Joana Monolagi is a Fijian artist and masi maker, whose work is in the collection of Auckland Art Gallery.
12 Facts About Joana Monolagi
1.
2.
Joana Monolagi was awarded the Pacific Heritage Art Award in 2015 at the Arts Pasifika Awards, recognising her work in supporting art and culture, her role as Fijian coordinator for the Pasifika Festival, and her own unique artistic practice.
3.
Joana Monolagi is part of The Veiqia Project arts collective.
4.
Joana Monolagi moved to New Zealand in the mid to late 1970s.
5.
Joana Monolagi's practice includes creating Fijian traditional costumes and storytelling.
6.
Joana Monolagi contributed a chapter on Fijian wedding traditions to the volume Crafting Aotearoa: A Cultural History of Making in New Zealand and the Wider Moana Oceania, edited by Kolokesa Mahina-Tuai, Karl Chitham and Damian Skinner.
7.
Joana Monolagi's co-ordination tries to ensure that contemporary Fijian performers are included, to attract younger audiences.
8.
Joana Monolagi has been teaching Fijian arts programmes since 2002, where she started at a school holiday programme teaching masi.
9.
The collective all have been marked with veiqia by artist Julia Mage'au Gray, including Joana Monolagi, who produced work based on her markings for the 2019 exhibition Names Held in Our Mouths at Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery.
10.
The Veiqia Project including Joana Monolagi opened a multimedia show iLakolako ni weniqia: a Veiqia Project Exhibition at The Physics Room, Christchurch in September 2021.
11.
Joana Monolagi is part of a research project titled The Ulumate Project: Sacredness of Human Hair with Daren Kamali and Ole Maiava.
12.
Joana Monolagi recreated a wig from the hair of Kamali, and the three of them presented and talked about their project over 2022.