Ema Tavola (born 1982) is an artist, curator, arts manager and advocate using art to centralise 'Pacific ways of seeing'.[1][2]
Ema Tavola | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982 |
| Nationality | Fiji, New Zealand |
| Education | Manukau School of Visual Arts |
| Occupation | Artist & curator |
| Organization(s) | Founder of Fresh Gallery and Vunilagi Vou galleries in Auckland |
| Known for | Advocacy of Pacific art and artists |
Early life and family edit
Tavola was born in Fiji. Her father is from Dravuni in the Kadavu province of Fiji.[3][4] Her mother is a third generation Pākehā from Palmerston North in New Zealand.[3] While she was growing up she also lived with her family in London and Belgium.[3] As a teenager they moved to Wellington, New Zealand and she attended Wellington High School. After high school Tavola was having a gap year in Fiji and experienced the 2000 Fiji civilian coup.[3]
Education and career edit
Returning to New Zealand Tavola went on to study a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Manukau School of Visual Arts in South Auckland, and got a job with Manukau City Council after graduating.[3]
In 2006 she founded the Fresh Gallery in Ōtara, Auckland as a partnership with Manukau City Council and the local community.[5] In 2013 it re-opened after expansion.[6]
Artistic career edit
Tavola has speaking engagements at conferences and other places. In 2019 she was a guest speaker at Para Site International Conference, Hong Kong, the Singapore Art Book Fair for NTU Centre for Contemporary Art (Singapore) and Spinning Triangles: Ignition of a School of Design for SAVVY Contemporary (Berlin, Germany / Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo).[4][7][8][9]
In 2019 Tavola opened an independent art gallery called Vunilagi Vou.[10]
Tavola's artworks are held the collections at Auckland Art Gallery.[11]
Curatorial work edit
- 2016 – Dravuni: Sivia yani na Vunilagi – Beyond the Horizon - New Zealand Maritime Museum[12]
- 2017 – Kaitani – The Physics Room (New Zealand)[13]
- 2018 – A Maternal Lens – 4th International Biennial of Casablanca (Morocco)[14]
- 2018 – Dravuni: Sivia yani na Vunilagi – Beyond the Horizon - Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific (Fiji)[4]
Awards and residencies edit
2017 – Pacific Studies Artist in Residence – University of Canterbury Macmillan Brown Centre
References edit
- ^ "Ema Tavola appointed Pacific Studies Artist in Residence at UC". Creative New Zealand. 28 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Volume: Bodies of Knowledge – Metro Arts Brisbane". metroarts.com.au. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Husband, Dale (27 March 2021). "Ema Tavola: What our artists are telling us". E-Tangata. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "About Ema". Vunilagi Vou. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Māhina-Tuai, Kolokesa U. (2014). "Fresh Gallery, Ōtara". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Evans, Adrian (3 April 2013). "Refreshing start for Otara gallery". Stuff. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "2019 Para Site International Conference". Para Site. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "2019 — Singapore Art Book Fair". singaporeartbookfair.org. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Spinning Triangles: Ignition of a school of design". S A V V Y Contemporary. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Punch, Pantograph. "Ema Tavola". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Ema Tavola". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Edmiston Gallery Archive". New Zealand Maritime Museum. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Kaitani Curated by Ema Tavola". The Physics Room. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Ford, Emily (30 September 2018). "Artists taking south Auckland to Morocco for international exhibition". Stuff. Retrieved 9 February 2022.