CONCEPTS OF TĀ-VĀ (TIME-SPACE) IN THE ART PRACTICE OF SAMOA-AOTEAROA ARTIST SHIGEYUKI KIHARA

Authors

Pamela Rosi, Independent ScholarFollow

Abstract

My paper considers concepts of tā-vā (time-space theory of reality) in the interdisciplinary art practice of Pacific Islander Shigeyuki Kihara, whose art is internationally acclaimed for its beauty, social criticism, and Moana identity linked to ties of community. With creative examples, I explore how Kihara’s constructions of tā-vā (a) reclaim Samoan histories and identities by subverting western fantasies of “dusky maidens” and a timeless South Seas Paradise; (b) challenge western binary norms of heterosexuality and gender from the traditional space (vā) she occupies as a fa‘afafine; and (c) embody Samoan deities to honor Moana spirituality and epistemologies. I further discuss ways Kihara positions her vā as fa‘afafine to maintain positive relations to her Samoan community and her international circle of artist colleagues through the Moana-Samoan practice of teu le vā—meaning caring for or beautifying social spaces now threatened by global forces commoditizing the arts and cultures of Oceania.

Recommended Citation

Rosi, Pamela (2017) "CONCEPTS OF TĀ-VĀ (TIME-SPACE) IN THE ART PRACTICE OF SAMOA-AOTEAROA ARTIST SHIGEYUKI KIHARA," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 40: No. 1, Article 14.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol40/iss1/14