Transformation and Understanding

Oceanic Art Society

9 hours ago

Young Artisan Creators Fair
📍 Hilton Faaa’s reception room
📆 22-24 March 2023

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[NEWS] #culture #youth #craft Welcome to the 3rd Young Artisan Creators Fair! Today we’re looking at how artists are reinventing tradition…👇

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Young Craftspeople Fair: How Artists Are Changing Tradition
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Young Craftspeople Exhibition 2023 – ©MG / Polynesia 1st
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The third edition of the Young Craftspeople’s Show opened its doors this morning, Wednesday 22 March, and will last for three days. 17 designers are exhibiting this year on the theme “reinventing tradition” and show us their vision of “modern” art.
Mereini Gamblin – Published on 22 March 2023 at 8:11 pm
Colour and craftspersonship intermingle in the Hilton Faaa’s reception room… Seven stands of sculpture-engraving, four in traditional jewellery, three in basketry and three in fabric offer to the numerous visitors a showcase of traditional Polynesian crafts. For this third exhibition of young creative craftspeople organised by the Crafts Department, the theme “reinventing tradition” was once again the order of the day.
As usual, natural materials are in the spotlight at the show: pae’ore, ni’au, and mother-of-pearl. Nothing new at first glance; but when you get a little closer, you notice the finesse of the creations, the mix of textures, and the more daring choices, especially in the works in competition, for which the public can also vote this year.
Interpretations
In the world of sculpture-engraving, Warren Huhira has chosen to give the ‘u’u – formerly carved from ironwood, measuring about 20 metres and used for fighting – a different function. Warren’s ‘u’ude is shaped like a pen. It is his new weapon to protect and pass on his Marquesan heritage: “I have reduced its form and function – today it is writing. If before we fought with weapons like the ‘u’u, today we have to fight with intelligence, with our heads and our hearts to be able to preserve our culture, protect our people and transmit cultural values” defends the 24 year old sculptor.
Warren Huhina and his ‘u’u revisited – ©MG / Polynesia 1st
Keanu Hikutini, a 22-year-old sculptor who also comes from the Marquesas Islands, chose to work with lychee wood for his ukulele, which is rarely used in the manufacture of musical instruments because of its rigidity. But he took up the challenge: “My competition piece is experimental. The case is made of lychee, a wood that is too rigid for violin making,” explains Keanu.
Specialised in violin making but also passionate about music, Keanu is inspired by both arts to create instruments that are both original and interesting from a musical point of view. “I really enjoy making my own instruments. I’m quite critical about it too, because I don’t just do it for the aesthetic object, I also do it for the sound quality,” he says.
Keanu Hikutini and his ukulele made of lychee wood – ©MG / Polynésie la 1ère
In the world of traditional jewellery, young craftspeople also bring their touch of modernity. Orama Nigou, almost a regular at the fairs, is taking part in this one for the first time. The young woman has set her sights on the feather. Once widely used and associated with the gods, the feather is back in the spotlight through Orama’s creations. “In our legends, it is a material that is used a lot, but the technical know-how around this material has not been maintained, unlike basketry, sculpture or engraving,” explains the young woman from Raiatea.
Orama Nigou and her feather work – ©MG / Polynésie la 1ère
For her part, Temana Itchner stands out with her original work made entirely of stainless steel, which reveals her vision of the modern World: industrial, grey and concrete.
“What surrounds us today? Concrete and iron. So we said to ourselves: we’re going to use stone and stainless steel to symbolise this. The mother-of-pearl will sublimate the whole thing. We broke the codes. It’s a choice for the theme of the competition” explains Hanaiti Mariassouce, the artist’s partner.
Temana Itchner and her stainless steel work – ©MG / Polynésie la 1ère

In the world of basketry, Anaïs Lissant mixes several skills to create her bags. Weaving is mixed with tifaifai and sculpture. “Every time, you see the same thing at the shows. I wanted to create everything in patchwork and show what you can do on a basket with what you have from nature” describes Anaïs. As a bonus, she uses fe’i bark, an extremely delicate material to work with.
Anaïs Lissant and her array of handbags – ©MG / Polynésie la 1ère
Patchwork is very present in the world of fabric, and particularly in tifaifai. Poerava Chapman offers a blanket with braided patterns, which symbolise tradition, but on the reverse side, as a modern touch. “When I turned the patchwork inside out, I fell in love with the reverse side and wanted to show it to people,” says Poerava, who recently started sewing.
Poerava Chapman and her “upside down” tifaifai – ©MG / Polynésie la 1ère
An artistic approach that requires time, a lot of time… Rava Ray, an experienced seamstress, confirms this. A single blanket can take weeks or even months to make.
Rava Ray is one of the four sponsors selected for the event and offers tifaifai in relief, in a more Hawaiian style, with patterns or video tutorials.
Rava Ray and his Hawaiian tifaifai – ©MG / Polynesia 1
If tradition is still very present in today’s crafts, each one puts his own effort to anchor his art in the present… “it goes hand in hand! Of course there is the ancestral know-how, and this intergenerational transmission is wonderful. But the fact that they are turned towards the future allows the sector to evolve, because a culture that does not evolve is a culture that dies”, concludes Vanessa Cunéo, head of the development and communication department of the traditional crafts service. … See MoreSee Less

Salon des jeunes artisans créateurs : comment les artistes font évoluer la tradition – Polynésie la 1ère

la1ere.francetvinfo.fr

La troisième édition du salon des jeunes artisans créateurs a ouvert ses portes ce matin, mercredi 22 mars et ce pendant trois jours. 17 créateurs y exposent cette année sur le thème “réinvente…

Oceanic Art Society is at Michael Reid Art Bar.

2 days ago

Exhibition: Voyage
📍 Michael Reid Art Bar, The Star Complex, entrance via Jones Bay Road, Darling Harbour, 18/80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009
📆 Gallery hours:
Wednesday 10am–5pm
Thursday 10am–6pm
Saturday 11am–5pm
Bar hours: Thursday – Sunday 4.30pm–late
📧 [email protected]
📞 +61 2 8353 3555
Exhibition catalog: media.michaelreid.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/22124607/voyage_2023.pdf?mibextid=Zxz2cZ

“Art Bar is thrilled to present ‘Voyage’ an exhibition investigating and reimagining the tradition of Oceanic art.

Introducing Greg Semu, the renowned New Zealand born artist of Samoan descent, to the Michael Reid audience, 8 of his photographic works will hang alongside oceanic artworks, such as large carvings, dance helmets and beautiful stone prehistoric axe-heads.

Oceanic art is seductive; it has that connection with the spirits and ritual that the modern world has lost; yet it is the root of all our contemporary art.

Oceanic, more so than the other tribal arts, is full of colour and eccentricity; there are over 800 language groups just in Papua New Guinea, signifying 800 different cultures that each interpret and create artworks in such diverse ways.” … See MoreSee Less

Voyage – Michael Reid Art Bar

michaelreidartbar.com.au

Gallery by day, bar by night