Tell us how your artwork addresses this year’s theme ’We belong’:
My artwork reflects the theme ‘We Belong’ because Samoa is the place I feel most connected to my family, my memories, and myself. I have not been back to Samoa for a long time, but it is where I last felt truly happy and whole. The landscape in my artwork represents a place that feels like home to me. It reminds me of being with my mum before she passed away and of the special memories, we shared there as a family. Even though I am no longer living in Samoa, it remains a place where I belong.
Tell us about the ideas or themes your artwork explores with the theme ‘We belong’:
My artwork explores belonging through family, memory, identity, and grief. I was inspired by the Sua Ocean Trench in Samoa, but I changed the original scene to express my own feelings. In references image, the opening is clear and does not have vines hanging down. I added vines and shaped them to look like tears, turning the opening into the shape of an eye.
The eye represents the way I see and remember Samoa, while the tears represent sadness, I feel about losing my mum and being away from the place where I felt most at home, by changing the landscape, I was able to show both happy memories and the grief I carry inside. The artwork explores how belonging is not only about a place, but also about the people we love and the memories that stay with us even when they are gone.
What type of art have you submitted and why? :
I submitted a mixed-media drawing on an A3 Art board. The board was secondhand, so I first painted it white to create a fresh surface before beginning my artwork. I then used black pen to draw the landscape and details, watercolour markers to add colour, highlights, and the text.
I chose these materials because they allowed me to create fine details while also adding soft colour and emotion to the artwork. Reusing a second-hand art board was important to me because it gave new life to an existing material. The combination of pen and watercolour help me show both the beauty of Samoa and the feelings connected to my memories.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I am happy with my artwork as it shows my message about identity and where my heart belongs.
