Telly Tuita

Telly Tuita's vibrant practice has been celebrated for his bold exploration of diasporic identity and neo-Pacific expression. Working across video, photography, painting, sculpture and installation, Telly has coined the term Tongpop to describe the bright visual language used to celebrate his rich relationship with his ancestral home of Tonga.

Blending the past and the present with photography, costume, and digitla elements, Telly presents new work building on his exploration of the figure of Mai, the first Polynesian to visit Britain in 1774, arriving with Captain James Cook's expedition. Mai’s motive for his journey to Europe was to seek support to overthrow neighbouring island, Bora Bora. However, history did not grant him this and instead, he became an influencer. Known for his charm and sophistication, Mai challenged European stereotypes of Polynesian people.

Mai resided in London for two years, becoming a celebrated figure in British society, courted by royalty and the intellectual elite. This marked an important moment in history, when the rise of a celebrity figure was just beginning.

Telly began working on his first Mai serie three years ago, taking inspiration from Omai, a print of an engraving by James Caldwell, after artist William Hodges in 1777. With his trademark performative self-portrait practice, Telly fashions himself as the figure of Mai. Extending on his hand-painted photography series Mai: The London Years, this new work layers in digital counterpoint figures within Telly's intertwined explorations of myth-making, identity and celebrity.