Wailoku Matakau, Kaiviti Series (2023) Print

Original price was: $ . $49 Current price is: $49.

In this work, the central figure is a Fijian matakau – a carved female ancestor figure, featuring tattooed hips, loins and mouth. It is from central Viti Levu, and is the “property" of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. The civavonovono (breastplate) featured is the “property” of Auckland War Memorial Museum. This digital collage is a form of repatriation, positioning both the matakau and civavonovono within a backdrop of the Fijian garden of our family home in Wailoku, Suva, Fiji. The moon, stars, flora and fauna reference the ecological wisdom inherent in indigenous knowledge and belief systems that guided life before Christian indoctrination.

This print series was produced for, and inspired by, the Melanesian Festival Aotearoa and the profound visibility it has created for Auckland’s Melanesian community.

Kaiviti and Vanua are terms in Fijian language related to the ways we connect, iden...