From Ōtara to Elam: A Tongan artist's journey comes full circle home

Mālō E Lelei, it's Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga - Tonga Language Week. And for Dr Sione Faletau, becoming a permanent lecturer at the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts is about more than reaching a career milestone.

It is a return to the place that helped shape him and a chance to help other Pacific students see what is possible.

The Tongan artist, researcher and Elam alumnus grew up in South Auckland and has connections to the villages of Taunga and Lakepa in Tonga.

He completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours with First Class, Master of Fine Arts with First Class Honours and Doctor of Fine Arts at Elam before returning as a lecturer.

“It's a privilege to come back and contribute to a place that played such an important role in my own development as an artist,” Faletau says in a report by the University of Auckland.

“As a Pacific person, I understand the importance of seeing yourself reflected in teaching spaces. Representation matters because it helps students imagine what is possible for their own futures.”

His path to university was not always easy. After being excluded from one school, Faletau says another school made assumptions about him and his brother because they came from Ōtara.

“They had already made up their minds about us,” he says.

It was Ōtāhuhu College that gave the brothers an opportunity. “They gave us a chance. That's when it clicked for me. I thought, okay, they've given me a chance, let's make the most of it.”

Tongans in Aotearoa celebrate their language, culture and heritage during Tonga Language Week, held from 16-22 August. Photo/Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP)

That second chance helped change the direction of his life. When Faletau arrived at Elam in 2010, he says he quickly realised some of his classmates had been exposed to a much wider range of art.

“I remember sitting in lectures and thinking, I've got a lot to catch up on,” he says. “Coming from South Auckland, we'd only really been exposed to traditional forms of art - painting and drawing.

"Then suddenly there was sculpture, photography, installation, sound and all these other possibilities.”

He embraced the challenge, developing a practice across performance, sculpture, installation, sound and digital media.

Dr Sione Faletau, fifth from left, has returned to the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts as a permanent lecturer, bringing his Tongan knowledge and Pacific perspective into the classroom. Photo/Supplied

His work draws on Tongan knowledge and explores identity, cultural memory, masculinity and Indigenous ways of knowing. His doctoral research examined Tongan masculinity through Indigenous methods and talanoa with more than 140 people across Tonga.

Family has also been central to his journey. Faletau credits his mother, Vasilini, and his wider family for making education part of their lives. He remembers watching his mother graduate from the University of Auckland when he was a child.

“I think that's how it all started for us,” he says. “Then my sister Julienne went through University of Auckland first, followed by myself and then my younger siblings ‘Ea and Daniel Faletau.

"It became something our family did. My older brother Manase took a different path and became a mechanic and became successful in that space. Education is everywhere you never stop learning.”

Tongan families and communities come together across Aotearoa to celebrate and strengthen their language, culture and connections during Tonga Language Week. Photo/MPP

Now, as Aotearoa marks Tonga Language Week, Faletau says his Tongan identity remains at the heart of his creative work.

This year’s theme is “Ko 'etau hiva, ko e fe'unu mahu'inga ia ki he mo'ui 'a e Tonga” - Our music is a vital strand of our Tongan culture.

Faletau’s work draws on concepts such as ongo: sound, feeling and presence and the visual language of kupesi patterns, bringing ancestral knowledge into contemporary art.

He hopes his own journey will encourage Pacific students to see their culture as a strength in education than something they have to leave behind.

“Pacific artists have always contributed to the cultural landscape of Aotearoa,” Faletau says.

“This appointment acknowledges that Pacific knowledge, histories and creative practices belong within the academy. I hope it encourages Pacific students to pursue their ambitions and know their stories and perspectives are valued.”

For Faletau, the opportunity to teach is also a chance to give back.

Watch a performance from Sia’s Tau’olunga Girls to mark Tonga Language Week in 2025.

“Education transformed my life,” he says. “If I can help students find confidence in their own voices, cultures and creative practices, then that's something really meaningful.”

Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga - Tonga Language Week - is celebrated from 16 to 22 August 2026. For more details, click here.