PACIFIC SUPERHEROES

Talofa lava PACIFIC SUPERHEROES, its been awhile since the last post, but I think Noho Hewa deserves the attention its getting with some heavy traffic coming through. But now to even more conquering CREATIVE MISCHIEFS out there who are PACIFIC SUPERHEROES in their own right.

Shigeyuki Kihara a performance and visual artists of Samoan and Japanese parentage, has allured the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art with tantalizing photographic colonial renditions with her dusky-geisha auspicious signature.

So I’m trying to sound like I know plenty about Yuki’s work from 24hrs , but aren’t you empowered and intrigued to see and hear this suga is in NYC town ripping the scene up on 5th Avenue!!! Waaattt!!! You heard!!! Yup, be proud PACIFIC SUPERHEROES be proud!!! Shigeyuki is in town!!! And a p.s to the editor of Vogue, just say yes!!!

‘In an outstanding career move, Auckland-based artist Shigeyuki Kihara will encounter one of the world’s foremost art institutions, The Metropolitan Museum of Art when her solo exhibition opens in October.

The exhibition ‘Shigeyuki Kihara: Living Photographs’ is an early survey of her dynamic career and will feature selections from four of her photographic series: ‘Black Sunday’, ‘Fa’a Fafine: In a Manner of a Woman’, ‘Fale Aitu: House of Spirits’ and ‘Vavau: Tales from Ancient Samoa’.

Since 2003, Kihara has exhibited in New Zealand and internationally but after this new exhibition there will be no doubt Kihara has hit the New York art scene.

The Metropolitan Museum is the same venue that hosted the historic Te Maori exhibition in 1984. Twenty-four years later, this young Samoan-born multimedia and performance artist has secured her own wall space in the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing of the museum.

It will be the first solo exhibition to be held by an artist from New Zealand or the South Pacific region.

Brian Butler, director of ARTSPACE in Auckland isn’t surprised to see Kihara’s work appearing at the Met. “She’s a great artist, full stop.”

“You never know where international support will come from. They were looking at contemporary art in the world and obviously Virginia-Lee Webb [the curator] found it in Kihara’s work” he added.

Along with the exhibition, Kihara will give an artist talk about her work and will perform her enthralling performance piece ‘Taualuga; the last dance’ to a New York audience.

Kihara’s work is full of references to Samoa – whether from history, memories, traditional dance forms, or portrayals of great individuals and characters from legend.

The events will be an important catalyst for her career and Kihara intends to raise awareness of the art, ideas and issues coming from Samoa and indigenous peoples of the South Pacific.

The opening function on 7 October at The Metropolitan Museum of Art will bring together the New York art world along with dignitaries from New Zealand, Samoa and other South Pacific nations.

Independent documentary director Kirsty MacDonald will follow Kihara to New York to document this important encounter.’

‘Shigeyuki Kihara: Living Photographs’
October 7, 2008 – February 1, 2009
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Lila Acheson Wallace Wing, 1st floor
1000 Fifth Avenue. New York, New York 10028, USA
www.metmuseum.org

For more profile information on Shikeyuki Kihara click here

Manuia fanau!!!