Paitai used the Southland Art Foundation residency to tell stories shaped by whenua, solitude and ancestral memory, through the art of rangaranga (weaving).
His works, inspired by the distinctive landscapes of Murihiku, are on display at He Waka Tuia art gallery and museum in the Vaka exhibition which opened last weekend.
The Auckland-based artist said the practice of rangaranga was just as important as the final creation.
‘‘Telling stories through rangaranga is about making something to show the continuation of our [Pasifika] knowledge,’’ Mr Paitai said.
‘‘Knowledge comes from our tupuna (ancestors), from experience and what comes down is always going to filter back up and out — which is very important.’’
The North Island creative stressed the significance of teaching rangaranga to help Pasifika people to tell their stories and to pass on the knowledge to the next generation.
‘‘This [weaving] is about decolonising, it is about bringing back our cultural knowledge, sharing it and not gatekeeping,’’ he said.
The exhibition also included Mokopuna, a collaborative work with local artist Anjelina Nikora-Wilson, who embraced the challenge of using a woven kete as her canvas.
Paitai created two bodies of work, Vaka and Tuoro which reflected his experience of the October 2025 storm and the resilience that followed.
Vaka anchored the exhibition, drawing on the shared lineage of the great vessel whose journey spanned Western Polynesia, Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Aotearoa.
His second body of work, Tuoro, was inspired by the cherry blossom trees in Queens Park, which spurred Paitai to reflect on cultural value.
His piece pleaded with his audience ‘‘to see the same beauty in our own languages, stories and cultures and encourages us to protect them too’’.
The former professional contemporary dancer was grateful to the foundation, the staff at Queens Park and the community for welcoming him with open arms. Í Vaka, He Waka Tuia until March 1.
