With a playful approach to art making, Salome Tanuvasa has a very diverse practice.

Salome Tanuvasa graduated with her Masters of Fine Art from Elam School of Fine Art, The University of Auckland in 2014 after completing her first year of study at Manukau School of Visual Art. In 2012 and 2013 she was awarded the NICAI Summer Scholarship working under Fiona Jack on the Rosebank Art Walk and  Jim Speers on a project in Shanghai. As well as much academic and exhibition success Salome has held mentoring roles for Tuākana, The University of Auckland and Nga Rangitahi Toa. In 2016 she

Her work crosses a variety of mediums including moving image, drawing, photography and sculpture. As well as a strong making practice of her own Salome also engages with other artists who have similar interests to work in collaboration. Salome’s work is about her immediate surrounding and often reflects the environments she is in at that time. This includes playful surveying of local parks as well drawing attention to wider issues among New Zealand based Pacific people. Her work is often quite autobiographical telling stories of her family and home life as well as providing insights into her living spaces.

Expensive Moments, 2012 is a film work of Salome’s that has gained much attention. First exhibited in This Must Be The Place in 2012 followed by Ozlyn Gallery and again at a solo show at Gaffa in Sydney, 2014. Salome examines the hard working ethic of Pacific factory workers and hotel staff. As a child Tanuvasa recalls the time spent waiting outside of various factories for her parents to finish their long hours at work. As a way of acknowledging this hard, labour intensive work that some families have to go through Tanuvasa takes her camera into the factories themselves and captures the people who work there. Giving them the acknowledgement and space that they deserve.

Salome has exhibited in a number of group and solo exhibitions including: lai-pā, ST PAUL St Gallery, 2017; Expensive Moments, Gaffa, Sydney, 2014; A Sense of place, Papakura Art Gallery, 2014; Awkward feelings, George Fraser Gallery, 2014; 2014 July-Heart Movement Matariki Exhibition, Ruapotaka Marae, 2014; Elections2014, RM Gallery, 2014; Auckland Art Festival at the White Night, The Auckland City Library, 2013; Two DayArt Walk, Rosebank Road, Written And Performed With Photographs By Fiona Jack, 2013;Return To Sender, Papakura Art Gallery, 2013; Close To Home, St Paul Street Gallery, 2013; OFFSTAGE 5, Artspace, 2013; Slow Disaster, Shanghai, China, 2013; This Must be the place, St Paul Street Gallery, 2012; Expensive movements, Ozlyn Gallery, 2012.