‘Coconut is Life / Niu Life’

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.  

“The idea of the coconut as life is because it’s not just a drink but each part of the coconut can be used, the liquid, the meat and the shell.”

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