Roots Finding Water (2007) by Rusiate Lali 90x90cm

Rusiate’s high spirited visual language combines the colour palette and elements of traditional tapa designs used by his ancestors with allusions to various forms of popular culture: film, design and music.

The large bird of the right hand side of the painting is Turukawa, representing the Spirit, the land and identity, watches over us, reminding us not to forget where we come from.

He discussed the importance of colour and titles to his work and he explained that titles are like poems because they create a mental picture; they tell stories like songs do. Titles have the power to create imagery that can be evocative of many different sorts of cultural meanings, and with color there can be a mystery as to its association.

This painting was awarded 1st prize in the 2007 Art Competition at the Allliance Francaise, Suva, Fiji.