Clockwise from top, Va’a o Tautai – Centre for Pacific Health staff showcasing their ‘Return to Paradise’ carvings, artist Ana Teofilo with the Director of Va’a o Tautai Faumuina Professor Fa'afetai Sopoaga, a close-up view of a motif carving - often used to express a person’s lineage and/or tell a story, and the workshop in action.
New Zealand-born Samoan visual artist Ana Teofilo believes in people being themselves without judgement.
It was this thinking that inspired the Dunedin artist’s ‘Return to Paradise’ carving workshop, organised by the Va’a o Tautai – Centre for Pacific Health (VoT) as part of Centre’s year-long ‘Wellbeing’ series.
VoT staff gathered to carve designs using specific art boards and tools, while Teofilo provided guidance and encouraged them to incorporate their own identity into their pieces.
“The session asked everyone to ‘Return to Paradise’ by reflecting on their history and inner self, not through their words, but instead through carving Pacific symbols,” she says.
“This was made more meaningful by everyone coming together so they could share in the experience of creating an art piece that is reflective of themselves as a group.
“It was important to me that everyone understood there was no right or wrong way to create their art, and that this was the time and space for them to express themselves without judgment.”
VoT has been actively investing in the equipment needed for staff to incorporate wellbeing practices into their workplace throughout the year, with this being the second workshop they have hosted.
Garrett George, a Programme Coordinator at the Pacific Opportunities Programmes at Otago, attended the session and says it was an enjoyable experience.
Staff were “surprisingly quiet” during the session because they were so focused on enjoying their time together and engaging in a different way of thinking, he says.
“Gathering together to focus on just being with one another and reflecting on ourselves privately was something we never really do, but it was very relaxing and meaningful.”
- Kōrero by Division of Health Sciences Communications Adviser Kelsey Schutte with the assistance of Letava Thompson, Programme Coordinator (Media) at Va'a o Tautai.