Tautai was formed in the 1980s when leading Samoan artist Fatu Feu’u and his peers came together with a shared aspiration to support and promote Pacific visual artists, at a time when Pacific art was in the very early stages of recognition as a particular genre. Fatu formalised Tautai as a charitable trust in 1995 and continues to provide support and mentorship to Tautai and those we work with. In 2001 he was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the arts.