Who doesn't want to go see street artists paint murals in Tahiti?
Known more for her NYC graffiti train photography of the 1970s and 1980s, Martha Cooper travels the globe these days in pursuit of street art festivals. Luckily, many cities have one, and the ONO'U Festival has captured her imagination once again.
So lucky us! Our senior reporter on the ground is the quick-witted, eagle-eyed Martha Cooper, who shares with Huffpost readers her fresh shots of the new action here in paradise. She also shares with us some of her personal observations of the artists and the surrounding action, which we elaborate on here for you.
Bordalo II. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
We start of with Martha's favorite piece, an octopus made with garbage by the street artist named Bordalo. "He's a genius! He took the most unlikely pieces of plastic detritus from the recycling center and speedily transformed them into the octopus on the front of what will be Papeete's street art museum and gallery," she says. "Cleverly he used the sawed off tops of spray cans as the suckers on the tentacles."
Bordalo II. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Bordalo II. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Bordalo II. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Kalaouf at work on his mural. ONO'U Festival 2016. Raiatea, Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Okuda at work on his mural. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Okuda taking a break. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
SETH. ONO'U Festival 2016. Raiatea, Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Seth's Raiatea mural is of a female mermaid-octopus holding a ship. "Her tentacles represent the other islands," says Martha.
Mast's sketch for his mural. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
MAST was channeling Brooklyn hard in Tahiti, with this shout out to the honeys back home, the subway at Franklin Avenue, and he reconfigured the train lines to reflect the letters of his crew - The Great Escape (TGE).
Mast in front of his finished wall. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Peeta. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Hoxxoh. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Marko at work on his mural. ONO'U Festival 2016. Raiatea, Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Paris-based Marko 93 was one of the most social and generous of the artists, says Martha."His jaguars are colorful crowd-pleasers," she says. "Marko had a very good rapport with the locals and cheerfully signed dozens of T-shirts for kids who took a graffiti workshop."
Marko with fans. ONO'U Festival 2016. Raiatea, Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Marko enjoying the locals, and vise versa. ONO'U Festival 2016. Raiatea, Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
NIKO & INKIE. ONO'U Festival 2016. Raiatea, Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Jobs & Abuzz. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
"Tribal Pursuit" is the name of this wall by Tahitians Jobs and Abuzz, named after the board game Trivial Pursuit. "The black lines are the Maquesa's cross," Martha says, and "the designs are the contradictions of old and modern traditions from Polynesia such as the 'head breaker' a traditional weapon and tiki, the sea animal because they are surrounded by water." The skull, of course, "represents the atomic tests."
Leon Keer. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
The master Leon Keer is pictured here with his wife assisting. Martha says that these figures are "Painting of robots arriving from the harbor." As usual, Mr. Keer's work blows your mind when it is completed and you are standing in just the right location.
Leon Keer. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Adnate. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Phat1 AKA Charles at work on his mural. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
"Charles is painting an Omamao bird endemic of Tahiti," says Martha, "and it is listed as a critically endangered species."
Why do you hear this same story in whatever part of the world you are in today? More importantly, are you doing anything about it?
Phat1 AKA Charles with help from Lady Diva AKA Jeanine Williams. ONO'U Festival 2016. Tahiti. (photo © Martha Cooper)
After the mural was finished, Martha says there was a blessing of the mural. Above you can see the minister in the photo above performing the blessing.
Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer's name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!
A version of this article is also posted on Brooklyn Street Art here. and here
Read all posts by Steven P. Harrington and Jaime Rojo on The Huffington Post HERE.
See new photos and read scintillating interviews every day on BrooklynStreetArt.com
Follow us on Instagram @bkstreetart
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.