Kalisolaite Uhila

Last day to view this Sunday .•´¯`• Join Kalisolaite ‘Uhila (@kalisolaite ) for a walkthrouogh of 𝙆𝙤𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙪𝙩𝙪 𝙥𝙚 𝙠𝙤𝙞𝙖 at Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery (@te_uru_gallery ) in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland From 1pm on Sunday, skateboarder Daniel Jochems will activate ‘Uhila’s sculptural skateboard ramps, which have been tagged by audience members for the duration of the exhibition. Jochems will temporarily transform the exhibition space into a skate park, bringing to life the spirit of freedom, joy and non-conformity that is central to ‘Uhila installation. On view through 17 MAY at Te Uru ★ ‘Uhila is represented by @lettthomasgallery

ANNOUNCEMENT | Kalisolaite ‘Uhila: Koe Tenga tete to tete Utu pe koia ‘The seed you sow you will reap’ emerges from Kalisolaite ‘Uhila’s return to Mildura in 2025—almost three decades after living and working there as a teenager. Through performance-based practice, ‘Uhila retraces this formative period, reconsidering how acts of labour, masculinity, and care continue to shape his work. Curated by Anja Lückenkemper, and presented in partnership with Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, Aotearoa. 📅 29 May–16 August 2026 — @kalisolaite @te_uru_gallery Image: Kalisolaite ‘Uhila, ‘Fakahoko’, 2025. Courtesy the artist and Michael Lett/ @michaellettgallery Tāmaki Makaurau. Photo: Robert George

THE FALL OF FREEDOM @falloffreedom Grace Exhibition Space SEASON FINALE Tonight / Friday, November 21, 2025 6–10 PM • doors 7:30 • $10 🎟️ Ticket link in bio 🔥 PREACH R. SUN @preachrsun carrying the ritual outdoors, beginning at 6:00pm 🔥 ASIA STEWART @asiastewart 🔥 ARTEMIS BEASTS @artemisbeasts Streaming in from the other hemispheres of the planet: 🌿 KATARINA SKÅR LISA [Norway / Sápmi] @katarinaskarlisa 🌊 KALISOLAITE ‘UHILA [Aotearoa / New Zealand] @kalisolaite Tonight we gather in the fragile, burning space between what collapses and what survives. In the aftermath. In the place where performance becomes a form of freedom that the state cannot legislate. Fall of Freedom. Fall of Illusion. Fall of Silence. Meet us there. Grace Exhibition Space Stardust Cluster: Meetings with Meaning - Season Finale curated by Jill McDermid and Marita Isobel Solberg @maritaisobelsolberg #FallofFreedom #GraceExhibitionSpace #PerformanceArtNYC #LiveArt #StardustCluster #SeasonFinale #PreachRSun #AsiaStewart #ArtemisBeasts #KatarinaSkarLisa #KalisolaiteUhila #IndigenousPerformance #RitualArt #ResistanceArt #NYCEvents #BrooklynArts

KALISOLAITE ‘UHILA’ (Aotearoa / Tonga / Māori) @kalisolaite at Grace Exhibition Space Fri, Nov 21 @graceexhibitionspace Kalisolaite ‘Uhila’, born in Tonga and based in Aotearoa New Zealand, Kalisolaite ‘Uhila is one of the country’s most renowned performance artists. Working primarily in durational performance, he draws from his Tongan heritage to move through themes of tradition, masculinity, cultural bias, and the fragile borders between self and society. His performances invite us into a space of shared vulnerability, understanding, and togetherness: stretching time, endurance, and perception. ‘Uhila’s work has been recognized with major awards, international residencies, and a nomination for New Zealand’s highest art award, the Walters Prize. Join us on Friday, November 21 as Kalisolaite ‘Uhila brings his powerful performance practice to Grace Exhibition Space as part of our Fall season STARDUST CLUSTER: Meetings with Meaning. Alongside Kalisolaite ‘Uhila‘, we invite you to experience an evening of live performance: PREACH R. SUN - ASIA STEWART - ARTEMIS BEASTS Livestream: KATARINA SKÅR LISA [Norway] - KALISOLAITE ‘UHILA [New Zealand] *Preach R. Sun will begin performing outdoors at 6:00 pm * Doors: 7:30 pm Tickets $10 #GraceExhibitionSpace #PerformanceArt #KalisolaiteUhila #StardustCluster #DurationalPerformance #TonganArtist #MaoriArtist #LiveArt #BrooklynArts #NYCEvents

In partnership with Michael Lett, UNSW Galleries presented Kalisolaite’ Uhila’s day-long performance ‘Kelekele Mo’ui (Living Soil)’ as part of this year’s Sydney Contemporary. Staged in the iconic Blacksmith’s Workshop at Carriageworks, the endurance work offered a powerful meditation labour and connections to land. 🔗Read Nina Eva Caroline Stromqvist’s review for MEMO via the link in our bio Keep an eye out for Kalisolaite’ Uhila’s upcoming exhibition in our 2026 program.

Malo e lelei my Sydney family & friends I will have a show on Sunday 14th September at Sydney Contemporary, carriage works Art center in Eveleigh, starts at 11-5pm finish, please come and support if you’re free Malo aupito Kalisolaite Uhila. Please Book Tickets thru @sydneycontemporary website.

Experience epic live performances throughout Sydney Contemporary with a dynamic lineup of works by leading contemporary artists curated by José Da Silva. Find more details on the works through the link in bio.

If you haven’t done so already, check out @kalisolaite ’s canvas works, Kini Lotokolo (Cleaning the City) currently on display on Britomart’s Pavilion Panels on Te Ara Tāhuhu and Galway Street. In the works, ‘Uhila has spattered canvases with ink and acrylic, as well as scarring them with rakes, machetes and other tools. The works appear to reference the famous American spatter-painter Jackson Pollock, but they also evoke manual labour and the actions of working the land. 📸 @teheiphotog

Auckland’s weather, as is its way, has unfortunately turned out to be too temperamental for us to be able to stage artist Kalisolaite ‘Uhila’s performance work Kelekele Mo’ui (Living Soil) tomorrow. But don’t worry – we’re not cancelling, we’re pivoting. Instead, @kalisolaite will perform his work Mohe / Sleep in the Atrium on Takutai. It’ll be accessible to anyone who wants to see it from noon until 6pm.   Mohe / Sleep is a performance work in which the artist will be sleeping on a fala (mat) wrapped in ngatu (tapa cloth) for an afternoon in Britomart’s Atrium on Takutai. It is directly tied to his night-shift job, and is a reflection on the everyday reality of managing work, rest and personal time. By sleeping, the artist brings the ‘rest’ part of his day into public view, turning his need for rest into the work itself.   We’re excited to be working with Kalisolaite to bring this performance to you as part of the @aotearoaartfair . You can also see Kalisolaite’s canvas works on display on the panels on Te Ara Tāhuhu. We hope to see you tomorrow at this very special performance.   Special thanks to Michael Lett, Robert George and Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery.   📅 Friday 2 May ⏰ 12pm - 6pm 📍 Atrium on Takutai 📸 @the_raro_dog at the @ngutukaakaa

Walters Prize-nominated Artist @kalisolaite is bringing two special works to Britomart for the @aotearoaartfair : a day-long performance piece that will take place amid a backdrop of his arresting canvases. First commissioned by @hastingsartgallery in August last year, ‘Uhila will stage a day-long performance of Kelekele Mo’ui (Living Soil) at Te Ara Tāhuhu in Britomart. The work involves ‘Uhila sitting still while buried up to his neck in a pile of soil — a reference to the ways soil sustains us, and the ways people live off labour and land. He will take his place in the soil pile at around noon and will be pulled from it at 6pm. You will be able to view the work at any time during this period and are particularly encouraged to attend at 6pm for ‘Uhila’s removal from the soil. To learn more about the works and the themes that guide them, head to the link in our bio. 🗓️ Friday 2 May ⏰ 12pm-6pm 📍Te Ara Tāhuhu 📸 @the_raro_dog 🏷️ Kalisolaite ‘Uhila, Kelekele Mo’ui (Living Soil), 2024, live performance. Commissioned by Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga Hastings Art Gallery. Photograph by Robert George.

Earlier in the week Kalisolaite 'Uhila arrived at Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery to begin his performance 𝘔𝘰𝘩𝘦 / 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱. For the remainder of the exhibition 'Uhila will sleep in the gallery on Tuesdays and Thursdays, arriving at 6.30am after his security shift finishes. 'Uhila’s performance for 𝘈 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 cannot be seen in isolation from his night-shift job. Instead, it might be said to operate at the intersection of the work – sleep – recreation schema, which we each must negotiate. We invite you to subscribe (link in bio) to receive our upcoming newsletter, which includes a link for a live stream of 'Uhila’s performance. In this way, while his professional role of surveilling concludes at 6am, you can ironically continue to monitor him via CCTV installed in the gallery. Image: Kalisolaite 'Uhila, 𝘔𝘰𝘩𝘦 / 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱, 2025, live performance, kali (headset), fala (mat), ngatu (tapa cloth), alarm clock, security camera. Courtesy of Michael Lett Gallery. Photography: Robert George