This Land Is My Land: Va’eomatoka Valu

Interloper joins former resident artist of the seattle residency project, Va’eomatoka Valu—an artist, community organizer, and father who moved to the Pacific Northwest from the Kingdom of Tonga when he was a teenager. We talk about how the changing smells of landscape affect the creation of art and memory, why the label AAPI can create unintended consequences while forging beautiful relationships, and what the differences are between Tonga and the Pacific Northwest and their relationship to land, water and ownership.

Va’eomatoka “Toka” Valu was born and raised in the South Pacific Islands of Tonga and migrated to the United States with his late mother in 1997. As an artist, his practice focuses on uplifting Pasifika cultural wisdom and Pasifika Futurism. Today, Toka proudly serves his Community as Director of Communications & Arts Development at the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington (PICA-WA) in addition to being on WA State’s Commission for Asian & Pacific American Affairs. He is proud of his Tongan heritage and his role as a community organizer, and Pasifika Arts hype man while living with his family in South King County.

Facebook - @tokavalu

Instagram - @tokavalu

Web - www.tokavalu.com

For those in Seattle, you can see Toka’s mural at Seattle Central College (1701 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122) in the Student Success Services suite. NOTE: Access to the building and the mural is either prohibited or limited during the pandemic, so please check the college’s website to find out when you can see the mural.