The Sagapolu Lounge
-
Edith Amituanai
b.1980
Samoan
Title
The Sagapolu Lounge
Details
| Production Date | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Collection(s) | Collection Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth. Acquired with assistance from the Govett-Brewster Foundation. |
| Accession Number | 2008/13 |
| Edition | Edition 1 of 3 |
| Media | c-type print - image wood - frame perspex - front cover |
| Measurements | Unframed: 600 x 520mm Framed: 838 x 888 x 40mm |
About
Edith Amituanai’s parents came to Aotearoa New Zealand from Samoa in the 1960s and she was born and raised in Te Atatu, West Auckland. Her aiga (family) are from Pata, Falelatai, Ulutogia, Lalomanu Aleiapata in Samoa.
“For us, by us” is the motivation behind Amituanai’s work with her primary audience being her friends and family. Edith is described as a “village photographer” because she photographs in the local neighbourhood of Ranui, West Auckland, where she lives with her own family, and her works instantly connect with her Pasifika community.
The Sagapolu lounge (2005), photographed at the time of Amituanai’s wedding, is about leaving her family home to start a new home. It signifies the change in family roles and taking on the new title of Mrs Amituanai, the honour previously belonging only to her late mother in law who had passed away 14 years earlier.
The Sagapolu Lounge belongs to Amitaunai’s larger series titled Mrs Amituanai (2005). These photographs reflect her preference for subjects and interiors familiar to a Pasifika audience. These earlier works frequently show unoccupied rooms decorated with family portraits and sports memorabilia. The beloved television set, couches and elaborately dressed mantelpieces take centre stage as if monuments suspended in time and place.
— Theresa Tongi, 2022
