Fofonga ‘oe kau fakafoki – The faces of those who have returned
Fofonga ‘oe kau fakafoki – The faces of those who have returned
Todd Henry
Vunilagi Vou
4/256 Great South Road, Ōtāhuhu, Auckland
6 - 31 August 2019
Opening Tuesday 6 August, 6:00 - 8:00pm
Todd Henry Sione Ngaue carries a bag of manioke on his family’s plantation near Nukunuku
Vunilagi Vou is proud to present the first solo exhibition of Auckland-based photographer Todd Henry (US/NZ). "Fofonga ‘oe kau fakafoki – The faces of those who have returned" is a body of work Henry made during the filming of the Vice NZ film "Deportees of Tonga: Gangsters in Paradise" (2019) offering audiences insight into the worlds and experiences of Tongan returnees.
Whilst Vice's signature production and narrative style has generated mixed reviews amongst Pacific audiences, Henry's still photography captures a humanistic side of the film's subjects. Unlike fly-in-fly-out production teams, Henry's connections to Tonga and Oceania are deeper and enduring.
In the Kingdom of Ōtāhuhu aka Little Tonga, we're excited for "Fofonga ‘oe kau fakafoki – The faces of those who have returned" to open up important conversations about the politics of representation, deportee culture and the idea of return.
A limited edition of photographic prints will be available for sale with all profits going towards Dare to Dream Foundation, a new organisation aiming to mentally and physically assist the deportees in Tonga.