HERITAGE ARTS & CRAFTS
Reviving Tradition
EXPLORE HERITAGE ART & CRAFTS
Preserving and Reimagining Samoan Cultural Heritage
The Tiapapata Art Centre is dedicated to preserving and reimagining Samoa’s rich cultural heritage. By reconnecting with traditional crafts such as stone tool-making, pottery, and siapo-inspired paper creations, the Centre provides a platform for education, creativity, and cultural pride.
Through hands-on workshops and collaborations with artists, researchers, and communities, the Tiapapata Art Centre ensures these crafts remain vibrant, relevant, and accessible to future generations.
STONE TOOLS
Crafting the Foundation of Samoan Life
For centuries, stone tools like the to’i fafau (hafted stone adze) were central to Samoan life. These tools shaped fale (houses), canoes, and ceremonial objects, symbolizing the ingenuity of Samoan craftsmanship.
POTTERY
Reconnecting with Lapita Heritage
Pottery is a link to Samoa’s ancient Lapita culture and reveals the artistic and functional craftsmanship of Samoa’s earliest communities. The Tiapapata Art Centre is rekindling this heritage through workshops that teach traditional clay preparation...
PAPER
Siapo-Inspired Innovations
Drawing inspiration from the traditional art of siapo, the Tiapapata Art Centre explores contemporary applications of Samoan patterns and motifs through innovative paper products. These creations blend siapo designs with modern sustainability ...
SENNIT
Crafting Strength from Nature
Sennit, or ‘afa in Samoan, is a braided cord made from dried coconut husks. It was a fundamental material in traditional Samoan life, used for binding structures like fale (houses) and canoes, as well as for ceremonial and decorative purposes. The intricate process of creating ‘afa ...