Local Artist to Represent "Next Generation" of Pacific

Local Artist to Represent "Next Generation" of Pacific

Five outstanding young artists from the Pacific Islands region have been selected to the 2013 Next Generation Pacific Artists program.

Lalovai Peseta, Béatrice Camallonga, Francis Pesamino, Jeffry Feeger, and Yvonne C. Neth now have their works on display in a virtual gallery organized by the Pacific Islands Society (PacSoc). The stunning online gallery can be accessed here: pacificislandssociety.com/programs/arts-culture/pacific-artists- ..

These exceptionally talented young artists each bring unique style and interpretation to their work. Representing countries and communities throughout Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Samoa, and the Federated States of Micronesia—their works are a very real snapshot of the emotional landscape of the Pacific. Drawing inspiration from traditional carving, to tatau design, to bleeding edge visual art techniques, these emerging artists brilliantly showcase the dynamic and creative talent coming out of the Pacific.

Over the next year, these five artists will be teaming up with PacSoc to celebrate and promote their work across the region and the world. PacSoc aims to facilitate a deeper awareness and appreciation for the abundant artistic talent in the Pacific Islands region by helping promote emerging artists, providing professional development opportunities, and putting on a roster of showcase events with its global partners.

More on each of the Next Generation Pacific Artists:

Lalovai Peseta is an artist based in Savai'I, Samoa. His contemporary paintings draw strongly from his experience and proficiency with the traditional Samoa arts of carving and tattooing. His enjoyment in experimenting with common perceptions of Samoan symbolism through abstract expression and the playful use of colour, shape, form—particularly Samoan tatau designs—are prominent features of his work. Traditional Samoan tattoo designs have become a signature feature of his artwork, and provide a platform for Lalovai to explore the borders between traditional Pacific culture and contemporary art.

Béatrice Camallonga, passionate about travelling and adventure, finally found her home years ago on the small island of Lifou, New Caledonia. Inspired by the light of this remote paradise, she paints her emotions, travel impressions, and the different cultures that she never tires of discovering. Fusion of different techniques and a self-taught expression of her own freedom are the main features of her art.

Francis Pesamino is a young Samoan artist from South Auckland. He recently graduated from the Manukau Institute of Technology’s School of Visual Arts. Francis maintains a drawing-based practice of text and imagery, where he creates hand-drawn typographies and constructs portraits of prominent Samoan and New Zealand celebrities. Exhibits of his work have gained attention throughout Auckland and Wellington, which lead to his first major International solo exhibition at the Weltkulturen Museum in Frankfurt, Germany in 2012.

Jeffry Feeger grew up in various parts of Papua New Guinea before settling in Port Moresby, where he began to pursue a career in visual art. His work focuses on portrait painting in a magic realist style. Telling subjects’ stories by building bridges between people of different backgrounds, his work aims to remind us of our shared humanity. Jeffry's work has led him into social advocacy and philanthropy, where the sale of his paintings has allowed him to give back to his portrait subjects and to other charities and organisations.

Yvonne C. Neth was born on the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to Pohnpeian and Chamorro parents. As a self-taught artist, her work focuses on cultural and environmental conservation, utilizing a variety of media, including charcoal, graphite, colored pencil, conte crayon, ink, and pastel. In her free time, Yvonne serves as the Vice Director for the Island Research & Education Initiative, a not-for-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to producing culturally-relevant educational materials for Micronesia’s students and conducting anthropological, environmental, and geological research in the region.

PacSoc welcomes inquiries from those interested in participation or partnerships with the NexGen Pacific Artists program. Please direct all questions to Miles McKenna, PacSoc’s interim Director of Programming at programs@pacificislandssociety.org.

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