In 1997, ‘Epeli Hau’ofa, one of the Pacific’s most revered academics, writers, poets, activists, and philosophers, established the Oceania Centre for Arts Culture and Pacific Studies (OCACPS), based at The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay Campus in Suva, Fiji. The Red Wave Collective emerged during this period. Creating art founded on Hau’ofa’s critique of colonial views of the Pacific region, the Red Wave collective affirmed the interconnectedness and diversity of the Pacific. Artists encouraged new forms, transposed heritage motifs and images into the contemporary world, drew upon local cosmologies and oral histories, critiqued customary knowledge and ultimately created works of immense scale and ingenuity – reflecting the diverse cultures and dynamism of Oceanic peoples.

The Red Wave Collective found enormous international success, with exhibitions in Australia, Hawai’i, New Caledonia and the United Kingdom. Until now, Red Wave, as a collective, has never shown in Aotearoa New Zealand. Under the tutelage of the Oceania Centre’s Acting Director, Larry Thomas, a new wave of visual artists has emerged. Also inspired by the ocean as a metaphor for creativity, The Blue Wave Collective is forging a unified stance to protect the sea.

Red Wave, Blue Wave brings together a selection of works from both collectives for the first time in Aotearoa. With support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several artists will also travel to Aotearoa for the exhibitions, including Lingikoni Vaka’uta, Josaia McNamara, Ledua Peni, Anare Somumu & Ben Fong with Ulamila Bulamaibau, Keresi Vosa, Nancy Sharma, Atueta Rabuka, Suzanne Turaganiwai and Susie Elliott. Artworks from the Oceania Centre Collection by Fred Butafa, Pax Jakupa, Bryan Afia, Dulcie Stewart and Sangeeta Singh will also be on display.

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IMAGE: Ulamila Buiravonu Bulamaibau, Save the Turtle, 2023