"Plastic Coconut"

 

What next:

-With this experiment as a success I want to create a Samoa 'ava ceremony with the ritual item made out of plastic.

Tanoa - Bowl 

The bowl in which the drink is prepared is called a tanoa or laulau. 

Cup - ipu tau 'ava

The cup used for distributing the 'ava is made from the half shell of a ripe coconut and it is cleaned and polished.

Strainer - fau

The material for straining the woody fibre of the dried 'ava root is obtained from the bark of the fau tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus). This bark is stripped off and the outer skin removed. The remaining inner bark is then shredded and forms a type of stringy and fibrous mesh used to mix and strain the beverage in the wooden bowl.

Samoa 'ava ceremony

The ʻaumaga, 'ava makers must follow etiquette and cultural protocol in the making and serving of the 'ava. It is usually an honour to be selected for the ceremony. The ʻaumaga, with prescribed roles in the ceremony, were a select guild in the past.

 

The ʻAva Ceremony is one of the most important customs of the Samoa Islands. It is a solemn ritual in which a ceremonial beverage is shared to mark important occasions in Samoan society. The Samoan word ʻava (pronounced with the glottal stop) is a cognate of the Polynesian word kava associated with the kava cultures in Oceania. Both terms are understood in Samoa.
The 'Ava ceremony within Samoan culture retains the same ritual pattern with slight variations depending on the parties involved and the occasion. It always includes speeches and oratory and the formal drinking of 'ava, including women if they are part of the ceremony, with special attention paid to precedence in drinking order. One of the most important occasions for the 'Ava ceremony is during the bestowal of matai chiefly titles.

Experiment Plastice coconut

Process on making the plastic coconut.

This experiment was a challenge, it was my first time creating work with plastic but its was a idea I wanted to bring to life or at least have tried. Taking the stereotype of a "Plastic Coconut" literally and make a coconut out of plastic.

Pro:
-The concept of this idea was strong and it was something I really wanted to work with because I know that so much Polynesian people this generation could relate to.
-Making the plastic object was not difficult it was just a process that would have to take time and patient.
-This process was affordable an doable.

Cons:
-This only problem with this idea was the time frame I had and knowing what kind of person I'am a perfectionist I knew that this would need a longer time frame if I wanted to happy with my final project.

"Plastic"

The negative title of ‘Plastic’ is given to a person by someone else who feels that they have more cultural competence; that they speak the language; have more cultural knowledge etc. This body of work explores the intricacy of cultural hierarchies in diaspora and in Samoan culture, where individuals are singled out for being more or less authentic. Avealalo, has created objects that defines the Samoan cultural out of plastic eg. fine mat, fue, ula gifo ula fala as a statement that challenges and explores culture forms and construction. The stereotype “plastic Samoan” has a dramatic effect on this generation we have come to accept this stereotype and it has created invisible boundaries that has drawn this generation away from wanting to educate in culture.

My influence is from a personal perspective of Fa’a Samoa being plastic itself and my generation losing their interest in their culture because they feel like they don’t belong anymore due to the stereotype of being plastic. In this work I want viewers to understand how I feel about being a plastic Samoan and what I think about the fa’a Samoa. People should understand that culture change it does affects us individually and it shouldn’t create a value of feeling less belonging to your origin or culture identity.