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Ake Lianfa

doi:10.1353/cp.2004.0064

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Artwork by Ake Lianga [About the Artist]

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Ake Lianga was born in into a large family on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. He has been pursuing his art since childhood. In his village school no art classes were available, yet he worked hard on his own. Many of his ancestors had been carvers and weavers and he looked to his family for inspiration and encouragement.

While still in school, Lianga won the design competition for the logo for World Food Day for the municipality of Honiara. This achievement encouraged him further. In 1995 Lianga won the South Pacific Contemporary Art Competition and was chosen to travel to Sydney, Australia, to participate in a group exhibition at New South Wales University. This gave him an opportunity to meet and work with contemporary artists from all areas of the South Pacific. Lianga returned home freshly inspired to explore new techniques and themes.

Lianga applied for and successfully secured a Commonwealth Arts and Crafts award in that enabled him to study at any other country in the Commonwealth. He chose Canada and enrolled at North Island College in Courtenay, British Columbia. Once relocated to Vancouver Island, Lianga settled into the community and life at the college. He graduated in Fine Arts in North Island College hired him in his final semester to teach printmaking to the first-year students. This was an experience he enjoyed immensely.

In Lianga was the successful artist in a competition for a new logo for the South Pacific Peoples Foundation that is now known as the Pacific Peoples Partnership. In December Lianga moved to Victoria to be with his fiancée. One of the first things he did was offer his services as a volunteer for Pacific Peoples Partnership in Victoria.

The artist was married in April Canada is his new home.

Photo by Diane Lianga

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