YOUNG EMERGING ARTISTS HOST FIRST ANIME-INSPIRED COLLABORATIVE ART BOOTH AT STA FALE
Apia, Samoa (Monday 29th November 2021) - SHA’s monthly night market was a night to remember for fans of Japanese anime and manga thanks to a collaborative arts and craft booth organised by Onelook Studio, Kashira Art and Kole Art.
Onelook Studio is a newly established business which launched earlier this year in April.
It is an ecommerce store that focuses on hybrid retail and the only gift shop dedicated to fandom and anime in Samoa.
Last Friday, sisters and co-founders of Onelook Studio - Olisana Mariner and Okalani Mariner - in collaboration with Kole Art and Kashira Art, sold a collection of notebooks, stickers, posters and collage kits for the SHA waterfront night market.
Onelook Studio is currently operating from OSM Consultants Headquarters at Lotopa and it will be their first time being a part of the Samoa Hotel Association Waterfront Night Market as a vendor and also their first collaboration with young emerging artists.
One of the artists in the collaborative booth at the SHA night market is Kole Tatiana Tumua, the 22 year old business owner behind Kole Art.
Tumua is a Samoan Filipino artist who specialises in acrylic and watercolor painting.
In February 2021, Kole Art expanded to glass paintings noting the founders love of anime, a style animation originating in Japan, as the key reason she started painting character-inspired glass art
Tumua then explored painting 2D style art portraits of Pacific Island people which attracted the attention of many clients who were looking to give something sentimental to their family and friends in the form of glass paintings.
Her journey as an artist started 4 years ago by drawing greeting cards and she encourages youth who are interested in pursuing the arts to pursue their dream even if it seems to be impossible.
“There is no end to this art journey. I believe that even if our talents seem to be meagre, by exploring and enhancing this talent, it will blossom into something productive and inspirational.” says Ms. Tumua
The third artist and booth collaborator is an emerging Samoan Art-repreneur, Architect and Digital Illustrator, Tasa Solomona of Kashira Art.
Hailing from Vaivase-Uta, Ms. Solomona is a Samoan artist whose work incorporates Samoan and Pacific-Inspired patterns and motifs into anime-inspired and manga style drawings.
The idea of applying Samoan motifs onto iconic anime characters is referred to by Solomona as stirring [them] in the Polynesian Melting Pot.
Ms. Solomona aspires to share her love of digital art and illustration by using Samoan motifs and Japanese drawing techniques styles which inspire her most.
“Creating art has always been a passion of mine and to be frank, the only hobby I've retained since my childhood. My vision is to share my art with the Otaku Nation in Samoa and I hope you guys enjoy growing with me” says Tasa
The Apia waterfront night market is a monthly event hosted by SHA to increase sales for the tourism and hospitality sector as a result of the socio-economic effects of border restrictions and lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. This event is held on the last Friday of every month and the goal is to create a family-friendly environment in which people could gather to share a meal and have a good time at the end of their busy week.