4/4 Pacific Music + Arts Volume 1:3 April 2016 | Page 13

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They remember not having much,
including a washing machine,
and that they would crave sweet
things. This would lead them to
buy toothpaste, as it was sweet

and would be their substitute for
lollies. And if they found some
coins, they would also bike for
hours across 5 villages, just to get
a few little chocolates, from the
one shop who sold them.
Emily: “we had the total freedom
of growing up in Tonga and
then being lucky enough to
be educated over here, so we
did truly have the best of both
worlds.”
It was at Hillcrest High, in
Hamilton, where their love of art
truly began.
Vea: “I took painting, printing,
sculpture, art history…basically
every art subject possible for
6th & 7th form so that’s where it
started”.
Emily: “I think it was also a way
for us to express who we were
culturally.”
Outside of school, they would
both create their own work,
including their own exhibition.
As Vea finished school, Emily
was at Waikato University, doing
an education degree. They
were both successful in winning
awards at Pacific Business Trust
Art Awards, which gave them their
initial connection to the Auckland
art scene. The awards and
their work caught the attention
of senior Pacific artist Leafa
Wilson (who is now the curator at
Waikato Museum) who asked to
meet for coffee. She told them
about other Pacific artists and
Vea remembers she said “you
guys are actually artists and

you should think about applying
to art school up in Auckland.”
This lead Vea applying to the
School of Manukau Visual Arts,
University of Auckland.
Vea had an interview with the
art school and Emily came with
her as support. Emily says “I
crashed it and decided during
the interview that I wanted to be
included as well.” Both sisters
laugh at the memory. Then Vea
says “yeah and that pissed me
off because she got into year 2,
straight away because she cross
credited.” This instigated the
sisters moving to Otara, South
Auckland and was the start of
their working relationship.
Tonga was still a feature of their
lives and art and while at art
school they would visit each year,
for 4-5 weeks. Vea says “Emily
would photograph photograph
and then I would film film. I’d
come back with about twenty 6090min long tapes and that would
be all my work for the year. I
would just work through the year
editing it and make work. And
Emily would edit her photos.”

vol 1 :3

kids have over there and the
security of being safe, whereas
when you live here, you are
constantly worried are your
children safe. So basically we
ran wild.”

The next part of their journey, was
a move to working in television.
This came through meeting the

I ALWAYS LOOK AT IT AS
BEING REALLY BLESSED,
BECAUSE WE LITERALLY HAD
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

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