Rachael Hall

Ongo ‘e fitu (seven sounds) presents seven fangufangu from the artist’s ongoing body of exploratory making. Each fangufangu investigates different dimensions of practice: tuning systems, timbral qualities, material choices and combinations, and approaches to kupesi (patterns) that move beyond surface decoration to become integral to the fangufangu itself. Drawing on design methods and materials that reflect fonua (land) and accessibility, Ongo ‘e fitu explores how customary practice evolves through contemporary making - each fangufangu offering its own ongo (sound and feeling). Kupesi emerges not only through application but also through the making process itself, as timber is joined, turned and shaped to reveal patterns inherent in grain, form and colour. Handcrafted from locally sourced tonewood, kife (bamboo) and brass, Ongo ‘e fitu represents the foundational explorations that inform the artist’s broader fangufangu practice.