If you didn't walk around high school with a fan in hand, or ever "borrow" your cousins till the next family gathering then you don't really know the power of having a fan in your hand. These enamel earrings depicting the tapa fan with patterns, are a tribute to my youth and my culture. May we all never find ourselves in the heat without one.
Artist Statement
Having a fan in hand was always a blessing in the heat, at home, but at school you'd become everyone's designated best friend, because they too wanted to feel the wind from it. Especially since there were only two rooms in the school with air conditioning and sweating was all you could do.
The fans also have a beautiful patterned design which is also a tribute to my Tongan roots. This pair of earrings is a tribute to all the weaved fans my friends and I had on hand and would walk around school or these streets, unbothered.