Jon Apisa
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pacificislandart.bsky.social
Jon Apisa
@pacificislandart.bsky.social
40 followers 3 following 210 posts
Painter + Drawing Artist  O tusiata, o le alofa mo ōlaga ma le tautua mo faʻaletagata  Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi @pasefika.bsky.social Pasefika.com
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Jon Apisa. Manulele i le Lāʻau | Manu o ka Lāʻau (Bird in the tree). 2025. graphite - paper, 4" x 5.75" (10.16cm x 14.605cm)
Bird:
Manu, Manulele - Sāmoa
Manu - Hawaiʻi, Māori, Niuē
Manu, Manupuna - Tonga
Manu, Manurere - Tahiti
Tree:
Lāʻau - Sāmoa, Hawaiʻi
‘Akau - Tonga
Rā‘au - Tahiti
Rākau - Māori
Jon Apisa. Lāʻau (Tree). 2025. graphite on paper, 4" x 5" (10.16cm x 12.7cm).

“Tree” is known as:
Lāʻau in Sāmoa
Lāʻau in Hawaiʻi
‘Akau in Tonga
Rā‘au in Tahiti
Rākau in Māori

#laau #art #tree #graphite #drawing #traditionalart #islandart
Jon Apisa. Siapo. 2025. watercolor on paper, 6" x 8.25" (15.24cm x 20.955cm).

Traditional Siapo is a Polynesian cultural art form known as:
Siapo in Sāmoa
Kapa in Hawaiʻi
Ngatu in Tonga
ʻAhu in Tahiti
Aute in Māori
Hiapo in Niue
Jon Apisa. Siapo. 2025. watercolor on paper, 6" x 8.25" (15.24cm x 20.955cm).

Traditional Siapo is a Polynesian cultural art form known as:
Siapo in Sāmoa
Kapa in Hawaiʻi
Ngatu in Tonga
ʻAhu in Tahiti
Aute in Māori
Hiapo in Niue

Traditional Siapo is also commonly referred to as:
Tapa
Jon Apisa. Fugālāʻau Toʻitoʻi | Pua Naupaka kahakai (Scaevola taccada flower). 2025. graphite on paper, 6" x 4" (15.24cm x 10.16cm).

Scaevola taccada (beach naupaka):
Toʻitoʻi - Sāmoa
Naupaka kahakai - Hawaiʻi
Ngahu - Tonga
ʻĀpata - Tahiti

Flower is:
Fuga or Fugālāʻau - Sāmoa
Pua - Hawaiʻi
Jon Apisa. Tī | Kī (Cordyline fruticosa). 2025. graphite on paper, 4" x 5" (10.16cm x 12.7cm).

Cordyline fruticosa is known as:
Tī in Sāmoa
Kī in Hawaiʻi
Sī in Tonga
ʻAutī in Tahiti
Tī pore in Māori

#ti #ki #si #auti #tipore #drawing #art
Jon Apisa. Timu | Ua (Rain). 2025. graphite on paper, 4" x 6" (10.16cm x 15.24cm).

“Rain” is:
Timu in Sāmoa
Ua in Hawaiʻi
ʻUha in Tonga
Ua in Tahitian
Ua in Māori
Jon Apisa. Mātala | Mōhala (open). 2025. colored pencil on paper, 4.5" x 4" (11.43cm x 10.6cm).

Open is known as:
Mātala in Sāmoa
Mōhala in Hawaiʻi
Matala in Tonga
Matara in Tahiti
Jon Apisa. Luko ma le Masina | ʻĪlio hae a me ka Mahina (wolf and the moon). 2025. ink on paper, 4" x 5" (10.16cm x 12.7cm).

canis lupus -wolf:
Luko - Sāmoa
ʻĪlio hae - Hawaiʻi
Ulofi - Tonga
Ruto - Tahiti
Wuruhi - Māori

Moon:
Masina - Sāmoa
Mahina - Hawaiʻi
Māhina - Tonga, Māori
ʻĀvaʻe - Tahitian
Jon Apisa. Masina | Mahina (Moon). 2025. gouache on paper, 3.5" x 5.25" (8.89cm x 13.335cm).

“Moon” is:
Masina in Sāmoa
Mahina in Hawaiʻi
Māhina in Tonga
ʻĀvaʻe in Tahitian
Māhina in Māori
Jon Apisa. Lā (Sun). 2025. gouache on paper, 5.25" x 3.5" (13.335cm x 8.89cm).

“Sun” is:
Lā in Sāmoan language
Lā in Hawaiʻian language
Laʻā in Tongan language
Rā in Tahitian language
Rā in Māori language

#la #ra #sun
Jon Apisa. Masina | Mahina (Moon). 2025. ink on paper, 4" x 5" (10.16cm x 12.7cm).

“Moon” is:
Masina in Sāmoa
Mahina in Hawaiʻi
Māhina in Tonga
ʻĀvaʻe in Tahitian
Māhina in Māori
Lā (Sun). 2025. graphite on paper, 3" x 5.5" (7.62cm x 13.97cm).

“Sun” is:
Lā in Sāmoan language
Lā in Hawaiʻian language
Laʻā in Tongan language
Rā in Tahitian language
Rā in Māori language
Paina (Araucaria heterophylla). 2025. graphite on paper, 5.5" x 3" (13.97cm x 7.62cm).

Araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk pine) is:
Lāʻau Paina in Sāmoa
Lāʻau Paina in Hawaiʻi
Paini in Tonga
Paina in Tahiti
Paina Māori

Araucaria heterophylla is also known as:
Norfolk Island pine
Lāʻau (Tree). 2025. graphite on paper, 5.5" x 3.5" (13.97cm x 8.89cm).

“Tree” is known as:
Lāʻau in Sāmoa
Lāʻau in Hawaiʻi
‘Akau in Tonga
Rā‘au in Tahiti
Rākau in Māori
Masina i le pō | Mahina o ka pō (Moon in the night). 2025. gouache on paper, 5.25" x 3.5" (13.335cm x 8.89cm).

“Moon” is:
Masina in Sāmoa
Mahina in Hawaiʻi
Māhina in Tonga
ʻĀvaʻe in Tahitian
Māhina in Māori

“Night” is:
Pō Sāmoa
Pō in Hawaiʻi
Pō in Tonga
Pō miti in Tahiti
Pō in Māori
O tusiata, o le alofa mo ōlaga ma le tautua mo faʻaletagata
Art is the love for life and the service for humanity

“What is art?” happens early and can take a lifetime.

I continue on the journey, creating art after years abandonment, this is my definition of my own effort to create art.
- Jon Apisa
Latalata, ʻae mamao | Kokoke, akā mamao (Near, yet far). 2025. acrylic on canvas, 2.5" x 2.5" (6.35cm x 6.35cm).

This painting shows Alpha 1 Capricorni and Alpha 2 Capricorni (Algedi) to convey the idea of how things may seem near to each other and yet there is a great distance between them.
Latalata, ʻae mamao | Kokoke, akā mamao (Near, yet far). 2025. gouache on paper, 5" x 3.5" (12.7cm x 8.89cm).

This gouache painting shows the optical double star Alpha 1 Capricorni and Alpha 2 Capricorni (Algedi)
oso aʻe le lā | Pukana lā (Sunrise). 2025. graphite on paper, 7.75" x 5" (16.51cm x 12.7cm).

“Sunrise” is:
oso aʻe le lā in Sāmoa
Pukana lā in Hawaiʻi
Ko e hopo ‘a e la‘ā in Tonga
Hiti o te mahana in Tahiti
Whitinga o te rā in Māori

#Sunrise #Sunriseart #oceanart #oceandrawing #drawing #art
Lāʻau Paina (Araucaria heterophylla). 2025. graphite on paper, 3" x 5.5" (7.62cm x 13.97cm).

Araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk pine) is:
Lāʻau Paina in Sāmoa
Lāʻau Paina in Hawaiʻi
Paini in Tonga
Paina in Tahiti
Paina Māori

Araucaria heterophylla is also known as:
Norfolk Island pine
Tamaʻi moa | moa keiki (baby chicken| Gallus gallus). 2025. graphite on paper, 6.5" x 3.5" (16.51cm x 8.89cm).

baby chicken | Gallus gallus (baby chicken) is:
Tamaʻi moa in Sāmoa
moa keiki in Hawaiʻi
Kiʻi moa in Tonga
Moa fanauʻa in Tahiti
Pī heihei Māori
Punua moa in Niuē
Manulele | Manu (Bird | Aves). 2025. graphite on paper, 5" x 3.5" (12.7cm x 8.89cm).

“Bird” (Aves) is:
Manu, Manulele in Sāmoa
Manu in Hawaiʻi
Manu, Manupuna in Tonga
Manu, Manurere in Tahiti
Manu in Māori
Manu in Niuē
Jon Apisa. Pua | Kiele (Gardenia). 2025. graphite on paper, 7.75 x 5" (19.685cm x 12.7cm).

Gardenia is:
Pua in Sāmoa
Kiele, Nāʻū, Nānū in Hawaiʻi
Siale in Tonga
Tiare in Tahiti

Gardenia taitensis is:
Pua Sāmoa in Sāmoa
Tiare Tahiti or Tiare in Tahiti

Gardenia brighamii is:
Nāʻū or Nānū - Hawaiʻi
Jon Apisa. Pua | Kiele (Gardenia). 2025. watercolor on paper, 7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm).

Gardenia is:
Pua - Sāmoa
Kiele, Nāʻū, Nānū - Hawaiʻi
Siale - Tonga
Tiare - Tahiti

Gardenia taitensis is:
Pua Sāmoa - Sāmoa
Tiare Tahiti or Tiare - Tahiti

Gardenia brighamii is:
Nāʻū or Nānū - Hawaiʻi