Kalisolaite ‘Uhila, ‘Koe tenga tete to tete utu pe koia’ at UNSW Sydney

Kalisolaite ‘Uhila is a Tongan-born artist based in Aotearoa whose practice revolves around performance. *’Koe tenga tete to tete utu pe koia’ (the seed you sow you will reap)* emerges from the artist’s return to Mildura, Australia, in 2025—almost three decades after living and working in the city as a teenager. The exhibition sees ‘Uhila retrace this formative period, reconsidering how acts of labour, masculinity, and care continue to inform his practice.

In 1997, ‘Uhila was sent to live with family in Mildura to work in an orange orchard and experience the hardships of manual labour. Instead, his aunt and uncle enrolled him in school, where he encountered the freedom of subcultures and first connected with art. ‘Uhila’s time in Mildura remains pivotal in the trajectory of his life and practice. His return 25 years later has prompted renewed reflection on the enduring roles of hospitality, family, and togetherness in his work, and how growth can emerge from collective histories and personal perseverance.

The proverb ‘the seed you sow you will reap’ resonates throughout the exhibition, suggesting that every act of labour, kindness, or rebellion carries a potential return. Across performance, installation, video, and sound, ‘Uhila transforms everyday gestures and objects into meditations on endurance, resilience, and kinship. A collection of letters from ‘Uhila’s cousins reflects on memories of growing up in Mildura, forming a chorus of voices that expands the exhibition beyond a single autobiography. Sensory fragments from his youth reappear as material and metaphor—the scent of citrus, the rhythm of skateboard wheels on concrete.

‘Uhila marks the opening with a durational performance, peeling and offering oranges to visitors as a gesture of community. For the remainder of the exhibition, visitors are invited to sit, rest, and share an orange in their own time. ‘Koe tenga tete to tete utu pe koia’ explores how memory, labour, and tenderness intertwine, inviting an intimate encounter with ‘Uhila’s practice and revealing how the seeds of our past continue to bear fruit in unexpected ways.

Curated by Anja Lückenkemper

Installation view, ‘Kalisolaite ‘Uhila: Koe tenga tete to tete utu pe koia’, UNSW Galleries, 2026. Photography: Jacquie Manning

Kalisolaite ‘Uhila is represented by [Lett Thomas](https://artnow.nz/galleries/lett-thomas){.underline} in Tāmaki Makaurau

To find more exhibitions around the world by New Zealand artists, visit ArtNow.NZ