshop where we practiced communication tools as well as lots of fun activities! And special thanks to Helen Khoey for joining the workshop. Helen is Senior Advisor, Audience Development and Capability Building at Creative New Zealand, and has played an integral part in establishing and supporting our internship programme since its inception in 2013.
It is such an honour to be re-launching the programme after a hiatus in 2020. We are so excited to see the interns flourish in their roles at arts organisations across Aotearoa!
Photos by NoSix
For further information please email us
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe
Stuff: Inside artist Melissa Gilbert’s distinctve neo-nesian, earth punk aesthetic
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
Exhibition – Moana Waiwai, Moana Pāti
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
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
EXHIBITION – Voyagers: The Niu World
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.
– Tui Emma Gillies & Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows
“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.”
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
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 19 August 2021
On 18 August, Tāmaki Makaurau moved into Alert Level 4. Following government guidelines, Tautai is temporarily closed and we have suspended shipping items from our shop.
All scheduled events during this period are temporarily suspended.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Tautai when we reopen.
For latest announcements follow us on Facebook and Instagram and join our mailing list.
Meitaki ma’ata,
Team Tautai
Tautai Gallery and HQ – Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road
For more information email us
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe
Ngāue ‘Ofa Volunteers
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.
The Tautai Aiga with friends and whānau at the gallery opening, July 2020 | Photo by Isoa Kavakimotu 
First Fridays August 2020, one of Tautai’s regular events | Photo by Isoa Kavakimotu 
Photo by Isoa Kavakimotu
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
Exhibition: Moana Wall
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.’
Hōhua Ropate Kurene 
Natasha Ratuva
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
Exhibition: SALTWATER/Interconnectivity
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.
Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu 
Katharine Losi Atafu-Mayo 
Peter Elavera 
Shawnee Tekii 
Te Ara Minhinnick 
Telly Tuita
SALTWATER / Interconnectivity has now ended.
For further information please email us
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe
Founding Patron: Fatu Feu’u
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
Exhibition: Moana Legacy
Moana Legacy
Multi-disciplinary show that heralds Tautai’s new space
6th July – 18th 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.
Kelly Lafaiki and Cora-Allan Wickliffe 
Ake ake ake (whakareretanga), 2020 | Israel Randell 
Gina Rophia 
Detail of video work. 2019 | Mereani Qalovakawasa 
Ahsin Ahsin
Moana Legacy has now ended.
For further information please email us
Tautai.org #tautai4lyfe
Postcards Unlocked bookend
Postcards Unlocked
Digital postcards from Pasifika artists across Aotearoa and beyond
Postcards Unlocked – 40 days, 40 artists.
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.
“Founded on sharing and alofa, Postcards Unlocked sustained our community through a time of great change. I’m proud of the belonging and the connectedness we created together.”
Courtney Sina Meredith, Tautai Director
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.
“I [was] proud as a pineapple to be a part of this amazing Postcards Unlocked project, which was nothing short of brilliant.”
Dessa Bluu, Postcard artist
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
Contact Us
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
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.
“Great art feeds a family for generations.”
Tautai Founding Patron, Fatu Feu’u
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 began with a vision to create belonging and community for Pacific artists. Fast forward to 2020 and Tautai Gallery is the fulfilment of this enduring ambition.”
Tautai Director, Courtney Sina Meredith
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
