Alison Leauanae was born and raised in Tamaki Makaurau and is of Samoan (Magiagi, Saleaula, Lano, Samata), Scottish (Galashiels) and English heritage.
A business graduate of Massey University, Leauanae had a professional career in organisational development and management, providing business consultancy services across various sectors, prior to returning to her creative roots. A move to Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in recent years provided the necessary impetus and opportunity to follow her artistic passions.
Leauanae’s intricately hand-stitched and woven works on paper draw inspiration from her mixed heritage, using cultural motif, often represented in unconventional ways. When viewing her works, one is invited to a place of introspection, to consider a personal response to what they see. Her interest in migration stories and histories and how these experiences influence how one sees and interprets their worlds are explored in her most recent works.
Leauanae was awarded the 2022 Upstairs Gallery Emerging Artist Award, and was a finalist in the Changing Threads National Contemporary Textile Fibre Art Awards in 2022 and 2023. She has been practising as a full-time artist exhibiting in numerous group shows throughout Aotearoa.