Meet the Artists, Nephi Tupaea and Ani O’Neill, TIM MELVILLE

On the occasion of Ngā Tae Whatu – Woven Dreams at TIM MELVILLE, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (26 November – 20 December), we spoke with artists and long-time collaborators Nephi Tupaea and Ani O’Neill to talk about the inspirations behind their practices, the influence of the Pacific Sisters, and the ways heritage and innovation shape their work. In this conversation, they reflect on creative lineage, collective strength, and the joy of weaving stories, both literal and metaphorical, into the present moment. Read on as they share insights, humour, and the deep connections that continue to guide their art.

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What inspired you to pursue an art career, and how has your journey as an artist evolved over the years?

Nephi Tupaea: I’m not very good at anything else! (Jokes!) Arts have always been in our family, in my DNA through my great-grandmother and grandmother, who both practised tukutuku and raranga. Stepping into the wharenui has been my education into the arts world. I’ve always had a great imagination, creating costumes and fashion, and I have always wanted to engage in other mediums. Painting was something I wanted to explore.

NEPHI TUPAEA, My Mother’s Shoes, 2025, acrylic on canvas, 1510mm H x 1220mm W

Ani O’Neill: I’ve always made things and been encouraged to be an artist; it’s the most natural thing for me to do, thanks to a very supportive and talented family who are musicians, dancers, makers of beautiful things. There are so many ways to be an artist, and I’ve had a great run of opportunities to use a wide range of skills, but there is always more to learn and experience

ANI O’NEILL, Love (after Tupaea, Its Takes a Village to Raise a Child), 2025, yarn and steel, set of 11 crochet paintings, 765mm H x 610mm W

You are both co-founders of the Pacific Sisters, one of the most influential art collectives from Aotearoa New Zealand. How has this collective influenced your own art practices?

NT: PS has taught me to be aware of the environment, aware of our reconnecting to whakapapa, and how to be mindful of each other. We learn the concept of whakawhanaungatanga, which is important in our art practice, and we reignite stories from the past and bring them into the present, important stories that we recreate in our art practice.

AO: I joined PS a few years after Suzanne and Nephi started the group in the early 90s, so I came through in the ‘second wave’ of ‘Sisters with Rosanna and Feeonaa. There’s so much you can do in a group of amazing artists that you can’t do alone, and I think that I have a level of bravery that has been influenced MASSIVELY by having this chosen family. I know that our collective has inspired many others to stand together and be amazing like us! 

NT: United we stand, and divided we expand!! 

AO: Just Remember – Don’t Forget!

Nga Tae Whatu – Woven Dreams, Installation view
L: NEPHI TUPAEA, Its Takes a Village to Raise a Child, 2025, acrylic on canvas, 1530mm H x 1220mm W
R: ANI O’NEILL, Love (after Tupaea, Its Takes a Village to Raise a Child), 2025, yarn and steel, set of 11 crochet paintings, 765mm H x 610mm W

The title ‘Ngā Tae Whatu – Woven Dreams’ suggests both colour and connection. What does “weaving” mean to each of you, in your art and in your wider lives?

NT: Weaving is connection – linking every cell, every story, within ourselves, to the environment, in conversations with my mother, with whānau, the sisters, and with wairua. My art practice would not exist without having these conversations with tupuna.

AO: We are all threads in a beautiful woven world that has no edge! To be able to share this time and make artworks that respond to this moment in time with Nephi and her family and her artworks is such a joy and privilege. We are weaving our dreams in the gallery physically, emotionally and spiritually (thanks Tim for this opportunity and thanks Dominic at STARKWHITE for being cool about me showing at my friend’s gallery!). Its great when dots spread and connect.

ANI O’NEILL, Hope (after Tupaea, Hiwa-i-te Rangi / Merkabah), 2025, yarn and steel, set of 5 crochet paintings, 420mm H x 310mm W

Your works each draw from rich cultural traditions while speaking to the present. How do you balance heritage and innovation in what you make?

NT: Heritage is whakapapa and bloodlines, and innovation is ancient knowledge/technology that is utilised in the present, for us to progress. These two things go hand in hand, in order for me to have unlimited space to continue creating new life in the form of artworks.

NEPHI TUPAEA, Tuna Migration, 2025, acrylic on canvas, 1015mm H x 910mm W

AO: The skills I have were passed to me by my grandmothers and aunties, and it’s a part of my practice to share these with others so that they will never be lost. Innovation is always happening; each time someone learns something from the past, it becomes new again, and this is what keeps us all alive! 

Collaboration and dialogue are central to this exhibition. What have you learned from seeing your works alongside one another?

NT: It’s given me pure joy and excitement, showing the love that bonds our sisterhood. It shows the strengths and connection we have. For Tim to have the insight to have us collaborate on an exhibition is visionary.

AO: Dreams do come true – they take effort to create and make real. I’m so happy to work alongside Nephi; it feels like we’ve found the meaning of life! Joy and beauty, fun, and pure love.

Where do you hope to see yourself and your practice in 10 years?

NT: Hopefully, my art practice helps me be more financially secure. I want to be established, top of my game, a household name that makes it internationally – even universally! 

AO: Same as Nephi! I’m happy if we can do another exhibition together in 10 years to mark this dreamy moment in time.

NT: .. On the moon .. in 10 years’ time it could be a possibility!

AO & NT: (Giggles)

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Ngā Tae Whatu – Woven Dream
TIM MELVILLE, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
26 November – 20 December
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