SĒMISI FETOKAI POTAUAINE

‍Artist: Sēmisi Fetokai Potauaine
Title: Manuēsina (edition of 5)|
Year: 2025
Location: Corner of Soul Bar & Bistro
Size: 516mm wide x 1600mm long x 2566mm high‍
Material: Steel & Polymer
Courtesy of: Sculpture on the Gulf, UAP & DMC, Hynds
Supported by: Betarho Engineering Limited

Sēmisi Fetokai Potauaine is a Tongan sculptor, fine artist, and architect, now residing in Aotearoa New Zealand. An internationally renowned multi-media artist, his work draws on refined traditional Tongan concepts and practices, contributing significantly to the global development of indigenous art.

Manuēsina, translated as ‘white bird,’ is a striking sculpture created from Tongan kupesi geometric patterns. The work expresses the profound relationships between time and space, nature, and humanity. The abstract forms within Manuēsina symbolise two birds in motion, their interlocking shapes representing connection and separation. This dynamic relationship reflects the Tongan concept of tā-vā (time-space) and fonua (land, people and environment), highlighting the continuous exchange between all elements of existence.

Informed by Tongan philosophy, Manuēsina explores the interconnectedness of nature, mind, and society—expressing the order and conflict arising from these eternal exchanges. As Sēmisi explains, the ‘white bird’ represents the human soul, trapped in our imagination. By setting it free, we are encouraged to expand our collective understanding of how we relate to the environment, exploring the deeper, circular connections that unite and separate us.

For price and purchase enquiries please contact Deborah McCormick

+64 27 280 9557
[email protected]

PRESENTED COURTESY OF