South Auckland new media artist Tanu Gago is giving an artist talk at 1.30pm, Friday 22 March at Te Matariki Clendon Library, Manurewa, South Auckland.

He will be discussing his recent work and interests in the representation of Samoan masculinity. Tanu is a trained film maker who has been making gallery-based video and photography work since 2009. Since his first solo exhibition, YOU LOVE MY FRESH (2010), he has gone on to show at City Gallery Wellington, Fresh Gallery Otara, Auckland Art Gallery and the Harris Gallery at the University of La Verne, California. His 2011 series, Jerry the Fa’afafine is on permanent display at Mangere Art Centre – Ngā Tohu o Uenuku in South Auckland.

“Leo”, Jerry the Fa’afafine series (2010) by Tanu Gago with Vinesh Kumaran

I’m excited to see Tanu speaking about his work within a South Auckland context; I’m taking a group of students from MIT Faculty of Creative Arts and we’re all relieved we don’t have to go to Auckland for what promises to be a grounded and engaging discussion relevant to Pacific people and South Auckland.