Otara Music Arts Centre (OMAC) is proud to be hosting a one-off artist talk with acclaimed Tongan New Zealand artist, Filipe Tohi. His recent trip to the Lau group in Fiji will be discussed accompanied by photographic documentation of his investigations of lalava, Tongan coconut sennit lashing, and the links and ties that bind Fiji and Tonga.

The Ties that Bind: the Ancient and Ongoing Connections between Lau and Tonga - September 4th at OMCOtara Music Arts Centre (OMAC) is proud to be hosting a one-off artist talk with acclaimed Tongan New Zealand artist, Filipe Tohi. His recent trip to the Lau group in Fiji will be discussed accompanied by photographic documentation of his investigations of lalava, Tongan coconut sennit lashing, and the links and ties that bind Fiji and Tonga.

The Ties that Bind: the Ancient and Ongoing Connections between Lau and Tonga - September 4th at OMCThe ancient art of Lalava, coconut sennit lashing, was one of the primary technologies that enabled Pacific settlement. In more recent times it has bound houses, fishhooks, adzes, jewellry and canoes. Tongan artist and sculptor Filipe Tohi is an internationally recognized tufunga lalava and one of the only remaining Tongan practitioners of this ancient art.

For his talk at OMAC, Filipe Tohi will discuss his recent trip to Fiji and his residency at the University of the South Pacific in Suva. With the assistance of his partner, Hilary Scothorn, and funding from Creative New Zealand, Tohi visited the Lau islands to document the connections between Tonga and Fiji as well as the lalava/lalawa (coconut lashing) examples that remain. Tohi will present some of the photographic documentation of architecture and lalava from Oneata and Lakeba islands and explain their importance to Fijian and Tongan culture.

What: "The Ties that Bind" artist talk by Filipe Tohi
Time: 6 - 8pm
When: Monday 4 September 2006
Where: Otara Music Arts Centre (OMAC), Otara Town Centre, Bairds Road, Otara, Manukau City
Entry: Free

For more information, please contact Ema Tavola, Pacific Arts Coordinator, Manukau City Council. Phone 09 274 6400 or Email etavola@manukau.govt.nz
www.manukau.govt.nz