Artists in Conversation: SA/MOA

3.30pm to 5.00pm, Sunday 23 March

Free Registration

A unique opportunity to sit with the SA/MOA team as they share
their perspectives on environmental care and maintaining, reviving and sharing traditional practices in 21st Century.

Lila Meleisea is the lead creative architecht of the SA/MOA Project. Lila Meleisea has an interdisciplinary and social practice that places equal importance on both process and outcome. She is a conscious collaborator with others (human, plants, animals, cosmos) holding an understanding of balance and the importance of reciprocity. Using cultural research, community engagement, music and art, she is a nurturer, teacher and advocate for happy, healthy communities and environmental awareness and respect. Lila holds a degree in both Music and Education. She is a multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, african harp – kora, Greenwood leather sculptures, Polynesian nose flute – fagufagu) and as a new student of Polynesian barkcloth making, she embraces this art form to connect with her Samoan and Oceanic roots.

Grace Vanilau is a Naarm based interdisciplinary artistand Community Cultural Development practitioner of Samoa descent. She morphs between multiple disciplines; singing, spoken word/oratory, weaving,writing and sometimes dancer – all while balancing motherhood. As a Community Cultural Development practitioner she specialises in producing and supporting the development of culturally nuanced programs for Melbourne’s Oceania communities and nurturing intercultural knowledge share spaces with the key purpose to mobilise, challenge and uplift community through creativity and true reciprocity.

Folole Asuao Tupuola is a visual artist and peformer, basedon Wurundjeri country. She hails from Samoa, from thevillages of Si’umu, Tiavea, Vailima and Lalomanu. Folole leadsclimate action and Artivism works with Pacific Diasporayoung peoples (in so called Australia), as the current Kulinbased Coordinator for Pacific Climate Warriors (350 Pacific).Folole is a passionate performer in Siva Samoa. Taught bythe Samoan Methodist youth group inCanberra/Queanbeyan (Ngambri/Ngunnawal Country). Shehas travelled and performed with all women Samoan dancegroups including Nesian Pearl and Tausala Dance Group. Shehas graced many performance stages including TeuilaFestival in Samoa, National Multicultural Festival, PeacefulProtest rally’s and more.

Natalia Mann is an harpist and resonance artist. Her work is contemporary and environmental, always questioning: “If all the world is vibration… “. As a resonance artist she explores the languages of art and nature. This has led her to interpret paintings and sculptures, landscapes and skies on her harp. She has performed resonance music at Kickarts Gallery,Centre of Contemporary Arts and UMI Arts, andAustralian Galleries in Sydney. https://www.entertainmentcairns.com/nataliamann

Regina Meredith is an international leader, researcher and educator in siapo, traditional and contemporary artist and founder of Faasamoa Arts, living in the village of Leone in American Samoa. “As a 4th generation Samoan Siapo maker, the handmade bark cloth, natural dyes, and the ancestral motifs make the connections I feel are necessary in maintaining my vision of life, culture and society in today’s world.”

Su’a Uilisone Fitiao, sharing laei o Samoa (sacred tattoogrown of Samoa) with others is one of the most importantparts of his line of work. As one of the founding membersof Folauga o le Tatau Malaga Aganu’u Fa’asamoa(Fa’asamoa Arts), he has dedicated his life to theindigenous, traditional arts of American Samoa, withtatau at the forefront of his efforts. While Su’a is a prolificsiapo-maker and woodcarver, his work that has garneredthe most recognition worldwide is his role as a tufuga tatatau— a Samoan tattoo master.

Galumalemana Steven Percival, together with wife Wendy, a highly accomplished multidisciplinary artist and art educator, established the Tiapapata Art Centre Inc.in Samoa over thirty years ago. Registered with the Government of Samoa as a charitable trust, this unique space for creativity and artistic innovation promotes traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Steven is a revivalist heritage artist, a professional photographer and videographer. A recognised researcher and advocate of Sāmoa’s rich natural and cultural heritage, he has built up a body of work capturing the indigenous ecological knowledge of the Samoans. With a keen interest in the impacts of globalization, he has also produced an extensive visual record in photographs and video, of the social discourses in Samoan society, exploring such issues as climate change, human rights and health. https://www.creativesamoa.com/

Tusolo Aumale, hailing from the villiage of Siutu, Samoa, TusoloAumale comes from a long lineage of siapo makers.Her family make their living from making siapo forlarge government commissions and tourist orders.They grow and source all that they need in theirgarden and from local sources. Tusolo is both collaborator and siapo making teacher to Lila for this project. Suitu is one of the few villages in Samoawhose community preserves and continues thetraditional practice of siapo making.