Artwork information

This painting explores a mythical island a century after the inhabitants have voyaged there from their Samoan homeland. Esula Village was earlier occupied by aliens that suddenly departed leaving behind all their technology for Samoan immigrants to use upon their arrival. The Mivimivi people show the Esula villagers how to decorate their new homeland with treasures collected from journeys taken to many parts of the world.

Like a Samoan version of Gulliver’s Travels, Leleisiu’ao explores a Pacific that wants to reflect the past while also ‘collecting’ the future. (Te Moananui a Kiwa, 2005)