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FILIPE TOHI AWARDED COOK ISLANDS ARTIST’S RESIDENCY |
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Courtesy of Creative New Zealand |
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Internationally acclaimed Tongan sculptor Filipe Tohi of New Plymouth
is the recipient of the 2004 Cook Islands Artist’s Residency, awarded
annually by the Pacific Arts Committee of Creative New Zealand.
Filipe Tohi plans to create new work in wood and stone, drawing on both
his Tongan heritage and his experience of Cook Islands culture. He will
also carry out research on how and where lashings were used in the Cook
Islands. For the past decade, Tohi has been exploring the patterns and
history of tufunga lalava (lashings), the traditional Tongan binding
system used to lash together houses or canoes.
An important part of the residency is the recipient’s contribution to
the local arts community. An experienced tutor, Tohi plans to hold
workshops on lashings for secondary school students.
Marilyn Kohlhase, Chair of the Pacific Arts Committee, says she’s
delighted that an artist of Tohi’s calibre is undertaking this year’s
residency.
“Filipe is an exceptional artist, passionate about his practice and
committed to researching and developing his innovative work,” she says.
“He is also keen to interact with the local community in the Cook
Islands and share his vast knowledge of tufunga lalava.”
Born in Tonga, Tohi came to New Zealand in 1978 at the age of nineteen.
A sculptor of wood, stone and steel, his work is in public parks and
has been exhibited throughout New Zealand and in countries as diverse
as the United States, Japan, Australia and France. His work has also
been purchased by the Chartwell Collection.
Tohi received the Pacific Innovation and Excellence Award in the
Pacific Arts Committee’s Arts Pasifika Awards 2003. He was also a
member of the Aotearoa New Zealand delegation, which took part in this
year’s 9th Festival of Pacific Arts in Palau in July.
Then in August, he spent three weeks in Changchun, China, where he was
one of 15 sculptors creating work for the largest permanent sculpture
park in the world. The park contains works from countries throughout
the world and Tohi’s work represents Tonga.
He’s been in Samoa taking part in a group exhibition and giving
lectures on tufunga lavlava. |
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Internationally acclaimed Tongan sculptor Filipe Tohi of New
Plymouth is the recipient of the 2004 Cook Islands Artist’s
Residency.
(Photo – Creative New Zealand) |
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Tohi received the Pacific Innovation and Excellence Award in the
Pacific Arts Committee’s Arts Pasifika Awards 2003.
(Photo –
Creative New Zealand) |
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A sculptor of wood, stone and steel, his work is in public parks
and has been exhibited throughout New Zealand and in countries
as diverse as the United States, Japan, Australia and France.
(Photo – Creative New Zealand)
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Last year, the Auckland City Council commissioned Tohi to create a
public artwork for Onehunga’s Library and Community Centre. This major
work, Hautaha (coming together), was unveiled earlier this year. He
also created a 14-metre sculpture for New Plymouth, entitled Halamoana
(ocean bathway).
Tohi has also been creating work for the new fale (meeting house) at
the University of Auckland, which will be opened in early October, and
will be having a solo exhibition at Whitespace in February as part of
next year’s Auckland arts festival, AK05.
Among his other considerable achievements, Tohi participated in the 5th
Lyon Biennale of Art (2000), Pacific Notion in Sydney (2002) and
Pacific Ways of Knowing in New York (2002).
Joan Rolls-Gragg, President of the Cook Islands National Visual Arts
Society, says the local arts community feels “privileged and honoured”
to have the internationally acclaimed artist spending time in the Cook
Islands as the 2004 artist-in-residence.
“We’re very excited about Filipe’s residency and look forward to
sharing our arts with him,” she says.
This is the fourth year that the Pacific Arts Committee has offered the
residency. Last year’s recipient was Sylvia Marsters of Auckland, who
described the experience as life-changing. “It gave me the chance to
focus on my painting and also interact with the local community, which
inspired a new direction in my work.”
The residency is open to visual artists of Pacific Islands heritage
living, working and exhibiting in New Zealand. The Pacific Arts
Committee administers the residency, covers the costs of the airfares
and materials, and provides a $3000 a month stipend. The Cook Islands
Ministry of Cultural Development and the Cook Islands National Visual
Arts Society provide studio space and other support while the artist is
in the Cook Islands. This year, the Pacific Resort in Rarotonga is
sponsoring the artist’s accommodation, with support from the Pacific
Arts Committee.
Tohi’s residency will culminate in late 2004 with an exhibition of his
new work at the Cook Islands National Museum in Rarotonga.
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