Hihirau Vaitoare

Hihirau Vaitoare grew up at the Fenua ‘Aihere, in Tautira, Tahiti. She is a visual artist and an art teacher at the Centre des Métiers d’Art (CMA – Centre for Arts and Crafts of French Polynesia). Her multi-faceted and ever-changing artworks stem from her incentive to experiment. Vaitoare’s works explore the notions of surface, territory and borders by piecing together traditional and modern elements to produce a wide range of artworks. Vaitoare enjoys the idea that her work can “re-invent, question and pass on” new forms of knowledge and techniques while preserving her Polynesian identity and drawing on outside influences. Many notions come together in Vaitoare’s works to tell a story in which the past dialogues with the present, and cultural heritage dialogues with modernity and collective memory.