Art confronts culture of violence [1]
Sunday, May 25, 2014 - 14:10. Updated on Sunday, May 25, 2014 - 14:56.
Photos by Mary Lyn Fonua
“Why do we educate our young people with violence?” asks artist Ebonie Fifita, clutching a punch bag she has created out of a multitude of Tongan school uniforms, to add visibility to the issue of community violence.
The artwork was created for the “Longomate -violence behind silence” exhibition that is attracting school groups to visit the Arts Space in Lavinia Road, Kolofo'ou this week.
The words “Tau!" (smack or hit) and "Mahino?" (Let's understand) stand out from the background of competing school colours.
“The schools colours belong to everyone. They go to hit the punch bag and then see that their own school colours are in there,” said Ebonie, who wants to show how schools fights hurt everyone in Tonga.
Silenced topic
The Longomate exhibition opened on May 17 aiming to “bring visibility and volume to the often silenced topic of violence in our communities.”
Also on display are works by other members of the On the Spot Arts Initiative.
Pua Soakime from Longolongo, has created an aerial sculpture of woman in three parts: the head, the heart and the womb, separately but gracefully, swaying in the breeze from the doorway.
Steev Maka Laufilitonga, from Uvea, has painted "I Love You" with a broken mug, spilling blood-coloured paint. "It's symbolic, a hit, a cup is broken. Anger starts with something small and the breaking of glass and violence comes from there,” said Steev. The purple shards represent “bruises”, while the yellow and the orange represent “hope”.
“Even though there is violence but there is hope to talk, to stop, to change,” he said.
At the back of the Arts Space the group have created a "dark room". where an emotional experience behind family violence is presented with sounds, and the smell of an oil lamp.
Ebonie said the exhibition had raised interesting discussions. “Many visitors asked: What can I do to address the violence in my life?”
The group had decided to extend the exhibition to allow schools and groups to book visits this week. They have an activity room for students to create their own artistic responses.