By Joanna Bourke, Board Director of OHAI Inc.
A memorial service and celebration of the life of the late Uili Lousi — Tongan visionary artist, international climate advocate, and cultural champion — will be held in Nukuʻalofa on Saturday 30 August 2025, featuring a special exhibition of his artwork.
Hosted by Debra Allan and HE Brek Batley, Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, the service will take place at the Australian High Commissioner’s Residence, Vuna Road from 2:30pm to 5:00pm.
The memorial will also aid in the early establishment of the Uili Lousi Foundation, a platform designed to advance his work in the arts, environment, food systems, and youth empowerment. The Foundation aims to amplify Pacific solutions to global challenges — just as Uili always did.
Voice from Tonga
Born in 1968 in Vava’u and raised in Tonga, Uili Lousi emerged as a powerful voice for the Pacific in international arenas, combining indigenous knowledge, artistic expression, and climate advocacy to redefine how the world views small island states. He represented Tonga in prestigious art biennales, spoke at United Nations climate forums, and built creative movements that positioned Pacific knowledge at the centre of global climate solutions.
As a proud Tongan, he carried his heritage into every campaign, canvas, and conversation.
Art, climate, and culture
The tides, winds, and ancestral memory shaped Uili’s visual art practice. His work reflected themes of migration, identity, and resistance — connecting the stories of his people with the ecological fragility of the world around them.
Through Ohai Inc., the organisation he co-founded with Debra Allan, Uili led projects that included high-profile visual campaigns for ocean protection, cross-cultural exhibitions, and local awareness programmes rooted in Tongan values and indigenous science.
“Uili lived at the intersection of art, activism, and ancestral wisdom,” said Debra Allan. “He didn’t just raise awareness — he raised standards. He showed what it looks like to lead from the Pacific, for the planet.”
Bees, food, and soil
Uili was deeply committed to local resilience. He established an organic demonstration farm, where he practised and promoted regenerative agriculture as a solution to climate vulnerability and food insecurity.
Working with schools and community groups, he offered training in organic farming, beekeeping, and permaculture principles — ensuring that future generations would inherit both the tools and the mindset to live in harmony with the land.
“He wasn’t just speaking at global conferences. He was in the soil, with the bees, with the youth — teaching sustainability from the ground up. His leadership was holistic and heartfelt.”
His projects included the development of apiaries to support local honey production and pollination, as well as training programmes on sustainable planting practices. He believed that climate action starts at home — in the soil, in the school, in the spirit.
Memorial Service
Uili passed away in Auckland on 20 June 2025, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire artists, activists, and communities across the Pacific and beyond. His passing was met with tributes from cultural and environmental leaders across the region.
Today’s memorial event will serve as both a remembrance and a call to carry on the work he started.
For further details contact ohaitonga [at] gmail [dot] com
