Talofa lava and welcome. Fa'afetai tele lava for visiting. I am Amanda Stowers, the Sāmoan artist behind Masina Creative, based in Petone, Aotearoa. My mahi is made with the intention to build deeper understanding, appreciation and visible representation for my culture. I have always been a creative, with interests in many different mediums from an early age. I work mostly with clay, creating handmade ceramic pieces hand carved with Sāmoan tatau and siapo motifs, with each motif being chosen for their meaning within Sāmoan culture. Each piece is thrown by hand on the pottery wheel, freehand carved, bisque fired in a pottery kiln, glazed by hand and fired again. The Mana of my ancestors pour from my hands, through my tools and into the clay as I work on each piece. Everything I make is unique and made with alofa.
My Nana comes from the village of Talimatau on the island of Upolu, and my Grandpa comes from the village of Saipipi on the island of Savai'i. Together they followed their dreams across the South Pacific, settling in Aotearoa and raising a family. I myself grew up in the diaspora with very little representation of my culture, and have spent most of my life feeling isolated as the only person like me in every space I entered. My driving force is representation, and my intention with my mahi is to utilise my skills to be the person I needed when I was younger. I seek to help others like me feel seen, represented, understood and appreciated.