Fatu feu u biography of martin garrix

Fatu Akelei Feu’u, ONZM (Born 1946) is a noted Samoan painter.

Feu’u grew up in the village of Poutasi in the district of Falealili in Samoa.

Feu’u emigrated to New Zealand in 1966. His work is also included in an extensive number of private collections in New Zealand, Australia, United States of America, England, Holland, American Samoa, Samoa and Japan.

Tautai arts organisation

Tautai, an organisation of contemporary Pacific artists in New Zealand, was founded in the 1980s as an informal network from an initiative by Feu’u and artist friends.

This group shared a goal of mutual support for the promotion of Pacific visual art artists, at a time when Pacific art was in the very early stages of recognition as a particular genre.^[7] In 2005, Tautai celebrated its 10th anniversary as a formalised organisation. The central letter ‘I’ as a motif captures this, with different colours coming together, meeting half way.

This can be a meeting between families, tribes, villages or even nations, often to reconcile after someone has wronged another person or party.

His most recent work incorporates his traditional motifs with freewheeling abstraction, mostly related to issues of climate change and the impact on the reefs of the Pacific Islands.

Recent Works

A new series of significant paintings meld traditional Feu’u motifs such as atua, long-nosed god, and symbols of voyaging, with his recent expressive abstract technique, creating an overlay relating to issues of conservation and sustainability and impact of climate change on the Pacific.

The Tapui works, unique handpainted woodcuts on heavy paper, carry a powerful central motif of tapu areas ‘protected’ by squares with a cross through them, with suggestions of sails and traditional motifs in the background.

Moving to New Zealand in 1966, Feu'u was struck by the different attitudes toward art in the two countries. His works frequently blend traditional and contemporary elements, incorporating a range of influences, inspirations, techniques and motifs from Samoa and Aotearoa and more generally from Euro-American to Pacific cultures.^[6]

Fa’asamoa

Fa’asamoa is the unifying element of Feu’u’s work.

The sails are sometimes faintly defined, implying spiritual guardians of the ocean resources. His work is held in major collections including New Caledonia, Australia, New York and Germany, and he has undertaken significant commissions for works throughout the Pacific. Additional collections include the University of Canterbury, the University of Auckland, Auckland Council, the Fletcher Trust, the Chartwell Trust, and the Arts House Trust in Auckland.

Since becoming a full-time artist in 1988, Feu’u has created a diverse body of work encompassing paintings, prints, bronzes, wooden sculptures, and ceramics.

Feu'u's distinctive style sees him recognised as one of Aotearoa's leading Pacific artists.

Fa'asamoa is the unifying element of Feu'u's work. These works are now held in public and private collections around the world. His influence extends beyond his own work, as he has mentored and nurtured a generation of Pacific artists in New Zealand.

He now works between New Zealand and Samoa, and is known for work that blends traditional imagery with Western influences.

He has won major art awards including the James Wallace (1995) and the Pacific Islands Artists Award (1996). The association was formalised as a charitable trust in 1995.

"Fatu Feu’u has been pivotal in shaping the interest in contemporary Pacific art globally and nurturing a generation of Pacific artists locally...

Feu'u gains inspiration from Polynesian art forms, such as siapo (bark/tapa cloth), tatau (tattooing), weaving, carving and ceremonial mask making.