What does it mean to be a Pacific Islander?  This very complex question leads to many different answers.  It is hard to classify such an enormous region that includes thousands of different cultures and language groups.  Ultimately, Pacific Islanders are diverse and this diversity is reflected in their artwork.  Migration continues to be a constant theme in Oceania.  Historically, Pacific Islanders were skilled in two-way navigation making frequent journeys between islands and across the ocean.  This constant migration led to a continued exchange of ideas and goods.  Today, Pacific Islanders continue to migrate.  Many of the artists featured in this exhibition live outside their place of origin and find creative energy in ideas generated by movement.  They also continue to reference their Hawaiian, Papua New Guinean, Samoan, and Tongan cultures as they dialogue with issues of place, space, and memory.

Like their forefathers and mothers, the artists of “Island Affinities” draw on past traditions, materials, and themes in order to address their identity and presence in a changing world.  This exhibition highlights the continuation of Pacific aesthetics through conventional themes such as genealogy, gender, and spirituality and contemporary responses to colonization, globalization, and sovereignty.