Studio III
Marcus Tuiasosopo
Research
Manga
Manga is a form of Japanese art that has become increasingly popular around the world, with people around South Auckland also taking interest. It is a form of story telling that uses sequential art to tell a story. Manga uses a combination of art, dialogue, and sound effects to create a unique style that can captivate the reader. The artist has the opportunity to create unique characters, storylines, and settings to best tell their story. It is a great way to express creativity and imagination, and the artist has the opportunity to share their story with the world.
The Dawn Raids
The Dawn Raids of the 1970s were a dark part of New Zealand's history, when Pacific Islanders, particularly Polynesians, were targeted by the police. This was a result of the white supremacist attitudes of the time, and saw thousands of people being taken from their homes and detained without cause. This had a deep and long-lasting impact on the Polynesian community, and many were left feeling scared and ostracised from society. As an artist, I feel it is important to remember this moment in time, and to use my art to raise awareness and support those affected by the Dawn Raids.
Attire
The attire is different in all four of my paintings. In the first and third, the subjects are wearing traditional Samoan and Tongan attire, and the second and fourth are seen wearing your everyday "streetwear". the reason for choosing these was to show both sides of most Pacific Islanders in this day and age. They say that the clothes you wear is an extension of your personality, and I believe the same can be said in this case aswell as both the cultural and modern clothing reflect the personality of the wear.
Patterns
The use of patterns have been around in the Polynesian culture for a long time now. Besides word-of-mouth, our patterns were crucial in story telling, signifying one’s lineage and purpose, and also to symbolise each aspect of both our cultures and daily life. The use of these patterns in my work is significant to myself for the Samoan patterns were to articulate to of the most common flora that I remember my grandmother using. The Tongan patterns I used were two I saw often when I was younger when my brothers went to a predominately Tongan high school. The other patterns I decided to use in the coloured ones was the paisley design mainly found on bandanna’s. To the average person, this may look like a nod to gang culture, but I used it to represent life, and how it can be both complicated and beautiful at the same time.