Artist With Schizophrenia Syndrome Gets Told Off By Police For Carving In A Public Area
Poto Tapumanaia on his second week of solo carving the canoe out of a log that washed up ashore.
Photo: Anetone Sagaga / Eyespyradio 87.5 FM
An artist with schizophrenia has captured the attention of many tourists visiting Apia when he single handedly carved a canoe out of a driftwood on the Apia Waterfront Seawall at Tauese. Unfortunately he was told by a police
officer and a Government official to take his artwork else where and vacate the public area.
Poto Tapumanaia from the villages of Vaisigano and Leone , was minding his own business and carving a canoe (paopao) on the side of the seawall at the Apia Harbour when he was disrupted by a male police officer who told him to take his project somewhere else because he was creating a mess in public area.
"A police officer who lowers the national flag approached me one evening and complained that I was making a mess and that what I was doing wasn't right," he told Eye Spy in an exclusive interview on Thursday this week.
"This was a few days later when a story about my artwork was published by another local media outlet" said Mr Tapumanaia. It has been confirmed that his canoe is no longer at the public area but now at his home in Leone.
"It was the cut out wood pieces that bothered them, I can't help it but the wind was blowing all the carved pieces onto the foot path where people were walking , it wasn't that bad but it bothered them a lot, " said the artist.
"I explained to them that I would eventually pick it up , because I would use it as firewood later but it still didn't fixate with the minds of those who were complaining. Most people didn't mind they just said hi and went about with their day" he added.
The 49 year old artist said he has now taken his artwork home and will complete it there.
"A friend of helped me take it home, we used his trailer to transport the craft" he said.
Mr Tapumanaia stated that his artwork was a huge part of his upbringing and his escape from being diagnosed with schizophrenia.."It keeps me sane" he told this radio station.
"My condition isn't something I take lightly , it has affected every bit of my life but thanks to art I have something that can distract me from this condition I have"..
"Not many people understand how important it is to create art , that log was nothing but a driftwood , at least that's what others saw. But what they don't know is someone actually offered to buy that same log
that now I've carved into a canoe for $1,700tala, that's why I'm working hard to finish it" he said.
Poto Tapumanaia has encouraged the Samoan community to stick with their roots and be content with who they are as Pacific people and artists. He aims to remind the community to be proud of who they are and the culture and heritage they hold.