Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi

A Tongan tufunga tā fotunga (master sculptor) and a 2023 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate, Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi is widely celebrated for a practice that has given rise to many beloved public sculptures across Aotearoa. Born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, Tohi migrated to Aotearoa in 1978, settling in Taranaki, where he learned wood and stone carving under the guidance of local sculptors. In the late 1980s, he returned to Tonga to reconnect with the artistic traditions of his homeland, many of which were at risk due to a declining number of specialist practitioners.

Tohi’s contemporary practice is grounded in lalava, the Tongan art of lashing and binding with coconut sennit. He understands lalava as both a visual language and a mnemonic system through which cultural knowledge is transmitted and preserved. As he writes, “Lalava patterns advocated balance in daily living and were metaphorical and physical ties to cultural knowledge.”