9 February – 4 March 2023
Opening Thursday 9 February 5.00 to 7.00pm
The exhibition will be formally opened by Fatu Akelei Feu’u at 5.30pm
a gift of thanks 2022 acrylic and spray paint on unstretched canvas and feta’aki 1460 x 1650mm SOLD
Dagmar Vaikalafi Dyck (born 1972) is a New Zealand artist of Tongan and German descent. Her paintings are inspired by her cultural heritage and explore textile practices of Tonga including bark cloth mats, baskets and clothing. In this exhibition, falanoa, Dagmar examines the construction methods used in the Tongan feminine art forms, called koloa. She translates some of this ancestral knowledge into contemporary art forms and colours using the medium of painting and weaving to voice her own story of ‘being Tongan’ in Aotearoa. The title itself, devised by the artist, draws together the concept of talanoa (storytelling) with fala (woven textiles).
Works in the exhibition include paintings on stretched and unstretched canvas, works on paper and plaited installation pieces.
The artist says, ‘I am a first generation New Zealand-born child of the 1970s. As part of an immigrant family, I learned from an early age an appreciation of custom and tradition, both Tongan and German. Without being raised with either language, these traditions became critical connectors to my cultures. Sadly, I don’t recall my maternal grandparents as both passed before I turned the age of five. I am my grandmother’s namesake and I often wonder how different my life may have been had she been around to speak Tongan to me. Navigating the cultural invisibility I experienced during my secondary years, the art room became my safe space to explore further connections. My art became the vehicle for my ‘voice’.
installation view
