Louisa Afoa’s honest approach to documentary produces invaluable records of pop culture.

Louisa completed her Bachelor of Visual Arts from Auckland University of Technology in 2012 and went on to earn her Honours in 2016. Louisa co-founded the now archived website #500words and also has writing published online on Circuit.

Louisa explores social trends among diasporic communities through time based media. The use of pop culture and humour, means her documentary style provides a real peephole into what it means to be a part of these hybrid cultures. Louisa’s films are reactionary to both her immediate surroundings and community, the work changes with

In Louisa’s work Twenty Three Years exhibited at As if you were bringing back the dust from the moon, at Papakura Art Gallery, 2013 and Siapo Cinema, The New Zealand Film Archive, 2014 the artist’s mother talks openly and honestly about her experience with a Housing New Zealand Corporation worker. Louisa having spent her entire life of 23 years at this state house, takes us on a tour of the property, where we hear the audio of her mother. It is revealed to us that her son has cancer and it is a goal of his to fix up a car with his son, so that one day it will be his first car. The car currently sitting on the side of the driveway covered by a tarpaulin is a subject of scrutiny for the HNZ worker. Fearful of the result of this visit, the artist’s mother asks her adult children to be present at the next visit, that visit the HNZ worker was much kinder.

Louisa has exhibited in a number of group exhibitions including: New Perspectives, Artspace, 2016; Influx, ST PAUL St Gallery, 2016; #IslandTime, Mangere and Otara Town Centres, 2014; Offstage6, The Plantation, 2014; New Grads Show, Corban Estate Art Centre 2013; Return to Sender, Papakura Art Gallery, 2013; Same STORY, different COLOUR, ST PAUL St Gallery, 2013; As if you were bringing back dust from the moon, Papakura Art Gallery, 2013-14; Siapo Cinema, The New Zealand Film Archive, 2014; Offstage4, Artspace, 2012; BYOB, Snakepit, 2012; Project, ST PAUL St Gallery 3, 2012; Inspite of yourself: Exploring Documentary, ST PAUL St Gallery, Auckland and The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, 2012; First Light 2, NorthArt, 2012; This must be the place, St Pauls street Gallery, 2012.