A New Zealand Cook Islands based, Maori visual artist will be working with artists in Samoa for three months, having won a residency to Apia.
Jim Vivieaere is the recipient of the 2008 Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Committee and National University of Samoa Artist in Residence award.
Stephen Wainwright, the Chief Executive of Creative New Zealand, says Jim Vivieaere has been a pivotal figure in the visual arts community for more than 20 years and is highly regarded as an artist, curator and advisor.
Mr Vivieaere says he was inspired to apply for the residency while working in Cuba on a movie about Robert Louis Stevenson's last years in Samoa, and wanted to contextualise that experience.
"I've always made oblique references to my Pacific Islandness, you know, A) because I was born here and sociologically totally European and so instead of doing the motifs and the iconic Pacific imagery, in times i've just used water, you know Pacific ocean water to mix temper up."
Jim Vivieaere says he's looking forward to working with some Samoan artists.
