'Nima mea'a' by Sulieti Fieme'a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies 2021

Nima mea’a Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies 30 October – 20 November 2021

1. Kiekie, 2021 Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows mixed media. All handmade/stitched; L885 x H395mm

$9,200

Sulieti uses contemporary materials on an age-old tradition. Kiekie is a traditional cultural wear that is worn by women as a sign of respect or to ensure a strong sense of Tongan identity. This Kiekie took Sulieti over 150 hours to make by hand.

2. Voyagers 3, 2021 Tui Emma Gillies L1815 x H1080mm Two layers of feta'aki (tapa cloth), Indian ink, Tapioca Starch glue, and Umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u.

We are all voyaging the niu world during this pandemic.

Number 2 of this series is in The National Maritime Museum, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa.

$12,995

3. Grasshopper (He’e) 1, 2021 $1,740 Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Ancient kuepsi rubbings, two layers of feta'aki (tapa cloth), Indian ink, orangic tapioca starch, and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u. L640 x H425mm An ancient insect surrounded by Tongan traditional tongan patterns

4. Grasshopper (He’e) 2, 2021

$1,740

Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Medium: Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers feta'aki (tapa cloth), Tapa cloth, Indian ink, orangic tapioca starch, umea-red earth from Falevai. L600 x H405mm An ancient insect surrounded by Tongan traditional tongan patterns

5. Fakaneifua, 2021 Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers of feta'aki (tapa cloth), Indian ink, organic tapioca starch umea-red earth from Falevai. L750 x H485mm

$1,600

Fakaneifua refers to the dessert at a function such as celebrating a birthday, a wedding, Father’s Day or some other special time. After dinner you have the Fakaneifua.

Fakaneifua is food, however, it can also be used metaphorically. It can be used as food for the arts, as in feeding the arts during Covid-19. We are hungry for the arts.

6. Kainga Tokolahi 2021 $31,400 Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers of feta'aki (tapa cloth), Indian ink, orangic tapioca starch, and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u. L3240 x H1990mm

6. Kainga Tokolahi 2021 - details Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers of feta'aki (tapa cloth), Indian ink, orangic tapioca starch, and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u. L3240 x H1990mm

6. Kainga Tokolahi 2021 - details Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers of feta'aki (tapa cloth), Indian ink, orangic tapioca starch, and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u. L3240 x H1990mm

6. Kainga Tokolahi 2021 - details Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers of feta'aki (tapa cloth), Indian ink, orangic tapioca starch, and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u. L3240 x H1990mm

In Tongan ‘Kainga’ refers to the extended family and Tokolahi means big. This painting is representative of Suleti and Tui and how their extended family lives together. But Kainga Tokolahi can also extend to what has been referred to often during the pandemic as the “Team of 5 Million” and on even further to incorporate the global family, the human family. We are all in this together, slowly working alongside each other, propping each other up and carrying each other until we have beaten this virus and we can move on, wiser and more resilient. The patterns surrounding the family are based on the lalava (lashing) of the wooden carriages used to carry the king. The women in Tonga saw the patterns of the lalava and used them for their kupesi designs. The etchings include the Tongan royal coat of arms.

7-9. Ī, 2021 Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and painted by Tui Emma Gillies Weaved with la’i kie, Feta’aki (tapa) and mixed media.

Purple: H480 x L290mm Red: H435 x L290mm Orange: H470 x L370mm Used as a decoration in the sitting room but mainly known as a cooling down fan. Popular in church, during huge gatherings. Ī stands for Fan in Tongan.

$710 each

7-9. Ī, 2021 Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and painted by Tui Emma Gillies Weaved with la’i kie, Feta’aki (tapa) and mixed media.

Purple: H480 x L290mm

$710 each

7-9. Ī, 2021 Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and painted by Tui Emma Gillies Weaved with la’i kie, Feta’aki (tapa) and mixed media.

Red: H435 x L290mm

$710 each

7-9. Ī, 2021 Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and painted by Tui Emma Gillies Weaved with la’i kie, Feta’aki (tapa) and mixed media.

Orange: H470 x L370mm

$710 each

10. Voyaging The Pandemic, 2021 Tui Emma Gillies Two layers of feta'aki (tapa cloth),indian ink, orangic tapioca starch and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u. L770 x H550mm

$3,790

11. The Uncertainty, 2021 $3,140 Tui Emma Gillies and Sulieti Fieme'a Burrows Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers feta'aki (tapa cloth),indian ink, orangic tapioca starch and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u.

During these unprecedented times, we must remain resilient. This painting shows face masked people, and one who has no face mask. L770 x H550mm

11. The Uncertainty, 2021 Tui Emma Gillies and Sulieti Fieme'a Burrows Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers feta'aki (tapa cloth),indian ink, orangic tapioca starch and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u.

During these unprecedented times, we must remain resilient. This painting shows face masked people, and one who has no face mask. L770 x H550mm

$3,140

12. Tokelau Feletoa, 2021 Sulieti Fieme'a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Ancient kupesi rubbings, two layers feta'aki (tapa cloth),indian ink, orangic tapioca starch and umea-red earth from Falevai, Vava'u. L835 x 530mm

$1900

Sulieti's innovative touch with her Kafa interpretation. Kafa is made from the husk of the coconut and you can see it here, between the Tokelaufeletoa patterns in this painting. The Tokelaufeletoa kupesi was designed by Hulita Tu’ifua and was named after the Northern side of her home village, Feletoa in Vava’u. The kupesi design represents the patterns (or grain) of a fillet of tuna.

13. Ī (with faces of the Pandemic), 2021 Sulieti Fieme'a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Weaved with la’i kie, Feta’aki (tapa) and mixed media.

Green: H415 x L290mm

$815

Mixing traditional with contemporary and using bright colours. Sulieti made the ī, weaved traditional materials, including locally sourced and Tui painted a face of the pandemic using umea(red earth), ink and acrylic.

14. Ī (with faces of the Pandemic), 2021 Sulieti Fieme'a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies Weaved with la’i kie, Feta’aki (tapa) and mixed media.

Pink: H465 x L370mm

$815

Mixing traditional with contemporary and using bright colours. Sulieti made the ī, weaved traditional materials, including locally sourced and Tui painted a face of the pandemic using umea(red earth), ink and acrylic.

Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows and Tui Emma Gillies are a Tongan New Zealand mother-and-daughter team that make tapa cloth and are scholars of the art. The duo’s art manifests their shared passion and close relationship in a hybrid style harmonizing traditional tapa with contemporary elements. Apart from adding colour pigment onto designs that are customarily black and brown, their work also integrates themes that deviate from the standard of geometric grids and floral motifs, often featuring themes of femininity, nurturing, protection, and spirituality. Burrows and Gillies strive to utilize as many natural resources as they can in tandem with modern materials. Tapa cloth itself is entirely decomposable, and the glue they use to paste each piece together is mixed with tapioca starch, half-cooked until the texture’s right. Their main modern adaptations in creating tapa art include Indian ink and acrylic paint.

The mother-daughter duo have presented, exhibited, and sold their art to museums and private collections around the world and were the recipients of the 2018 Creative New Zealand Heritage Arts Award. They have works in collections around the world including The National Maritime Museum, Auckland War Memorial Museum, GRASSI museum in Germany, National Gallery of Victory in Melbourne and Pick Museum of Anthropology in Illinois, USA.