After a ‘Triumphant’ (The Art Newspaper) reception at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022 and touring the Powerhouse Museum in Gadigal land Sydney in 2023 described as being ‘Stunning’ by Time Out Sydney and ‘Must-See’ by Ocula; the award-winning Contemporary artist Yuki Kihara’s critically acclaimed exhibition entitled ‘Paradise Camp’ is touring the Independent State of Sāmoa.
Officiated by the Sāmoa’s Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio, the opening reception for the ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition coincides with the country’s 62ndIndependence celebration marked on Saturday 1st June 2024.
The ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition features a ‘Powerful’ (CNN) suite of photographs presented as an outdoor exhibition, where each of the twelve photographs is surrounded by lush tropical foliage situated across the premises of the Saletoga Sands Resort and Spa. The photographic series recast and ‘upcycle’ select paintings by French post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin (1848 – 1903) inspired by photographs of Sāmoa – a country Gauguin had never visited before. Additionally, the ‘Paradise Camp’ photographs reclaim the colonial narratives of Gaugin’s work by featuring Fa’afafine and Fa’atama models – a third and fourth-gender community unique to Sāmoan culture – by speaking of their experience with Climate change as a form of resilience and empowerment. Subsequently, the ‘Paradise Camp’ photo shoot which took place in March 2020 involved a local cast and crew of close to one hundred people, photographed on locations including rural villages, churches, plantations and heritage sites in the Aleipata district and wider Upolu Island.
The ‘Paradise Camp’ photographs, described by the Financial Times as ‘meticulously composed and super luscious’ will be on view until the 31st of January 2025 and overlap major events in Sāmoa including the Teuila festival (September 2024); the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (October 2024); and the Annual Miss Sāmoa Fa’afafine Beauty Pageant (December 2024) organised by the Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association.
Alex Su’a, a Sāmoa-based lawyer and the president of the Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association visited the ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition curated by Natalie King and presented at the Aotearoa New Zealand pavilion as part of the 59th Venice Biennale in 20022 describes their experience as ‘I was very impressed and emotionally moved by the ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition which placed Sāmoa on the global map. It’s an exhibition that all Sāmoans should be proud of regardless of whether you’re a Fa’afafine or Fa’atama. I’m excited for the return of the ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition back to Sāmoa’.
The ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition described as being a ‘landmark presentation’ (Burlington Review) at the 59th Venice Biennale, had the official in-person attendance figures reaching close to 500,000 at the close of the exhibition, and just over 1000,000 visits to the Virtual Explore website. Additionally, the ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition presented at the Powerhouse Museum, Gadigal land Sydney in 2023 had over 600,000 in-person attendance figures, and it’s estimated that over a million people have seen the ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition through various international media outlets. The critical international reception of the ‘Paradise
Camp’ exhibition has led to the growing momentum to see the return of the ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition back to Sāmoa, where it all began.
The ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition in Sāmoa is made possible with major funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of New Zealand with additional support from the Sāmoa Tourism Authority of the Government of Sāmoa; Digicel Pacific; the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa; Fiji Airways; the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of Australia; the Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association and the Saletoga Sands Resort and Spa.
Background Information
Yuki Kihara
Yuki Kihara is an interdisciplinary artist of Japanese and Sāmoan descent based in Sāmoa. Through a research-based approach, her art practice seeks to challenge the dominant and singular historical narratives and their persistence in the socio-political climate. Her works often reference the language of cultural traditions in her native land through a wide range of mediums, including performance, sculpture, video, photography, and curatorial practice.
In 2022, Kihara became the first artist of Pacific and Asian descent and a self-identified Fa’afafine/Sāmoa third gender to represent Aotearoa New Zealand with her exhibition entitled ‘Paradise Camp’ presented at the 59th La Biennale di Venezia Arte in 2022 in Italy to critical acclaim.
Kihara’s works have been presented in numerous exhibitions, most notably a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York in 2008. It highlighted her interdisciplinary art practice followed by an acquisition of her works by the museum for their permanent collection.
Following the presentation in Sāmoa, the ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition will tour the Sainsbury Center for Visual Arts in Norwich, UK opening in March 2025 and the Museum of Tahiti opening in November 2025.
Saletoga Sands Resort and Spa
Originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, Gavin and Lurline Brightwell are the owners of the Saletoga Sands Resort and Spa in Sāmoa.
Gavin has over 40 years of experience in the building industry, he has a passion for creating and designing when it comes to building. Gavin has worked alongside his building team to create this elegant, modern resort and has still incorporated touches of the cultural heritage.
Lurline’s love for food has kept her busy in the kitchen from designing menus for all occasions and working alongside the chefs in the kitchen, creating award-winning dishes. We’re hands-on owners, every piece of the resort has been meticulously designed carefully and passionately.
Saletoga Sands Resort and Spa is a culmination of the best of their travels. With input from friends, family and our tastes and ideas, it has been a team effort building their brand to where it is today.
Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association (SFA)
Founded by the late To’oto’oali’i Roger Stanley, the Sāmoa Fa’afafine Association (SFA) was formed as a non-profit incorporated society set up to promote the human rights and interests of Fa’afafine, Fa’atama and LGBTIQ+ peoples in Sāmoa.
Yuki Kihara, an artist, is also a member of SFA. Over the years, Kihara has been involved in several SFA activities including being one of the judges at the 2017 Miss Sāmoa Fa’afafine Beauty Pageant. In 2018, SFA worked closely with the New Zealand High Commission in Apia for the book launch of ‘Samoan Queer Lives’ co-edited by Kihara and Dan Taulapapa McMullin published by Little Island Press (NZ). SFA is pleased to be a recipient of the proceeds from ‘Samoan Queer Lives’.
In March 2020, SFA supported Kihara with her major photographic production entitled ‘Paradise Camp’ in their capacity as a liaison and managed over 50 Fa’afafine and Fa’atama models shot on location in Upolu Island for the 59th Venice Biennale.
In October 2021, Kihara was a catalyst in bringing together SFA and the Pacific Climate Change Centre where a workshop on Climate change awareness was presented to the Fa’afafine and Fa’atama communities, which was filmed as a documentary, also screened at the 59th Venice Biennale.
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