Episode 108: Linda Va'aelua

Description

|| The Forever Stories ||

This week on Episode 108 of the #ReadswithRosaPodcast I sit down for a talanoa with Artist and Graphic Designer, Linda Va’aelua. Her work looks closely at her Samoan and Scottish lineage, as well as her position as a Tagata Moana artist within the Samoan diaspora in Aotearoa. Linda has more than 20 years of experience as a graphic designer, was the first Pasifika art director for NZ Women’s Weekly, and more recently she designed the award-winning book NUKU: Stories of 100 Indigenous Women (𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝙾𝚌𝚔𝚑𝚊𝚖 𝙽𝚎𝚠 𝚉𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝙰𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸, 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝙿𝙰𝙽𝚉 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝙰𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸).

This year on Samoan Language Week saw the launch of “𝐓𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐀 𝐎 𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐀 𝐎 𝐋𝐄 𝐕𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐔: 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬” - a book compiled by Linda that pays homage to her uncle Iosua To’afa, a pioneer and hugely important Samoan artist who illustrated the 1976 iconic book - 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐨 𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐮 - 𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐚. The book launch was also accompanied by an exhibition (𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝟷𝟻𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝙲𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚎), which showcases original work by To’afa and nine Aotearoa-based Samoan visual artists and renowned contemporary practitioners.

Follow Linda:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lindavaaeluaartist

• Purchase 'Tusiata o le Tala o le Vavau - Artists of The Forever Stories': https://www.theforeverstories.com/store-1

• Book and Exhibition Website: ⁠⁠https://theforeverstories.com

• Tautai.org - Faleship: ⁠https://www.tautai.org/linda-vaaelua

• Exhibition at the Mangere Arts Centre (until July 15th, 2023): ⁠https://artsdiary.co.nz/170/3927.html

• Tagata Pasifika feature: https://tpplus.co.nz/arts-music/samoan-artist-inspires-the-next-generation-through-his-work/

Intro beat by Lani Alo:

• Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@lanialo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/lanialomusic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Creative Director of Brown Bruce Creative:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/brownbrucecreative