The participants took part in a Return to Paradise community workshop run by New Zealand-born Samoan artist Ana Teofilo.
The point of the workshop was to educate people about Pasifika motifs and to encourage everyone, from whatever culture they came from, to create artwork using Pasifika patterns.
"This is based around everyone connecting to who they are, to their identity through Pacific patterns.
"It’s a way of telling their own stories through Pacific motifs."
A mix of novice and veteran artists used carving knives, hot glue guns and paints to create their pieces.
"I’m a contemporary Pacific artist using the art of carving and modern materials like a glue gun as a form of narrative," Teofilo said.
The workshop was her way of give back to the community and a way to inspire young people, particularly Pasifika youth to use art to explore their pacific identity.
The Return to Paradise theme came from the same name of a resort in the village of c on the island of Upolu, where her mother hailed from.
The workshops had been running throughout Te Wai Pounamu for the past three years and came to its last stop in Waihōpai last Saturday.
The 31-year-old saw the value the workshops had made in the community especially to how young Pasifika pupils viewed themselves.
"A lot of this is about giving people opportunities," she said.
"When I was at high school we didn’t get the chance to go to a workshop like this and learn about Pacific art.
"I just want to pass this on to the next generation, to give back to our young kids," she said.
The artist found a way to express herself through the art of Pasifika patterns after seeing her father’s traditional Samoan tattoo (pe’a).
"I remember as a little girl always being interested in the patterns. It led me to eventually go to art school and connect with my culture through Pacific patterns.
"It just slowly made its way into my carving; so I taught myself to carve."
After graduating with a masters in visual arts, the mother of three has been working as an artist for a decade; using the hot glue gun as a signature mark of her work.
"My parents have always been supportive of my art.
"This workshop has given me confidence with my practice but also shown how much the community needs to see an artist in action.
"It’s not just about the art, it’s about being in a space where you can be yourself."
