The Pasefika Tote Bag

• I was staring at banana trees when I started painting this and deciding on a colour palette.

Yellows, greens and browns. Not colours I usually use but you can’t argue with nature’s beauty.

Then the title just seemed so obvious and perfect.

Misiluki is Samoan for Lady Finger bananas.
Lady Fingers. Five digits on a hand and five is the number of sisters I paint over and over again.

This bunch of five sisters are all grown up.

INSPIRATION
Mangoes are always special.
Fancy. Soft. Sweet. Round.
Celebratory and luxurious.

So this is what I infused in the figures, tones, and shapes.
It feels warm and sweet and happy.

I learned so much about mangoes doing this painting.
Eg.
🥭The paisley pattern on bandanas originates from mangoes.
🥭The leaves from a mango tree are believed to repel negative energy and attract prosperity and fertility in India where the mango is believed to originate.

ARTWORK
The starting point was the heads of the women, which followed an exact formation of mangoes hanging on a tree. Everything went from this point.

I used the colours of mangoes: orange, yellow, red, green, coral, purple. Tropical, sweet and glowy.

I used the curvy shapes of oval mangoes, long pointy leaves, and delicate long red stems laden with pale yellow tiny mango flowers.

Metallic colours of gold and copper added luxe and celebration.

This is the story of Mango Fandango.
(I used fandango in the sense of fun, party and dance).