05.08.1978. Epifania and Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo II and Paulo's first child Va'a. Chalfont Crescent. Māngere. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
1978 {printed 2025}
Artwork Information
This group portrait shows Samoan tufuga tatatau (tattoo expert) Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo II at home with his wife Epifania and their child Va'a in Māngere in 1978. Mark Adams went on to photograph Sulu'ape at work for the next 20 years. Adams recalls his first meeting with Sulu'ape:
"We just bowled into Paul's place [with his brother-in-law Pio Taofinu'u and painter Tony Fomison] in Chalfont Crescent in Māngere. They were at church, so we waited around in Paul's lounge. And they all came back from church – Epi's mum and dad were staying – to discover Tony and me were sitting there rather nervously. It just sort of went from there. I showed Paul the photos [of Mr Salati], and we just started talking. I asked him, 'Can I photograph your practice, can I come with you?' and he said 'yeah'. He just took us at face value, which is really what we wanted, I suppose. Then we started going out with Paul."
- Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua, 2025
- Artist
- Mark Adams
- Title
- 05.08.1978. Epifania and Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo II and Paulo's first child Va'a. Chalfont Crescent. Māngere. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
- Production Date
- 1978 {printed 2025}
- Medium
- silver bromide print for a 4 x 5 inch black-and-white negative film
- Dimensions
- 630 x 783 x 32 mm
- Credit Line
- Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2025
- Accession No
- 2025/20/5
- Copyright
- Social Media use permitted
- Department
- New Zealand Art
- Display Status
- Not on display
More by Mark Adams (196)

not titled (proof sheet)
1990

22.11.2000. 'Authentic Tribal Arts', Spiegelgracht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. M.T. Tufuga ta Tatau, Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo II
2000

21.11.2000. Weesperzyde, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Louise and Henk Schiffmacher. Tufuga ta Tatau, Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo II
2000

21.5.2002. Vaalkenswaard, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. René and Carina Persoons. Tufuga ta Tatau, Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo II and Su'a Sulu'ape M.T.
2002
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