 Fipe (2003) C-type photograph – 200 x 300 Lot 16a  Tuai Family Christmas Lot 16b Amituanai, who graduated in 2005 from Unitec's bachelor of design course, is a rising star in New Zealand's new generation of photographers, with work held in Te Papa and Auckland Art Gallery collections. Amituanai is a finalist in the prestigious Walters Prize for 2008. She was also a finalist in the 2004 Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Award. The first generation, New Zealand- born Samoan’s photos celebrate the New Zealand Samoan community and how they interact with each other. The photos are not spontaneous. "I pose them. I make sure my subjects understand what I am trying to communicate and I brief them on what I am trying to do. I find they know more about what I am trying to communicate than I do and they often suggest, 'What about this instead?'" The tradition of photography itself is referenced by the frequent inclusion of family portraits in the backgrounds of her photographs.  |
Edith AMITUANAI |