Art captures history, and the Ta'afesilafai Art Show is a revival of history, said curator Maluiao Matatumua Leua Latai.

"The revival of 'measina'— our valuable treasures. It's about reviving history, reviving the weaving of the I’e Sina, which is a cultural treasure that hasn’t been woven for a long time. It’s not a Ie tonga (fine mat)," she said.

Maluiao's message about revival sat at the heart of the Ta'afesilafai Art Exhibition, which she led at the 26th Pacific History Association (PHA) Conference.

Maluiao said she was invited by the PHA conference organising committee from NUS to curate the exhibition. She chose artworks from her 25 years as a senior lecturer in visual arts and education, showing pieces that reflect her experience and long service in the field.

She recently completed her PhD on the colour white, looking into why white is important in Samoan culture, such as wearing white to church. For the creative part of her research, she worked with a master weaver to revive the I’e Sina by bringing back the weaving process from memory using techniques that are rarely practised today.

“So, it depends on what you think art is, because art is not just paintings and drawings. It's carving and our crafts, our material objects that we use in our rituals and our ceremonies. Those have been shifted and changed over time, but the ability to hold on to the ideas on how we live and what's important is important,” she said.

According to the curator, the title Ta'afesilafai matches the conference theme of social longing, resilience, and adversity. She said the name comes from Nafanua, the Samoan goddess who used three weapons in war.

“We're all meeting face-to-face to share knowledge, share all that stuff as a family of academics and scholars. So, the exhibition highlights and features that notion — that idea of the third club: the meeting, the coming together, meeting face-to-face and talking and debating and all that kind of stuff,” she said.

When asked, “How far are we doing a good job in preserving our culture through art so far, through history so far?” She answered, “I think we're doing well.”

She explained that the NUS Centre of Samoan Studies helps preserve Samoan culture by training teachers in expressive arts, including music, dance, visual art, and costume creation. Teachers learn to pass on traditional knowledge such as the Siva Siapo, helping Samoan culture continue in schools.

Artworks in the exhibition were chosen from famous local artists such as Momoe Malietoa Von Reiche and The MADD Gallery (Motivational Art, Dance, and Drama), who have been very supportive. She also included artworks from her former students and pieces from the Leulumoega Fou School of Fine Arts, showing the wide range of Samoan artistic talent.