Tupaia, largely unacknowledged in history, was a pivotal figure on James Cooks’ journey through the Pacific. From Raiatea, Tupaia began to draw and paint using watercolour and graphite, and assisted Cook with navigation and interpreting with tangata whenua across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Up until recently, Tupaia was mostly unheard of, only known as ‘The Artist of the Chief Mourner’. Nei ra te mihi ki a koe, e te tupuna.

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'FOB' is a satirical look on colonisation, there is no way to win the game - Kahurangiariki hopes to make the viewer consider the history of colonization, the impact upon cultures across the Pacific, and to challenge the stereotype of 'fresh off the boat' - after all, we've all arrived on waka here in Aotearoa.

 

'FOB' aims to recontextualise Tupaia's work into current, engaging mediums, to challenge the hypocrisy of the 'fresh off the boat' stereotype - everyone living in Aotearoa has arrived on one type of waka or another. The term 'fob' is a derogatory term derived from the 1970s migration of people across the Pacific to New Zealand, particularly Auckland, to work as factory workers and manual labourers. This has particular relevance with current times in our refugee crisis, and is a history we must look back upon to be more compassionate towards people who still come to our lands fresh off the boat, and rely on our historical awareness to embrace them as we have done before.