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Talei Lange |
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From: Fiji Times Online (3 November 2008) For Talei Lange Art is Anything By: Geraldine Panapasa
HER artwork says a lot about who she is but Talei Lange is more than just the doll face in her self-portraits. The 19-year old Year 12 student at Suva's International School is an aspiring artist and painter. She displayed her work at the school's annual art exhibition last week and was considered one of the best. Of German and Rotuman decent, Talei was born in Fiji but her colourful life growing up was centered either in Kiribati, Cyprus, Samoa and Germany. Younger of two, her mother Agnes Kafoa hails from Motusa in Rotuma. Her German father Peter Lange is a former ship captain. Talei's creativity and interest in art started at a young age and now she hopes to become an animator for Walt Disney. "My father works for a German shipping company and manages sea men. I was fortunate to grow up in different places and being exposed to different cultures," she said. "When I was younger, I used to watch a lot of cartoons which is why I wanted to become an animator. "I attended primary school at International in Suva then Primary Grammar in Cyprus. I spent some of my secondary school years at Logos School in Cyprus and then here at International. "The influence for my art is from my imagination. It's like if I see something or if an idea pops up, I work around that imagination or idea." A self-portrait holding a camera with a pinkish background speaks volumes of the young artist. Talei said the idea behind the portrait is how a smile can break language barriers. There are times when she goes through a "blocked" phase and can't draw or paint. But the feeling fades when her mood for creative art comes into play. She said painting or drawing is never easy and whenever she's finished with a piece there is always something missing. And when she does realise the missing bit, it becomes an idea for another artwork. "When I do that piece, it links with the previous piece. The other self-portrait with the jacket covering part of my face is called insecure," she said. "It's about me being very insecure and lacking self confidence. The black background is the insecurity and the jacket is my protection from these insecurities. "Painting or drawing is like a poem and people can have different interpretations about the artwork. "If they get the meaning and idea behind a particular artwork than that's great." For Talei, painting and drawing is a world she can escape into to find solace from the harsh realities of life. While many people see beauty on the outside, Talei finds that her artwork is a "protective bubble" that makes her happy. She's considered taking her artwork to a professional level after high school but has her eyes set on studying international relations and diplomacy. "My memories and experiences growing up inspire my work like the feet painting which depict the fond memories I had growing up in Kiribati along the beach," she said. "I'd like to stay in Fiji for another year, maybe attend the University of the South Pacific and then go over to New Zealand. "In the meantime, my advice for aspiring artists is to use their imagination and whatever they are feeling into their artwork. "Art is anything." She hopes to work for the United Nations in international relations and diplomacy.
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