'Kahoa Kakala' is a solo exhibition by Māngere-based artist Sione Monu, centred on Monu’s experimental work with nimamea'a tuikakala; or the Tongan fine art of flower designing using the form of kahoa or Tongan garland. Weaving connections between place, people and the different environments in which he works, Monu’s exhibition brings his expanded family and aspects of the spiritual and ecological contexts of art-making in Tonga and Tāmaki Makaurau together in this ongoing series.

Kahoa Kakala has been developed in partnership between Sione Monu, Objectspace Assistant Curator Elle Loui August, and Fresh Gallery Ōtara, where it was previously exhibited in August 2017. The exhibition at Objectspace will create space for a further series of workshops and talanoa in relation to the Tongan fine arts of nimamea'a tuikakala.

Sione Monu will lead the first workshop in our courtyard on December 9 working with a collection of flowers, found plant materials and adhesive paper. Further events will be scheduled for early 2018.

Sione Monu is an artist of Tongan descent who works across the mediums of photography, moving-image, fashion and adornment, performance and drawing. Sione is a contributing member of the art collectives Fafswag and Witch Bitch.