Meet The Faces Behind Studio Kiin, A Creative Studio Championing Pacific Storytelling

By Dan Ahwa

Saturday Oct. 28, 2023

Viva

Fiji born illustrator Elsie Andrewes is part of the Studio Kiin collective. Photo / Vivien Beduya

The inspiring collective is working on three new literary works.

Collective effort and a coming together of shared interests is part of what makes Studio Kiin a vital community prioritising indigenous storytelling through their respective practices. With a focus on “normalising story sovereignty, cultivating kinship and prioritising healing

Made up of writers Arieta Rika, Emele Ugavule, illustrator and graphic designer Elsie Andrewes and agricultural advisor Bose Dakai, Studio Kiin’s project focus for the campaign is centered on three new and diverse literary works under Studio Kiin’s press arm: Kalo Kalo, a published book of poetry and audiobook by Arieta Rika; Senikau ni Viti, a three-part illustrative poster series of flowers and plants endemic to Fiji by Elsie Andrewes; and Talanoa Mada, a card deck for storytellers who get stuck in the devising process by Emele Ugavule.

“The arts and creative process can be a lonely experience a lot of the time,” explains Elise and Emele. “However, Studio Kiin has nourished our need to be part of a community of storytellers and creatives that prioritise careful respect for the story and how we produce work that amplifies this. We share knowledge in various spaces, from gardening and food to fashion and world events, developments in the tech industry and, of course, memes. Our little community has supported us in creating works that push our technical skills to be comfortable with experimentation.”

Arts crowdfunding initiatives are integral to the survival of our unique arts scene and for potential donors looking to donate to the diverse mix of campaigns currently live at Boosted.org.nz. Projects such as these are vital to its survival and to creating visibility and hope for many emerging artists.

“If you care about championing Pacific storytelling and creative sovereignty, then these three projects encompass that and more,” says Elsie.

Emele Ugavule is a Tokelauan Fijian storyteller. Her research and practice area of interest is oceanic indigenous-led storytelling, working across live performance, screen and digital media as a writer, director, creative producer, performer, educator and mentor.

“Arieta has produced a delicious collection of poetry centred around motherhood, Emele is developing thought-provoking cards that engage creative thinking and inspiration, and I am researching and illustrating native and endemic flora of Fiji with the help of Bose Dakai,” Elsie continues.

“These three projects are woven together by the medium of print. This is important to us as, historically, indigenous knowledge and storytelling have been written through the lens of an outsider. Nowadays our voices are being heard, however, there is always more to be done. This fundraiser supports us in expression, critical creative thinking and generating inspired archiving systems that not only adorn but also inform for our peoples.”

Arieta Rika is a Fijian and Tongan creative born and living in Dharug Country, Western Sydney. She is a storyteller specialising in writing and producing Pacific stories, particularly for digital channels such as virtual reality, applications, web, social media, and podcasts.

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“What makes Boosted x Moana work so well is that it is aware of the strong community ties we have as Pacific islanders as a whole. Our family and friends are our biggest supporters, and back us in the dicey arts industry. This initiative connects passion projects to our community. Along this fundraising journey they can learn more about what we do, what we aim to represent and our goals for the future,” says Elise and Emele. “It’s not an easy thing to just straight up ask for money. But our foundation and body of works are worth us asking this, and we are so blown away by the support so far.”

Also intrinsic to the collective’s practice is maintaining the values and principles of sustainability and utilising the way in which Pasifika artists have always created with the environment in mind.

“Our care for sustainability and environment is intrinsic to Studio Kiin,” says Elsie and Emele. “Sustainability is enacted in a variety of ways, from generating works that are created with the right guidance from knowledge holders, to ensuring that rest is part of the creative process, our values for sustaining story making as a practice, the relationships that bind us and the knowledge that ground us.

“These elements create a blueprint for longevity in arts development and critical thinking. As a collective that spans multiple vanua and bodies of wai, we bring with us the relations to the natural world that migrated with our tupuna, which motivates a curiosity for the environment we live and work within.

“This is expressed through how we focus on hyper-local collaborations with community groups and knowledge holders, nurturing a deep relationship with whenua through fishing, farming and gardening, and how we prioritise seasonal shifts and kinship in how we design our work projects and schedules.”

To learn more about Studio Kiin’s project and the 17 other projects seeking much-needed fundraising as part of this year’s Boosted x Moana campaign, visit Boosted.org.nz. Donations close Tuesday 31 October 2023.