Josh Bashford is a Samoan–Pākehā visual artist based in Wairewa (Little River) on Banks Peninsula, Te Waipounamu, Aotearoa New Zealand.

His mother’s family is from Fasitoʻouta, Upolu, Samoa, and through his mother, Leelasia Semi, his gafa connects to his grandfather, Lolomatauama Semi, and to Tauauvea Peseta, his family’s chiefly titleholder. 

Bashford graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours from the University of Canterbury in 2012. Early in his career, he was mentored by renowned Pacific artist Fatu Feu’u. They later exhibited together in Samoa, Little River Gallery and Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Working full-time from his home studio, Bashford’s practice encompasses large-scale woodblock printmaking, painting, and drawing. His work explores the interconnected relationships between people, place, faith, family, and the natural environment, drawing deeply from both his Samoan heritage and his life on Banks Peninsula. Through imagery of birdlife, coastlines, waterways, and rural landscapes, he reflects on themes of belonging, stewardship, and our enduring relationships with the environments that sustain us. 

At the heart of Bashford’s practice are the Samoan concepts of gafa (genealogy) and vā (relational space). These understandings shape his approach to landscape, not as a passive backdrop but as a living network of relationships connecting ancestors, communities, culture, and the natural world. Time spent fishing, gathering food, travelling throughout Te Waipounamu, and maintaining close ties with Samoa continues to deepen his understanding of identity, responsibility, and place. 

Community and tautua (service) are integral to Bashford’s practice. Alongside exhibiting throughout Aotearoa and the Pacific, he works with schools, community organisations, and arts initiatives through workshops, mentoring, and collaborative projects. His faith informs his approach to artmaking, grounding his practice in values of care, generosity, and relationship. Bashford’s work is held in public and private collections, contributing to the evolving conversation of contemporary Pacific art and printmaking in Aotearoa and beyond