Sofia Tekela-Smith is a New Zealand-Rotuman artist specialising in jewellery and body adornments. Many may recall her stunning garland in the Art is Identity exhibition in Kūaotunu and Kapanga this past January. Sofia just returned from New York where her work is on show at the Oceania Gallery in the MET.
By Isabel Gilbert-Palmer
Q: Sofia, where have you been this year, more specifically in July?
A: I’ve just returned from the grand re-opening of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the territory of the Lenape people who called the land “Mannahatta.” My work was commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum for the grand reopening of the Oceania Gallery. It was acquired and then donated by the Metropolitan Museum Art Patron, Maureen Zarember, who opened her Art Gallery dealing in tribal and contemporary art in 1979.
Walking into her gallery and seeing her collection of treasures & her adornment collection was like walking into a beautiful oceanic museum and being allowed to touch/wear these treasures.
Q: So, share with us more about your latest trip to New York?
A: I was one of the artists from NZ (With Benjamin Work, Visesio Siasau & Ray Sagapoutele), guests of the Metropolitan Museum & Oceania Art curator Dr Maia Nuku, invited to celebrate the momentous occasion of the reopening of the new Rockefeller wing and more especially to see my work being exhibited as part of the collection. I travelled with the support of CNZ.
Q: Had you been to NYC before?
A: I first went to New York to exhibit at the Asia Society Museum for Paradise Now/ Contemporary Art From the Pacific, and was there at the opening with the Pasifika Divas, an interdisciplinary performance group curated by Lisa Taouma. The curator then was familiar with my work in Te Papa and at Auckland Museum, based on the beautiful Rotuman garland made of all natural materials and sweet smelling flowers. I made the gold lip/black lip mother-of-pearl design based on the structure of this traditional lei.
My second time in New York was to celebrate my youngest turning 13.
Q: What is the story about your work’s own journey getting to NY ?
A: The work travelled to New York, arrived at the Museum, but the paperwork was incomplete and was returned to Aotearoa. It then went back and forth again and only just made it through in time for installation.
Like the Armea bird, this necklace was determined to travel, & much like the Aotearoa delegation that went to the opening, it was touch and go whether any of us would be able to get through customs given the political climate and TSA restrictions in the US.
We all got through; in fact, the TSA officer said to me, ‘Congratulations, I like your crown,’ referring to my head lei, ‘welcome to NY.’ (Of course, I had shown off that I was there to celebrate my work on exhibition in the Met collection.)
Q: Once you knew your piece had arrived and was safely inside the Museum, how did you feel?
A: The tension of whether the work would be on exhibition, along with the stress of possibly being detained by US customs, all melted away when I walked up the Metropolitan Museum steps.
I was alone in that moment when I came face-to-face with my tefui/necklace in the Oceania wing.
I just burst into tears and cried in celebration for quite a while. I had to do the media press interview between these tears of relief, joy, and, most of all, I was so proud of myself.
Q: Describe for us how the Opening Day was – climbing the Met Steps and walking towards Oceania?
A: I counted seven official functions, all of which were amazing. The Met Trustee dinner was pretty incredible to have sat by Temple of Dendur, sharing a table with beautiful friends from Aotearoa, along with Anjelique Kidjo! I wore a vintage mu’umu’u, which had a train, and posed on the steps.My favourite experience was being able to walk into the museum with all the Polynesian/Melanesian/Micronesian, and Diaspora relatives. To hear the ancient chants announcing our arrival was out of this world.Q: In three words, how did you feel being there?
A: Super Proud Oceanian!
Q: The most memorable thoughts you had standing in the midst of this huge display of works, and there was yours?
A: My work sits alongside such incredibly beautiful treasures from Oceania. I’m so proud of my heritage. The gallery is curated beautifully, and I spent a considerable amount of time sitting in the space, absorbing the energy of the work of Oceanic ancestors who reside on the other side of the world.
Thank you, Sofia, immensely, for sharing your July 2024 story. We look forward to more of them, some from your past travels and global appearances, and of course, those undoubtedly yet to come
Watch the opening event, or walk through the exhibition via Youtube:
