Lalava ki he Uho – Connected to the Essence by Sione Faletau

‍Artist: Sione Faletau

‍Title: Lalava ki he Uho – Connected to the Essence

‍Year: 2026

Location: Karanga Plaza ‍

Size: 2000mm. Base 1000 x 1000mm

Material: Stainless Steel

For price and purchase enquiries please contact sionefaletau.artist@gmail.com.

About the artwork:

Inspired by the Waitematā Harbour, Sione Faletau recorded its sounds and translated their frequencies into kupesi patterns. Formed through intersecting lines, the sculpture speaks to the DNA strand, symbolising the harbour’s life-giving essence. Lalava – meaning to bind – connects sound, place and identity into a site-specific expression of the harbour’s mauri. This is the first time Faletau has worked on a large-scale sculpture with his earlier works focused on digital and video works.

‍

About the artist: 

Dr Sione Faletau b. 1991, Auckland. Lives and works in Ōtara, South Auckland. Tongan multidisciplinary artist working across performance, sculpture, installation, video, and digital art. Faletau's practice is grounded in Moana knowledge systems, drawing on the Tongan concepts of ongo (sound, feeling, presence) and kupesi (traditional patterns). His roots connect to the villages of Taunga, Vava'u and Lakepa, Tongatapu. Faletau holds a Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Auckland (Elam School of Fine Arts, 2022).

‍

‍