Louisa Afoa
Pineapple Pie On My Mind
15 May – 8 June 2024
“From the beginning of my art practice I have always been interested in the idea of adding to the archive, memory and the everyday. Holding onto a piece of time through photography so it wasn’t forgotten was important to me, because who is going to document our community if we don’t? I often think of the words of Bell Hooks in relation to the beauty of the everyday, when she said “Beauty can be and it’s present in our lives irrespective of our class status. Learning to see and appreciate the presence of Beauty is an act of resistance in a culture of domination that recognises the production of pervasive feeling of lack, both material and spiritual, as a useful colonisation strategy.”
As I’ve aged and witnessed cherished leaders of our aiga pass away, I’ve become hyper aware of my own mothers health problems and what would be lost if we were to lose her suddenly. The kitchen has always been her domain and although I would be there with her peeling ingredients, laughing with siblings during the hustle and bustle of family get togethers, I never retained the knowledge of how to make the recipes because I never imagined a life without my mum. My mum has always showed her love by cooking. As a Pakeha woman who raised Samoan children, she was taught how to make staple island food by my great Aunt and Uncle who sponsored my dad to come live in Aotearoa in the 70s.”
Images by Ardit Hoxha