Aline Amaru
Aline Amaru | Tahiti, French Polynesia b.1941 | La Famille Pomare (The Pomare Family) 1991 | Tifaifai, pa’oti style: commercial cotton and thread in appliqué and embroidered technique | Purchased 2004. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Grant | Collection: Queensland Art Gallery
Aline Amaru is renowned for her depiction of historical scenes, a significant departure from the floral motifs typically featured in tifaifai design. The central scene of this work portrays five generations of the Pomare royal family. King Pomare V (1839-1891), depicted on the far right, was Tahiti’s last reigning monarch before it came under French colonial rule in 1880. In this unique tifaifai, Amaru skilfully combines raised appliqué with intricate hand embroidery, including the paumotu stitch learnt from her mother and the lesser-known nana’o style featured in the framing border. Aline Amaru’s choice of subject and use of different techniques creates a visually dynamic work reflecting the vitality of Tahitian tifaifai.
