MAKING SPACE: FAFSWAG

The Artists

• Akashi Fisiinaua
  

  Akashi Fisiinaua
  Tāmaki Makaurau

  AKASHI is an Indigenous Trans Political Artist of Tongan origin whose background is acting and dance – that uses the forms of vogue movements and chanting in her practice to empower indigenous queer/trans brown bodies into upholding themselves physically, financially and spiritually strong. Her medium is the B O D Y to communicate these ideas of self-sovereignty and not needing anyone to fill up your glass. Her work is always oozing in body politics, and the importance of CONTROL of your life.

• Jermaine Dean
  

  Jermaine Dean
  Tāmaki Makaurau

  Jermaine Dean is a contemporary digital artist whose practice consists of photography and moving image. Ideas around gender identity, body politics, colour and surreal fantasy influences his visualconcepts which are all conveyed through pixel manipulation. Jermaine has been a member of FAFSWAG since 2012, and has exhibited work in Fresh Gallery Otara, ArtSpace and Auckland Pride Festival. He has collaborated with many indigenous artists within NZ and abroad.

• Manu Vaea
  

  Manu Vaea
  Tāmaki Makaurau

  Manu Vaea is an interdisciplinary artist currently completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts at AUT TeWananga Aronui o Tamaki Makau Rau. His practice revolves around the exploration of Polynesian mysticism, and the mundanity/complexity of existing as a queer Tongan living in South Auckland through poetry and illustration. Manu has been involved in many collaborative projects, one being 'Statuesque Anarchy' in Enjoy Public Art Gallery alongside collective WITCH BITCH and poetry devised theatre shows 'Loud and Queer' directed by Sarah Jansen and 'Mouth:Teeth:Tongue' directed by Grace Taylor. Vaea is also an active member of arts collective FAFSWAG and has been since 2016.

• Moe Laga
  

  Moe Laga
  Tāmaki Makaurau

  Moe Laga-Fa’aofo is a Performance Artist from South Auckland, Whose practice includes movement and activation. Her works include a large number of stage and screen productions, as well as collaborative visual arts work that have been shown in Australia as well as the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China. Moe has a diploma from the Pacific institute of Performing Arts and recently completed her Bachelors in Creative Arts from the Manukau Institute of Technology.

• Pati Solomona Tyrell
  

  Pati Solomona Tyrell
  Tāmaki Makaurau

  Pati Solomona Tyrell is an interdisciplinary visual artist with a strong focus on performance. Utilizing lens-based media he creates visual outcomes that are centered around ideas of urban Pacific queer identity. He has shown work at Fresh Gallery Otara, PAH Homestead, Museum of Contemporary Arts Australia and most recently at the Pingyao International Photography Festival. Tyrell is a co-founder of the arts collective FAFSWAG. He is a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Creative Arts programme at the Manukau Institute of Technology, Otara. Pati is originally from Kirikiriroa, Waikato but is now based in Maungarei, Tāmaki Makaurau.

• Sione Monu
  

  Sione Monu
  Tāmaki Makaurau

  Sione Monu often uses Instagram (visit @sione93) as an art tool, constantly creating artworks that utilise the platform as a way of re-indigenising space as well as create accessibility for his community to engage with the works. His series of self portraits #BlanketCouture (2016) came to life due to a day of play but with only having access to the materials in his home. Although playful the use of blankets are on the artists’ body are striking and intimate is the artist challenges notions of representation and gender.

• Tanu Gago
  

  Tanu Gago
  Tāmaki Makaurau

  Tanu Gago is a visual artist and award winning photographer of Samoan heritage. Born in Samoa and raised in Mangere. Gago works as a new media artist with a portfolio of work that includes, staged portraiture, moving image and film. His practice is collaborative and imbedded within contemporary context that relates to cultural framing, decolonization, social politics, queer activism and gender and sexually diverse narratives.

  Gago is the cofounder and creative director of Pacific LGBT Arts Collective entitled FAFSWAG. Under Gago’s direction FAFSWAG have carved out credible cultural space within the contemporary arts scene within Auckland. The work achieved by this collective of artist spans over 5 years of producing art, activation, activism and visibility for a community traditionally marginalised socially and institutionally.

• WITCH BITCH
  

  WITCH BITCH
  Tāmaki Makaurau

  WITCH BITCH came about through the constant talanoa had between the artist's regarding Polynesian spirituality and how they sit within it. This is further explored and manifested through the trio's activations. As such, WB’s pieces speak to their reclamation of space within the Vā. The contextual and metaphysical space that exist between all things. Their activations in turn serve as a vessel for the re-writing and imagining of queer Polynesian spiritual experiences. The trio's familiarity in regards to living in diaspora also works in tandem with this exploration of spirituality as a drive towards a cultural discovery of self.

Akashi Fisiinaua
Tāmaki Makaurau

AKASHI is an Indigenous Trans Political Artist of Tongan origin whose background is acting and dance – that uses the forms of vogue movements and chanting in her practice to empower indigenous queer/trans brown bodies into upholding themselves physically, financially and spiritually strong. Her medium is the B O D Y to communicate these ideas of self-sovereignty and not needing anyone to fill up your glass. Her work is always oozing in body politics, and the importance of CONTROL of your life.

View artwork

Jermaine Dean
Tāmaki Makaurau

Jermaine Dean is a contemporary digital artist whose practice consists of photography and moving image. Ideas around gender identity, body politics, colour and surreal fantasy influences his visualconcepts which are all conveyed through pixel manipulation. Jermaine has been a member of FAFSWAG since 2012, and has exhibited work in Fresh Gallery Otara, ArtSpace and Auckland Pride Festival. He has collaborated with many indigenous artists within NZ and abroad.

View artwork

Manu Vaea
Tāmaki Makaurau

Manu Vaea is an interdisciplinary artist currently completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts at AUT TeWananga Aronui o Tamaki Makau Rau. His practice revolves around the exploration of Polynesian mysticism, and the mundanity/complexity of existing as a queer Tongan living in South Auckland through poetry and illustration. Manu has been involved in many collaborative projects, one being 'Statuesque Anarchy' in Enjoy Public Art Gallery alongside collective WITCH BITCH and poetry devised theatre shows 'Loud and Queer' directed by Sarah Jansen and 'Mouth:Teeth:Tongue' directed by Grace Taylor. Vaea is also an active member of arts collective FAFSWAG and has been since 2016.

View artwork

Moe Laga
Tāmaki Makaurau

Moe Laga-Fa’aofo is a Performance Artist from South Auckland, Whose practice includes movement and activation. Her works include a large number of stage and screen productions, as well as collaborative visual arts work that have been shown in Australia as well as the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China. Moe has a diploma from the Pacific institute of Performing Arts and recently completed her Bachelors in Creative Arts from the Manukau Institute of Technology.

View artwork

Pati Solomona Tyrell
Tāmaki Makaurau

Pati Solomona Tyrell is an interdisciplinary visual artist with a strong focus on performance. Utilizing lens-based media he creates visual outcomes that are centered around ideas of urban Pacific queer identity. He has shown work at Fresh Gallery Otara, PAH Homestead, Museum of Contemporary Arts Australia and most recently at the Pingyao International Photography Festival. Tyrell is a co-founder of the arts collective FAFSWAG. He is a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Creative Arts programme at the Manukau Institute of Technology, Otara. Pati is originally from Kirikiriroa, Waikato but is now based in Maungarei, Tāmaki Makaurau.

View artwork

Sione Monu
Tāmaki Makaurau

Sione Monu often uses Instagram (visit @sione93) as an art tool, constantly creating artworks that utilise the platform as a way of re-indigenising space as well as create accessibility for his community to engage with the works. His series of self portraits #BlanketCouture (2016) came to life due to a day of play but with only having access to the materials in his home. Although playful the use of blankets are on the artists’ body are striking and intimate is the artist challenges notions of representation and gender.

View artwork

Tanu Gago
Tāmaki Makaurau

Tanu Gago is a visual artist and award winning photographer of Samoan heritage. Born in Samoa and raised in Mangere. Gago works as a new media artist with a portfolio of work that includes, staged portraiture, moving image and film. His practice is collaborative and imbedded within contemporary context that relates to cultural framing, decolonization, social politics, queer activism and gender and sexually diverse narratives.

Gago is the cofounder and creative director of Pacific LGBT Arts Collective entitled FAFSWAG. Under Gago’s direction FAFSWAG have carved out credible cultural space within the contemporary arts scene within Auckland. The work achieved by this collective of artist spans over 5 years of producing art, activation, activism and visibility for a community traditionally marginalised socially and institutionally.

View artwork

WITCH BITCH
Tāmaki Makaurau

WITCH BITCH came about through the constant talanoa had between the artist's regarding Polynesian spirituality and how they sit within it. This is further explored and manifested through the trio's activations. As such, WB’s pieces speak to their reclamation of space within the Vā. The contextual and metaphysical space that exist between all things. Their activations in turn serve as a vessel for the re-writing and imagining of queer Polynesian spiritual experiences. The trio's familiarity in regards to living in diaspora also works in tandem with this exploration of spirituality as a drive towards a cultural discovery of self.

View artwork