Where the Wild Roses Grow meets artist Sione Monū in the latest iterations of their cloud making practice.
An extension of a series of experimental works based in nimamea'a tuikakala (the Tongan fine art of flower designing using the form of kahoa, or Tongan garlands), Monū's clouds tie traditional practice with contemporary materials of the diaspora. Shifting away from wearable adornment, their works act as symbols that reference the evolution of the kahoa and of Tongan life in Aotearoa.
First conceived in 2020, Monū's cloud practice has evolved through various forms. Each crafted from plastic flowers and beading, their clouds also embrace interplay between the ephemeral and the eternal, and the natural and the manufactured while directly engaging with the Pacific diaspora.
