Samoa's Yuki Kihara is to be the first Pasifika artist to represent New Zealand at the world's most prestigious art show.
Yuki Kihara Photo: Scott Lowe
Yuki Kihara, first Pasifika artist to represent NZ at Venice
But she said showing at the Venice Biennale in 2021 would not change her Samoan world view.
Her work has featured in galleries around the world including a solo show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2008.
New Zealand is contributing over $US500,000 towards Yuki Kihara's participation at the next Biennale which runs for six months from May every two years.
Kihara hints at her mixed Samoan-Japanese heritage and fa'afafine perspective influencing her work at Venice.
"What I can bring to the New Zealand Pavilion, or maybe perhaps to the Venice Biennale, is to open up a conversation about what constitutes inclusion and diversity.
"I just hope that that is something that can come across in my presentation at the 2021 Venice Biennale."