Aaron Lassey, originally from South Auckland, New Zealand, is a digital artist currently based in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. His artistic practice is deeply rooted in his lifelong passion for drawing, which has evolved through a professional career in the digital creative industry. This trajectory has led him to establish himself as a contemporary digital artist with a distinctive approach to Polynesian contemporary art.
Lassey’s work offers a modern reinterpretation of Pacific artistic traditions, with a particular focus on representing queer Polynesian identity—a perspective that remains underrepresented within the broader artistic canon. His portraiture is characterized by a minimalistic aesthetic, incorporating bold colors and clean lines, while drawing on the intricate motifs of Cook Islands tattooing. Through this fusion of simplicity and cultural complexity, his work explores themes of identity, heritage, and the interconnectedness of nature.
By engaging with these elements, Lassey highlights the intrinsic relationship between culture and the lived experiences of queer Pacific Islanders, offering a nuanced and celebratory visual narrative.
Aaron Lassey graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, Auckland University of Technology, 2009.