Moses Viliamu

Moses’ roots lie in the South Pacific nations of Tokelau (Atafu) and Samoa (Faleula). The third youngest of nine, Moses’ parents moved to Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand in the early 60s, in a time where pacific communities were new to the nation. Born and raised in Cannons Creek, Porirua, Moses nurtured a passion for his community who he witnessed persevere through adversity. It was in this time he says he observed a ‘resilience’ and in this observation, was stirred to help his community – “I am inspired by the resilience of the human spirit and its ability to adapt and overcome even the most insurmountable odds” In observing this resilience first hand, Moses uses this to fuel his artwork as a means to exemplify a spirit of abundance.

Moses’ work can be defined as energetic and representing a spirit of exuberance – “Painting is therapeutic for me - I love how the paint flows and mixes. The textures, colours and layers that you can use is infinite – in this space, I have learnt to release an energy, creativity and expression that mirrors my inner soul” His work is a balance of aesthetic and intuitive movement, evident of his love to create abstract textures and overlaying paint to create depth - “I try to capture energy as it represents exuberance, passion, joy, positivity and fullness” - His use of Icons/motifs is about a representation of a modern NZ pacific heritage, to which he belongs to. Moses’ art work is about the journey of people – the bold colours, the layers, the flow, the textures, the creativity – all amassed to represent that of the resilient human spirit, one’s story unfolds...