Feeonaa Clifton (nee Wall)

Born in Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand. – Samoan, Swedish, German and English heritage.

Samoan villages of Malie, Fasito’outa, Safune and Lano 

Bachelor of Performing Arts (Pacific) / Diploma in Arts Administration, University of Auckland. 

A mother of three and a multi-disciplinary artist, her work has explored indigenous histories and stories, her own identity, wellbeing, and environmental issues through the use of costume, body adornment, dance, poetry, ceremonial activations and more recently moving image. 

A long-standing member of ‘Pacific Sisters’, a fashion activist art collective, in 2020 she made  a series of experimental works for ‘Lalo Fonua / World of Darkness’ about death and mourning from a Pacific and Māori worldview, as part of an online Pacific Sisters research project ‘Wheke Rorohiko’. In 2021 she began a new art collaboration, ‘Ariki Stars’, inspired by the ancient wisdom of stars as guides and the healing power of making.

For the ‘Leap Of Faith’ group show Feeonaa will be incorporating upcycled and repurposed materials, creating taonga/ measina (treasured items) designed to empower the wearer with strength and/or protection for whenever they are ready to take their own ‘leap of faith’.

Work currently at Auckland Museum in Tāmaki Herenga Waka/Stories of Auckland galleries. – Feeonaa is one of the designers/makers of ‘Mururoa’ a response to Henry Ah-Foo Taripo’s iconic song ‘Moruroa’, protesting nuclear testing in the Pacific. – ‘Mururoa’ is the first in a series of three new Pacific Sisters’ aitu /avatar commissioned for Auckland Museum’s permanent collection.  

https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/visit/galleries/tamaki-herenga-waka/pacific-sisters

Instagram: @feeonaakoko