User:Kowhaiarewhana

Fakalofa lahi atu kia motulu oti. I am Kowhaiarewhana.

In December 2021, I started a Wikipedia account. User:Pakoire introduced me to Wikipedia.

User:Pakoire has been employed by Creative New Zealand to assist in boosting the number of Pasifika Wikipedia writers and developing more Pasifika artist biographies. I am grateful to have been chosen to work on this initiative by Pasifika for Pasifika.

Wikipedia:WikiProject New Zealand/Pacific Arts Aotearoa.

In general my areas of interest are Pasifika art collectives, customary material based Pasifika artisrts, women artists in particular New Zealand women artists and Niuean artists. I have a love for Tivaevae and all things hand made.

I am Niuean, Tahtian, Māori, Italian and Hungarian I was born in Aotearoa and grew up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington).

My user name 'Kowhaiarewhana' this is two words put together. Kowhai-Arewhana. Kowhai is the Te Reo Māori kupu (word) for Yellow and for a native tree (the Kowhai tree). Arewhana is the Te Reo Māori kupu (word) for elephant.

Yellow is one of my favourite colours and elephant is one of my favourite animals so it only seemed fit.

Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Wikipedian-In-Residence

Since December 2021, I have been paid as a Wikipedian in Residence for Creative New Zealand. I am based in Wellington and I am being coached by user:Pakoire.  

The focus of the residency is to increase content on Pacific Arts on Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikimedia commons.

The goals are five new Wikipedia articles, 20 new Wikidata items and 10 new images in Wikimedia Commons  

My project focus is currently the arts organisation FAFSWAG

Project focus- areas of interest

Audience inclusiveness in diversity

Pasifika have diverse points of views. In order to have diversity you have to have inclusiveness and Manaakitanga.

Manaakitanga – we are welcoming and responsive to all.

According to Creative New Zealand statement of intent 2019- 2029 there are eight values that are stated one of which is Manaakitanga the ethos of wikipedia is inclusiveness a collaborative platform for information.

Having more Pasifika visual displays encourages the ethos of inclusiveness through Wikipedia.

The advantage of visual representation is practical on two fronts, one for artist themselves and two in providing a public vehicle to showcase their art and creative abilities and acknowledge achievements and accomplishments.

This has also proven to be a difficult and a very time consuming task to accomplish, this is an area recognised by myself that I feel is very important

- Pasifika performance/asrtist based collectives.

currently the arts organisation FAFSWAG

To do list

Wikipedia

- Pati Solomona Tyrell (Accepted)

- Cora-Allan Wickliffe (Uploaded for reviewing)

- Edith Amituanai (In mainspace)

- Telly Tuita (Not yet done but will start.)

- Qiane Matata-Sipu (Not yet done but will start.)

- Talia Soloa (Talia Betham recently married)

Wikidata

- Lavinia Llolahia (Notability is hard to recognise at this moment.)

- Sonya Withers

- Sione Monu (Created but need to expand)

Edits to be made

- Rosanna Raymond- Expand article/include photographic representation.

- John Pule- Expand and created an Info box

- Fāgogo- Expanded and created link to Tyrell.

- Lana Lopesi- Expand

- Rachel Rakena- Expand

Just had a quick look over the Arts Pasifika Awards page, the amount of red links on there I would like to fix.

Arts Pasifika Awards

• 2022 Dahlia Malaeulu
• 2021 Vivian Aue
• 2019 Tyla Veau
• 2018 Leki Jackson Bourke (There is a page for Leki but the red link has not been changed on the Pasifika awards page.)
• 2015 Ane Tonga
• 2012 Justin Haiu
• 2010 Visesio Siasau
• 2009 Poulima Salima
• 2008 Linda Tuafale Tanoa’I
• 2007 WakaUra Dance Group
• 2002 Peter Panoa

Biography

Recently studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Massey University 2020. Then continuing on her journey 2021 completes a five month Tautai Arts Internship with Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, supported by Creative New Zealand. Her art practice explores Tivaevae (tifaifai), an inherited tactile skill set, passed down from her grandmother and mother, but within the less ‘traditional’ mediums of concrete, cork, and plaster. The concrete curves and crevices challenge the expected notions of tivaevae (tifaifai), reflecting the institutional space this work struggles to belong within, by materialising a rigid form of time and place. interested in how viewing tivaevae in a different form and context can open up conversations around tradition/customs/customary forms continue to evolve. While continuing to provide the narratives that tivaevae does.

commons.js link

Link to commons.js page