Shigeyuki Kihara at the Met

Taualuga: The Last Dance by Shigeyuki Kihara

Samoan-Japanese multimedia performance artist Shigeyuki Kihara brings her ground-breaking, gender-bending work to New York in the first solo exhibit by a Pacific artist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Kihara’s striking multidisciplinary work draws on diverse sources such as 18th Century ethnographic photographs, Samoan legends and pop culture images to riff on themes of gender, identity, indigenous Pacific spirituality, consumerism and cross-cultural encounters.

The exhibit includes work from her photographic series Black Sunday, Fa’a Fafine: In a Manner of a Woman, Fale Aitu: House of Spirits and Vavau: Tales from Ancient Samoa, in which Kihara investigates notions of representation by interpreting her own image in a variety of guises.

Kihara will perform her solo performance Taualuga: The Last Dance and speak about her work during October.

Shigeyuki Kihara: Living Photographs
October 7, 2008–February 1, 2009
Lila Acheson Wallace Wing, 1st floor
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Artist bio at Pasifika Styles

Brown Pages

Check out the Brown Pages directory of indigenous media, arts and culture for actors, publishers, artists, filmmakers, TV producers and musicians.

The latest directory is out now, with contact info for Maori, Pacific and other indigenous talent in Aotearoa, the Pacific, Australia, Canada and America.

What began as a directory book in 1993 has become a regularly updated online database, accessible 24/7 and promoted worldwide.

Subscribers will have to pay from July 08 onwards, but listings are free. Web subscribers get a complimentary hard copy.

The Brown Pages is produced out of Aotearoa by Kara Paewai, Melissa Wikaire, Iulia Leilua and Sandra Kailahi.

Pacific Arts Fest Seeks Films

10th Festival of Pacific Arts
American Samoa
20 July – 2 August 2, 2008
Theme: Su’iga’ula a le Atuvasa (Threading the Oceania ‘Ula)
Deadline: Friday 9 May 2008

The Pacific’s premier arts event seeks documentaries and features from Pacific filmmakers.

More than 2,000 people from 27 Pacific nations converge on Pago Pago in July for the four-yearly festival, showcasing a mind-boggling array of arts from traditional navigation and canoeing to healing, tattoo and culinary arts alongside theater, visual arts and performance.

Contact: Nancy Tagaloa at ntagaloa@mac.com or (684) 733-9660

For more details download the Film Festival Invitation

Pollywood Film Fest

Nine movies by Nesians and one Chamorro screen at Pollywood Six08 at various venues across Auckland through 20 March 08.

Craig Fasi curates the world’s only current festival devoted soley to Pacific Islander films – this year featuring drama, comedy, experimental and documentary.

Films include Nice Jacket by Mishelle Muagututi’a and Pos Mavaega about Pacific artists, plus Pollywood’s first piece by an overseas director, Alex Munoz’s Hurao, a one-minute experimental art film shot on Guahan/Guam.

Pollywood Six08 media release

Short Word with Craig Fasi at NZ Film & TV Blog

TV3’s Pacific Beat Street hits up Pollywood 08 Premier

Report from Cerisse Palalgi at Otara screening:

These films really stood out for me:

Love Struck by Jane Akamoeau, a love story that ended in tragedy but with a unique twist. I was trying to hold back the tears at the very end.

Tau’olunga by Evanjica Isoa-Pau’u. A young half-caste Tongan girl, learning a traditional Tongan dance, encounters racial abuse towards herself & her palagi mother from her father’s Tongan family.”

Talofa Gary Cooper

Critics and audiences rave about My Name is Gary Cooper, latest act of theatrical subversion from Samoan-Kiwi writer Victor Rodger (Ranterstantrum, Sons) with preternatural Samoan hunk & muse Robbie Magasiva (Sione’s Wedding, Stickmen) in the title role. The play premiered at Auckland Theatre Company 20 Sept – 13 Oct 07.

Reviews

erotic, hilarious yet tragic
Theatreview

beneath the glibness is a tragic, soulful undertow
NZ Listener

+ it made me cry
+ emotional rollercoaster ride
+ an awesome play
Audience