Indigenous Art Gallery
Salt Lake City, UT
Mon - Thur 11am-6pm
Fri - Sun By Appointment
On View in The
Gallery
Current Exhibition
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Culture, Containers, & Consumption
Tali Alisa Hafoka
MARCH - DECEMBER 2021
on view
About
In the diaspora, we, as Pacific Islanders, are separated from the motherland by space and time. This separation causes some parts of our identity to be violently stripped away, and others to be placed aside out of convenience or necessity. We hold on to what is left and innovate to fill the gaps.
Our Pacific Islander food tells a story of separation from a community, and a reconstructing of community. Food is an extension of land and has mana which we consume. Precious food is transported across ocean and land, maintaining community ties. Food is prepared and shared and modified in the diaspora, creating and strengthening community. With food, we retain and share our history and culture.
MEET THE ARTIST
Tali Alisa Hafoka
My name is Tali. My father is from Samoa and my mother was born and raised in California with ancestry from Eastern and Western Europe. I was born and raised in Hawaii and currently live in Utah where I am raising four children with my partner who was born here to Tongan immigrants.
As an artist, mom and wife living away from the Pacific, my family’s Pacific Islander heritage and connection to community feel vulnerable, like they will disappear if I am not intentional about keeping them. With the work in this show, I hope to express separation from and connection to culture and heritage, and also question how culture is contained and consumed.
About
Lost Eden Gallery
Bringing our stories home
Located in the heart of Salt Lake City's art district, Lost Eden Gallery is an independent gallery exclusively dedicated to north American Indigenous art. We are steadfast and committed to bringing Indigenous voices to the forefront of interpretations, writings, and exhibitions of Oceania art and culture. As an Indigenous-owned arts and culture platform, the Gallery is focused on creating art for non-art outcomes and experiences.