The lack of representation among indigenous women around the world remains as relevant an issue today as it was 30 years ago.
Performance collaboration of between Leafa and her two daughters Faith Wilson and Olive Wilson. Title of the performance work was FILI. Photo: Harry Culy
That point is being made through the art works of six female artists in a collaborative exhibition which opened in Auckland on Thursday.
'Still, Like Air, I'll Rise' presents work by women of colour and features two Pacific artists who join in looking at issues of representation among indigenous women.
The exhibition's title is inspired by the writings of the American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou who often spoke about resilience under racial oppression and gender issues.
Co-Curator Abby Cunnane explained that the exhibition uses work from as far back as 1990 by Māori artist Lisa Reihana, as a starting point, discussing racism, gender issues and colonisation.
"'Wog Features' which is made in 1990 - we were thinking about how many of the themes that surfaced in that work were still relevant in very contemporary works like what's made by the youngest artist in the show, Esther Ige," she said
Charlotte Huddleston also curated the project and said the comparison between 'Wog Features' and other more recent modern works featured in the exhibition, show there has been little progress around gender, race and identity issues among indigenous women over the last 30 years.
"All around the world there are similar issues and yeah, they're sort of pretty much the same. So that's part of the reason behind doing the exhibition is that there's still an urgency and there still needs to be something said about the issues in multiple forms."
Leafa Wilson and Olgar Krause performance art opening, next to Lisa Reihana’s work ‘Wog Features’. Photo: RNZ/ Indira Stewart
Samoan multimedia artist Leafa Wilson opened the exhibition with her two-hour long performance art work.
She described her work as unscripted, unplanned visual art expressed through the use of her body. Her work's title 'This Ain't No Disco' refers to lyrics from the song 'Life During Wartime' by American rock band Talking Heads.
Ms Wilson's work expresses her struggle with the lack of representation among indigenous women.
"I guess as a woman of colour, just constantly being left out or trying and struggling all the time for my voice or my art to be even viewed," she said
"What I'm saying is that the visibility of the women of colour in just general international art practice is pretty much suppressed. So that's why my work is called 'This Ain't No Disco' and it's kind of about just that battle, that constant battle."
She performs her work under two names - 'Leafa Wilson' and 'Olgar Krause' which is her birth name showing her German ancestry.
"When people hear the name 'Olgar Krause' they expect somebody else until they see me and they're like 'oh okay'.
Salote Tawale’s videos ‘Sometimes you make me nervous’ and ‘Pocari Sweat’ draw on racist or essentialising stereotypes, reproducing them as self-portraits in direct confrontation with colonist representations. Photo: RNZ/ Indira Stewart
"But what I'm saying is I am colonising that name. I am colonising a part of Germany. Not in a kind of utu kind of way but Samoa, as a sense of reality - this is who I am. Samoa takes the dominant role in that sense."
Ms Huddleston explained there are many pacific artists right now presenting similar issues around colonisation, race, gender and identity.
"There are quite a lot of artists of pacific heritage that are working in that way, some of it's more overt than others but again it very much touches on particular identity and cultural practices that are contemporary things.
"So I guess you could say contemporary pacific culture which is often diasporic, it's very very much alive. Particularly in Auckland."
Other artists featuring in the exhibition are Hannah Bronte, Skawennati, Esther Ige and Salote Tawale. The exhibition will run until the end of March at the St Pauls street Gallery in Auckland.
Listen to the full report on Dateline Pacific