Vaimaila Urale

VAIMAILA URALE

Auckland-based Vaimaila Urale was born in Fagamalo (Samoa), she moved to New Zealand as a child, growing up in Wellington.

Her cultural heritage informs her work across a range of mediums, including digital, installation and performance-based art.

Vaimaila’s work pops with visual rhythm as brightly coloured patterns make their way across her canvases and screens, and sometimes even skin! A recent exhibition at Sanderson contemporary included live tatu of her work.
Her work is effervescent with vibrant, modernised Polynesian forms and symbols, which she has recontextualised by using reprographic ASCII characters to craft her masterpiece’s.

The artist can be contacted via Sanderson Contemporary

Artwork is printed on Ilford Smooth Cotton Rag 310gsm, with Archival Inks by Fine Art printer Sanji Karu at Skar Image Lab
Paper size: A4 (210 × 297mm).

This archival print has been created with authority of Vaimaila Urale.
Estimated delivery time 4 weeks from purchase.
Each Artwork comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Each artist was asked to create an artwork about tiki, and what it means to them, especially for the event.
Artist statement on their artwork:
I could give you a tiki. But I won't. Because I’m not Māori.
What I can give you is a faikakala.
I had drinks with good mates from art school – John, Claudia, Fristar. We talked about babies, marriage, separation, conspiracy theories. Someone asked what I think about Luke Willis Thompson. Something about lifting grave headstones from Fiji, for artwork. I’m still remembering the taxi ferrying project, I like that work.
There’s more talk about Luke. We shake our heads and commune in disgust. That shit is tapu.
We talk Jasmine Togo-Brisbys sugar skulls. Discuss blackbirding in the Pacific. People stolen, taken from their homelands.
Last week Julia told me when she makes work she is accountable, to her community, to her mother, to her aunties.
I get told to read Lanas’ review on Francis Upritchard. I stare at the image of the black female figure.
Ahilapalapa tells me whatever you do – don’t do a tiki.

– Vaimaila Urale 2017.