About the artworks
→ Axel Iva
VOLT, 2026
twinwall polycarbonate, PVC tubing, dimensions variable
An abbreviation of “Vi’iga O Lo’u Tinā” (“praises of my mother”), VOLT (2026) is Iva’s fourth sculptural iteration of his father’s janky, unrefined umukuka (Samoan cooking house). The title VOLT also references the unit used to measure the electrical potential difference between two points in a circuit. Iva imagines this as a form of higher “power” in his umukuka that connects two iterations: VILT (2025), an underwater portal to his late father, originally shown at The Physics Room, Christchurch; and VOLT (2026), an aboveground conductor for his mother.
VOLT draws on the umukuka as a space for both work and worship, connecting to the ways Iva’s parents have used labour, service, and faith as sources of purpose and solace. It’s silhouette of flames, referencing Exodus 3:2–4, and the Samoan proverb “o le umu ua vela” (“the food/oven is ready/hot”) provide an armour for Iva’s umukuka.
Through the umukuka, everyday acts such as the preparation of to’ona’i (Samoan Sunday feast) become a way of thinking about family, inheritance, service, and the movement of knowledge and care between generations—from Māngere to the motherland and beyond.
→ Lolani Dalosa
Telofoni So’o, 2025
anodised aluminum, laser-cut, dimensions variable
Telofoni So’o features the reclining figure of a young man casually glued to his screen, alongside a dumbbell and a pair of roller skates placed side by side.
Using these standees and physical cutouts, Lolani Dalosa explores contemporary visual culture shaped by how low-resolution images travel, get copied, and spread everywhere across digital networks.
When it comes to materials, Dalosa focuses on the cold, stark, and apathetic qualities of industrial aluminium sheets. Moving away from his previous work of screenprinting family archives, his recent practice shifts toward a quiet palette of grey and black.
At its core, Dalosa’s work uses these physical stand-ins to capture the uneasy psychological states that subtly seep into human experience. In a world saturated with media, he builds his own visual language to face the anxieties of image ownership and representation.
→ Ma’alo Lafo
Sāmaria, 2025
photobook 64 pages (designed by Warren Olds)
Sāmaria is a tribute and a visual vessel dedicated to the artist’s parents, celebrating their sacrifice and unwavering compassion. The title operates on a dual level: it is a portmanteau blending the names of his parents — Lealasa (his father) and Maria (his mother) — while simultaneously referencing the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan. For Lafo, his parents embody this unconditional love and empathy, having navigated the hardships of relocating to a new country and learning a new language to build a foundation for their family.
Grounded in Roland Barthes’ philosophical inquiry into the nature of photography — where a single frame freezes time while exposing its relentless flow — Sāmaria approaches the medium not merely as documentation, but as a tender keepsake and a keeper of emotional memory. Originally kept strictly within the intimacy of his home and family, Lafo’s photographs transition into the gallery space to honor those who made his artistic journey possible.
The work is spiritually anchored in the Samoan alagaupu (proverb), “E afua mai mauga manuia o le tagata” (“It is from the mountaintops that we receive our blessings”). While those at the foot of the mountain only see the clear streams that flow downwards, the peaks themselves endure fierce storms, rain, and winds in silence. In Sāmaria, Lafo’s parents are those metaphorical mountains.
Recognizing that previous generations walked through severe storms so that their children could run in the sun, Sāmaria stands as a monument of gratitude, acknowledging that while the artist’s work is on display, it is ultimately the sacrifices of his parents that granted him this path.