Pacific Photographers thrive in new Pacific Arts Nature Residencies

“The values of alofa and ‘aiga that mean so much to us as Samoans can be seen here among the families that call the high country their home. I’ve absolutely loved this project. There have been a lot of realisations for me as an artist and a Samoan that have come about from being in this community. I have been well cared for here and all doors have been open for me to explore the valley.” Raymond Sagapolutele 

Pasifika photographers Raymond Sagapolutele and Nick Netzler have completed the first-ever Pacific Arts Nature Residencies — a new Creative New Zealand initiative connecting Pacific artists with rural communities and environmental work. For both artists, there have been strong connections with the ways local communities in Aotearoa are working with nature to combat climate changes, and the ways that this is a reality for all our communities across the Moana. 

The four-week pilot, launched in 2025, placed Sagapolutele in the Upper Waimakariri Catchment and Netzler in Wai Wānaka. 

Sagapolutele said the experience gave him “so much perspective on our own Pacific community and their connection to the agricultural sector here in Aotearoa.”

Nick Netzler told Coconet, “As a Samoan who has spent very little time in the Wai Ponamu I was relying on my own sense of being, in the natural environment full of wonder, in awe of the landscape. Something that resonates and connects my Savaii island homeland with standing in Southland.

“I wondered whether it was the awareness of the immediate impact of climate to the wider Pacific and the work that is being done by water catchment groups in Aotearoa that allows barriers to fade so the real work on real issues can progress.”

“This pilot has been about bringing Pasifika artists and regional communities together to tell real, grounded stories through image and word,” said Erolia Ifopo, Mana Pasifika Navigator, who managed the initiative. “These stories won’t just stay local — they’ll reach wider audiences, sparking interest in sustainability, climate action, and the relationships between people and the environment.”

The residencies align with two key areas of the CNZ Pacific Arts Strategy 2023–2028: climate change and building support systems for artists and their communities. 

The project is set to conclude with a review in June 2025, followed by a public showcase of selected photographs and stories.