Seattle Weekly, December 4, 2004
IOSUFATU SUA
Andrew Engelson
Somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, north of the Marquesas, south of Hawaii and some distance east of Brobdingnag, lies the land of Pepelo Island, a place where the inhabitants create lovely, brightly colored objects used for traditional rituals, farming, and tasteful interior decorating. It's funny, but the collection, "Artifacts of Pepelo Island," brought back from a recent trip by Seattle-based artist Iosufatu Sua, sure has an uncanny resemblance to the hip-hop painter's own work. Mere coincidence, I'm sure. Or, maybe an example of those essential archetypes running through all great art. In addition to the artifacts on display at Bluebottle you'll find several of Sua's own riffs on the "savage" aspects of Pepelo artistry, (including Ulu Po'o, above). This little exhibit asks the question: would you rather visit an anthropology exhibit of ethnic art, or a show of contemporary street painting? And if the answer is the former, Sua wants to know just what's at the root of that preference. Oh, did I mention that "pepelo" means "to lie" in Samoan? Just a thought. Reception: 7-10 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4. Bluebottle, 415 E. Pine St., 206-325-1592. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri., noon- 6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
seattleweekly.com
IOSUFATU SUA
Andrew Engelson
Somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, north of the Marquesas, south of Hawaii and some distance east of Brobdingnag, lies the land of Pepelo Island, a place where the inhabitants create lovely, brightly colored objects used for traditional rituals, farming, and tasteful interior decorating. It's funny, but the collection, "Artifacts of Pepelo Island," brought back from a recent trip by Seattle-based artist Iosufatu Sua, sure has an uncanny resemblance to the hip-hop painter's own work. Mere coincidence, I'm sure. Or, maybe an example of those essential archetypes running through all great art. In addition to the artifacts on display at Bluebottle you'll find several of Sua's own riffs on the "savage" aspects of Pepelo artistry, (including Ulu Po'o, above). This little exhibit asks the question: would you rather visit an anthropology exhibit of ethnic art, or a show of contemporary street painting? And if the answer is the former, Sua wants to know just what's at the root of that preference. Oh, did I mention that "pepelo" means "to lie" in Samoan? Just a thought. Reception: 7-10 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4. Bluebottle, 415 E. Pine St., 206-325-1592. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri., noon- 6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
seattleweekly.com
