Mr Manu
-
Edith Amituanai
b.1980
Samoan
Title
Mr Manu
Details
| Production Date | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Collection(s) | Collection Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth. Acquired with assistance from the Govett-Brewster Foundation. |
| Accession Number | 2008/16 |
| Edition | Edition 2 of 3 |
| Media | c-type print - image wood - frame perspex - front cover |
| Measurements | 750 x 670mm unframed 960 x 845 x 45mm framed |
About
Edith Amituanai’s parents came to Aotearoa New Zealand from Samoa in the 1960s and she was born and raised in Te Atatu, West Auckland. Her aiga (family) are from Pata, Falelatai, Ulutogia, Lalomanu Aleiapata in Samoa.
“For us, by us” is the motivation behind Amituanai’s work with her primary audience being her friends and family. Edith is described as a “village photographer” because she photographs in the local neighbourhood of Ranui, West Auckland, where she lives and raised her family, and her works instantly connect with her Pasifika community.
Mr Manu (2006) belongs to Amituanai’s Dèjeuner series. The photograph is taken in the lounge room of Carl Manu in his Christchurch home prior to his move to play professional rugby in France. Shot from a low angle, it evokes a strong, physical presence. Amituanai invites us into players’ family homes, capturing lounge rooms adorned as shrines to beloved and dutiful sons. The Dèjeuner series speaks to the complexities of rugby migration for young Pasifika men, and the challenges they encounter when living abroad.
— Theresa Tongi, 2022
