Summary

“As a whole, this piece is a tribute to the resurgence of tatau that we are seeing today, and acknowledges its origins through Taema and Tilafaiga’s journey across the vast moana.”

Siah Fina’i is a multidisciplinary creative from the villages of Fasito’outa and Nofoali’i, Upolu, Samoa. He specialises in contemporary Pasifika arts across digital fabrication, sketching, woodwork and sculpture. He draws inspiration from the pride he has in his Samoan heritage, exploring new ideas by revisiting traditional concepts of fa’a Samoa, and building connection to and awareness of his culture.

Creative Process

For his Fale-ship work, Siah chose to explore the Fa’a Samoa concept of vā through the story of Taema and Tilafaiga; the Samoan sister duo who traversed the beautiful pacific waters to source the tapping instruments used for Tātatau. 

Siah started by creating a number of sketches to experiment and eventually flesh out conceptually-driven sculptural pieces. Using recycled and reclaimed timber (matai and rimu), he creates beautifully painted works on wood which tell the story of the sisters on their journey through markings, colour, depth and patterns.  

Final Works

Siah’s final work for the Fale-ship Residency is titled Vai tafe (Flowing Waters). In the final pieces, the raw pieces of recycled wood have been sanded to a smooth finish, rectangular and flat. The vibrant painting of blue, green and white indicative of flowing water and light catching the glisten of the sun, are combined with overlayed white markings indicative of Tātatau. As a whole the piece is a tribute to the resurgence of tatau that we are seeing today, and acknowledges its origins through Taema and Tilafaiga’s journey across the vast moana.