Vā Kōrero: Moana Loa fono
The August Vā Korero hosted the Moana Loa inaugural fono of architecture and spatial design professionals at Maota Samoa on Karangahape Road, Auckland.
Our Talanoa series comes out of our Marsden Project (2019-2023), 'Vā Moana: space and relationality in Pacific thought and identity'.
Lily Laita (Ngāti Raukawa ki Te Tonga, Sāmoa) is a prolific painter and art educator who has exhibited in Aotearoa and internationally since graduating from the Elam School of Fine Arts in 1990. In this talanoa, Laita recalls her art school years and the genesis of a Pacific contemporary art scene in Auckland. She traces the use of vā in her practice to a time spent painting in Sāmoa, during which otherworldly experiences and conversations with Momoe Von Reiche offered her something to connect with. Laita describes vā as both a space she inhabits during the painting process, and the space beyond the canvas that becomes layered in her works.
To cite: Laita, L. (2022, 22 August) Interview with Lily Laita (Videographer: Paul Janman, editor: Emily Parr, interviewer: Albert L. Refiti). Vā Moana: space and relationality in Pacific thought and identity interviews, Vā Moana - Pacific Spaces Research Cluster, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Click here to watch the talanoa.
