"well I was like any other artist, having an interest and just painting normal seascapes and landscapes"

" 1985…"

"well I could paint just as good a picture like my palagi colleagues, however, I needed to so something more" I wanted to maintain my links with my Samoa and I wanted to be close to home and I guess I really wanted to explore and something different, this is where I came up with the beginnings to the style I now adopt" Apart from this it was difficult for me to think like a palagi so I began to explore my own traditions and thinking to help me create my visions of my type of art". " As well as it keeps me at peace! And I think this is very important."

"Navigation" in a broader sense that is to say that my work with regards to this theme, I try to envisage the spiritual sense of navigation. If you think back to our forefathers and how they used the stars, moon, sun and the wind to get them to where they wanted to go it is that sense of guidance from a higher power or Tagaloa as was know then and God now in our Christian era , that inspires this part of my work. I try to build this into a lot of my Art.

There are the proverbial phrases and sayings of the Samoan culture or language that I also use as another theme for my work.

" Well I have had problems with my own Kids who are growing up in NZ, and I have tried not only as father but also as a family to reconcile with my children by using what my parents used to tell me when I was a young man. I think if you look at some of the works I have at present I use a lot of motifs mainly the Cross symbolising Christianity and its place in our communit. The Paddle or Foe, As a young boy I used to see my father plant the foe in the sand anchoring the canoe to avoid it floating away, but also the foe is symbolic and bring or guiding you back to land, because if you are lost in the open sea without a foe well then you know… The Eye I have used as God and parents as well looking over us and he is every where, the scales. The scales is balance and living a balanced life is essential to your success. But, this is not only about Samoan I think is it can be adapted to any culture or community in the world.

Art is a way of bringing across your message, and I think our children in Samoa are very lucky in that they have their own culture and it is still very visible and I think they should get out there and paint there messages apart from writing it in the poetry and drama’s etc.

But I also see it as a great income earner for a lot of our children, especially in art exhibitions and if the Government should decide to buy these pieces of art for the museum or art gallery and people pay to come and see it, then there is money generated for the Government as well as the individual and their aigas.

"SHARING"

You should have seen when I brought my aigas from Poutasi this week, they were surprised and the thing was they could tell or interpret a lot more with the paintings. This is my first exhibition in Samoa and the encouragement that was given to those students coming to see the exhibit was great. Its good challenge these young fellas!"

If you have a flare for the arts go for it and Parents lets give our children that support and to make them relaise their dream as well as ours