Telly Tu’u Mingle

I am intensely interested in painting and its history, and in exploring the possibilities of the artform and the ways in which it can continue to be relevant and powerful today. It’s not just about stimulating a conversation beyond the painting and the viewer, it’s about how a painting can trigger social change.

Some have criticised Mingle, saying it doesn’t look like a ‘Pacific painting’. For me, its link to Pacific Island art is in the process I used to create it. There are aspects I have less control over, so the painting is the result of relinquishing both my private self and the self that others perceive. So I guess Mingle is an examination of the Pasifika aesthetic, and seeking a sense of freedom.

Telly Tu’u, 2021