In an outstanding career move, Auckland-based artist Shigeyuki Kihara will encounter one of the world’s foremost art institutions, The Metropolitan Museum of Art when her solo exhibition opens in October.

The exhibition ‘Shigeyuki Kihara: Living Photographs’ is an early survey of her dynamic career and will feature selections from four of her photographic series: ‘Black Sunday’, ‘Fa’a Fafine: In a Manner of a Woman’, ‘Fale Aitu: House of Spirits’ and ‘Vavau: Tales from Ancient Samoa’.

Since 2003, Kihara has exhibited in New Zealand and internationally but after this new exhibition there will be no doubt Kihara has hit the New York art scene.

The Metropolitan Museum is the same venue that hosted the historic Te Maori exhibition in 1984. Twenty-four years later, this young Samoan-born multimedia and performance artist has secured her own wall space in the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing of the museum.

It will be the first solo exhibition to be held by an artist from New Zealand or the South Pacific region.

Brian Butler, director of ARTSPACE in Auckland isn’t surprised to see Kihara’s work appearing at the Met. “She’s a great artist, full stop.”

“You never know where international support will come from. They were looking at contemporary art in the world and obviously Virginia-Lee Webb [the curator] found it in Kihara’s work” he added.

Along with the exhibition, Kihara will give an artist talk about her work and will perform her enthralling performance piece ‘Taualuga; the last dance’ to a New York audience.

Kihara’s work is full of references to Samoa – whether from history, memories, traditional dance forms, or portrayals of great individuals and characters from legend.

The events will be an important catalyst for her career and Kihara intends to raise awareness of the art, ideas and issues coming from Samoa and indigenous peoples of the South Pacific.

The opening function on 7 October at The Metropolitan Museum of Art will bring together the New York art world along with dignitaries from New Zealand, Samoa and other South Pacific nations.

Independent documentary director Kirsty MacDonald will follow Kihara to New York to document this important encounter.

A group exhibition of Samoan abstract painters including artist Schaeffer Lemalu, Salesa Pepe and Nathan Suniula

Opening: 6 – 8pm, Thursday 4 September
Featuring live performance by F3NETIKS

Exhibition Dates: 5 – 27 September

“Like skin grafting, painting uses its own living flesh (its history) as a means to heal and repair its age-old wound: painting’s insecurity in an ever-changing contemporary art work.

Painting is not an exhausted medium, its history does not have to be perceived as linear; rather it can be viewed as a spinning orb constantly in flux, where the past is still alive, waiting to be grafted in by new hands.”

Samoan artists Schaeffer Lemalu, Salesa Pepe and Nathan Suniula explore the medium of painting – an artform that is constantly reinventing itself – in this exhibition of beautiful, abstract works.

Established and budding film-makers are encouraged to submit their work for Manukau’s first ever film festival in November. Film-makers do not need to be Manukau residents, but their film work will need to have a strong connection to Manukau city.

There are three submission categories Fresh New Talent, Made in Manukau and International. Submissions can be film, animation or moving image works.

“We’re looking for the whole range, from cutting-edge and experimental works to simple family stories from emerging and established film-makers” says Creative Director, Leilani Kake

The inaugural Manukau Film Festival in November is being organised by Otara-based Creative Tangata Productions and is looking for submissions from film-makers keen to get more exposure and show case their talents.

The festival will be held from 5-8 November 2008.

Submissions open on Friday 29 August and the deadline closes on Friday 26 September.

The Manukau Film Festival will be launched in November as part of the Manukau Festival of Arts.
Films will be screened at the historic Metro Theatre (Mangere East Hall).

For submission forms and further information please contact Project Manager Brett Stirling,
email ManukauFilmFestival@gmail.com or phone 021 2661536.

Check the blog for regular updates: www.ManukauFilmFestival.blogspot.com