Pacifica
Cairns Regional Gallery
Corner Abbott & Shields Street
15 September-15 October.

Both Street (Papua) and Tupou (Tonga) share a Pacific heritage and an upbringing in Australia - Pacifica sought to explore their individual vision and to illustrate their inner cultural worlds.

Pacifica is a collection of screen prints that layer traditional tapa patterns (the cloth of the Pacific Islands and its designs) with contemporary images. It explored the artists' once removed but inherited culture and shared a visual story of their ancient heritage and contemporary influences.

The works demonstrated the cultural shadows that remain inside the artists, influencing their sense of identity and their art practice.

As an Urban Pacific Artist, Street saw Pacifica as a way of exploring displacement, preserving heritage and melding cultural influences into something entirely new. "Pacifica was an opportunity to draw attention to the unique cultural heritage of the individual artists," he said. "Exploring the cultural platform of the Urban Pacific Artist, Pacifica in many ways was a celebration of all the things that make us unique, whether it is a method of practice or a connection to country.

As with traditional indigenous artists, Urban Pacific Artists hold their culture in high regard and view it as an integral part of their existence within Western society." "The works," said Street, "are mutually beneficial in resolving displacement."

Pacifica was part of the Cairns Regional Gallery's Community Exhibition Program in which artists apply for the chance to exhibit. Up to eight artists each year are selected by an independent panel to show at the gallery. "The gallery supports emerging artists through their Community Program and has a mission to tell the stories of North Queensland through exhibitions and art collection," said Paul Brinkman, Gallery Director. "The gallery continually tries to stay away from the classical image of a gallery; we're very much into working with contemporary artists today and developing them as artists, "We have a strong interest in supporting Far Northern art and artists and own about 800 works that represent these stories," he said.

Image: Sam Tupou, Polynesian daughter #2, 2005, silkscreen on pvc,120 x 120cm.