Filipe Tohi.

On Tuesday the 3-9-2019 we room
5 ,6, 7 and 8 had an assembly because an tongan
artist named Filipe tohi visited and showed us a little
few of his arts and crafts that he had made. He also
showed us the material to which he had used to make
the arts, He showed us the lashes which are called
kafa in tongan and that are made from the coconut
called bulu. Filipe tohi is an artist that makes different
types of patterns that has different meanings, he is 60
years old and has been an artist since the 1990’s. He
made a model of his grandmother which was the one
who inspired him,by using steel and wood, The steel
represents how strong Filipe Tohi grandmother is.
His arts and related to many cultures but especially
pacifica, Filipe Tohi likes making art but he also likes
to carve things and build.He then told us that the
tongan boys build the structures and the girls weave
and then attach it to the building roughly so it doesn't
break, They use the leaves of the coconut tree, which
covers the roof of the building. Filipe Tohi also told us
that he has traveled to Samoa, China, Fiji and many
other countries and islands.

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He also made a beautiful model about a vaka meaning
boat in tongan. His biggest project which was a
statchue took 3 years to make. He also showed us a
picture of an ancient monument that was built along
time ago. This ancient monument inspired him to make
his own mini monument, Which was made out of rocks.
Most of his art are made from kafa which means
lashes. His arts like carpets have different meanings
and patterns also pictures. Some of his arts and crafts
sometimes takes years or decades to build.
By Keru Zapatos.