Join internationally renowned artist Telly Tuita in conversation with Dowse Art Museum director Karl Chitham for a free ranging talk about themes in Tuita’s current exhibition TONGPOP ARCHETYPES.

Together they will discuss the topics that weave through Tuita’s practice including atua, popular culture and stories related to his life and career from Tonga, to Australia and now in Aotearoa.

Telly Tuita completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at Western Sydney University (1999-2003) before undertaking a Bachelor of Art Education at the University of New South Wales (2004). In 2011, Tuita completed a Master’s in Special Education through the University of Sydney. Since moving to New Zealand, Tuita has exhibited in Christchurch, Hamilton, Wellington, Auckland, Rarotonga, Sydney, Brisbane and Tauranga and has been a finalist in a number of art awards including the New Zealand National Contemporary Art Award and the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award 3D.

Karl Chitham (Te Uriroroi, Ngā Puhi) is Head of Arts & Culture for Hutt city council and director of The Dowse Art Museum. He has held roles in universities, museums and public galleries including as Director and Curator at Tauranga Art Gallery. He is a trustee of Wairau Māori Art Gallery, the first dedicated public Māori art gallery nationally and has written for multiple arts publications including co-authoring the ground-breaking publication Crafting Aotearoa: A Cultural History of New Zealand and the Wider Moana Oceania. He has curated numerous exhibitions including Whetūrangitia/Made As Stars which featured an installation by Telly Tuita, Takiwa Hou: Imagining New Spaces for Malta Biennale and co-curated Reuben Paterson: The Only Dream Left at City Gallery, Wellington with Aaron Lister.

This public program is running in conjunction with Photobook/NZ bookfair

Photographers, publishers and others will gather at Te Papa, Level 2, The Wellington foyer, to sell and display their unique photobooks on Saturday 10 August, 2024 from 10am to 4pm. There’ll be fantastic artist books, limited editions and work you won’t normally find from around Aotearoa as well as a significant overseas presence from Ireland, the UK, Europe, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Australia. This is a fabulous opportunity to add to your book collection and see the innovation and personal expression in photobook making from Aotearoa, Australasia and further afield.