Journal | Lagoonscapes
Monographic journal issue | 3 | 2 | 2023
Research Article | Vā fealoa’i – Nurturing the Space Between People and Between People and Nature
Vā fealoa’i – Nurturing the Space Between People and Between People and Nature
Abstract
This article explores the Sāmoan concept of Vā fealoa’i meaning ‘nurturing the space between people; and between people and nature’ and how it is embedded in my art practice, which reflects local, global and glocal considerations including a socially engaged, community outreach project involving Sāmoa’s third gender community that aims to highlight the specificity of their local experience with climate change, which is often neglected by governments and NGO’s. This article will also examine a textile exhibition entitled サ–モアのうた (Sāmoa no uta) A Song About Sāmoa (2019‑23) that explores the often hidden histories between Japan and the Pacific and specifically Sāmoa that goes beyond geopolitical boundaries as a man-made idea; and a video work, entitled Smoke and Mirrors (2023), which addresses environmental colonialism disguised as foreign diplomacy.
Submitted: Sept. 28, 2023 | Published Dec. 20, 2023 | Language: en
Keywords Community outreach • Exhibitions • Contemporary art • Gender • Pacific
Copyright © 2023 Yuki Kihara. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/LGSP/2785-2709/2023/02/001
