' Amuia le tagata ' ( Blessed is the person ) 2000 <Ask for Price List >
Oil on canvas - 300 cm x 300 cm

The painting explores aspects of Fa'asamoa and Feuu's childhood in Samoa. The masks, frangipani and siapo patterns are ghostlike sentinels, images of importance from the past. These are powerfully juxtaposed with text in Samoan language recalling chalk on blackboard , hymns and bible lessons learnt in a Samoan village school . The middle I-shaped structured form overlaid with text conveys an incongruity between cultural ideals and modern life. The use of Samoan text means full understanding is impossible without some knowledge of the language. This text is a reflection of the colonial legacy of missionisation, hymns and bible lessons, of the structure and conformity of much of Samoan culture.

Fatu Feu'u Born - 1946 - Samoan

Feu'u was born and grew up in the village of Poutasi, in the district of Falealili in Western Samoa. Feu'u has established an international reputation as the 'father' of Pacific Island art in New Zealand. He has exhibited in numerous exhibitions and has work in collections world-wide. "I feel there is so much art to be made, so much to be said about being a Samoan New Zealander, so much to say to my children, my mother, the politicians. I paint about the issues that are important to me, anger, love, the land, conservation, our culture and my children".