Telly Tuita: The Tā and Vā of Tongpop

Meet Telly Tuita, Sydney Festival’s Visual Artist in Residence at The Thirsty Mile.

Immerse yourself in Tuita’s vibrant “Tongpop” aesthetic splashed across this year’s Festival precinct. Tuita draws on the maritime history of his ancestors and will frame the harbourside with extravagant totems, dancing divas and a rebirth of the SS John Oxley.

Born in Tonga, raised in Western Sydney and now based in Wellington, his work reflects his Pacific heritage and the bright lights of our city. Tuita promises to bring “healthy doses of kaleidoscopic chaos. So Sydney, right?”