When Love Became Pattern: Kupesi a Lomu and Ngatu ‘Uli at The Civic
- Taro Patch Creative
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
At the New Zealand premiere of LOMU at The Civic, Jonah Lomu’s story extended beyond the cinema screen and into the building itself.
Tongan artist Dr Sione Faletau was commissioned to create Kupesi a Lomu, meaning Lomu’s Patterns, a one of a kind digital artwork formed from the voices of Jonah and his parents.
A kupesi is a traditional Tongan pattern used in the creation of ngatu, or tapa cloth. For generations, kupesi have carried stories, genealogy and cultural identity.
Through his artistic practice, Dr Faletau has pioneered a process that transforms sound into kupesi. He extracts the waveforms and frequencies found within recorded voices and translates them into patterns grounded in Tongan visual language. It is a powerful way of making the unseen visible and giving physical form to memories, words and emotions.
“It is with deep honour and humility that I acknowledge the Lomu family for entrusting me with these unique voices to create the kupesi artwork for the film premiere in Aotearoa. This is not a responsibility I take lightly. In Tongan culture, names hold immense significance, carrying the legacy of generations past and connecting us to our ancestors. For this reason, every element of this work was approached with the highest level of respect, care, and cultural responsibility. I am sincerely grateful to Vea Mafile’o for the opportunity to contribute to such a historic occasion and to be part of this moment in history, marking time and space through this meaningful gesture. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Sith Douang Kham Chanh for his expertise in projection mapping, whose technical artistry and dedication helped bring this vision to life. Mālō 'aupito to everyone involved in making this moment possible. It has been a privilege to contribute to a project that honours legacy, culture, and storytelling in such a powerful way” Sione Faletau
Mrs Hepi Lomu gave her blessing for these personal family recordings to be shared through the artwork and for it to carry the name Kupesi a Lomu.
For filmmaker Vea Mafile’o, commissioning the artwork was about creating an experience that honoured Jonah as more than a global sporting icon. It needed to reflect the Tongan son, brother and father at the centre of the film.
“We wanted the premiere to honour the whole of Jonah and acknowledge his journey into Pulotu. His photographs, jerseys and trophies represented the global icon, while the voices of Jonah and his parents, transformed into kupesi beneath the ngatu ‘uli, brought us closer to the Tongan son deeply loved by his family. The installation created a space between worlds, allowing us to feel Jonah’s presence in Pulotu before entering his story.” Vea Mafile’o
Voices woven into the artwork
Kupesi a Lomu was created from recordings of Jonah and his family speaking in Tongan.
In one recording, his mother, Mrs Hepi Lomu, reflects on the deep love she holds for her son:
“Oku ou manatu ʻofa ki ai ʻi he taimi kotoa. ʻOku ʻikai ngalo ia. Ofa… ‘ofa… ‘ofa.”
“He is always in my thoughts and I will never forget him. Love, love, love."
The word ‘ofa, meaning love, is repeated:
“‘Ofa… ‘ofa… ‘ofa.”
Through Dr Faletau’s process, that expression of love becomes part of the artwork itself, carried within the lines, forms and repetition of the kupesi.
Jonah’s father can also be heard offering a prayerful blessing for his family and community:
“Ke hoko ‘a e Kilisimasi ‘o e ta’uni ko ha taimi fakafiefia kiate kitautolu kotoa, pea ke tau ma’u ha Ta’u Fo’ou Monū’ia mo Fonu Tapuekina”
"Let this year's Christmas be a joyous occasion for us all, and may the New Year bring blessings to everyone."
The work incorporates archival recordings of Jonah speaking in Tongan at different stages of his life. We hear him first as a young boy in Tonga and later as an adult, expressing gratitude to his family for their enduring love and support:
“Fakamālō lahi atu ‘i ho’o ‘ofa”
"Thank you for your love."
Beneath these voices, the original score from LOMU provides a gentle backdrop. Together, the voices and music connect family, memory, culture and legacy, creating an intimate portrait of the love that surrounded Jonah throughout his life.
Ngatu ‘Uli: A sacred fe‘unu of koloa faka-Tonga
At the centre of the installation was a significant ngatu ‘uli, or black barkcloth, named Hala Peau ‘o e Teau’i Nima. The fuatanga was made in Auckland between 2020 and 2021 and traces its lineage to Kolomotu‘a, the ancestral village of Jonah Lomu’s paternal family.
When filmmaker Vea Mafile’o asked what could help realise her vision for a Prelude to Pulotu in the foyer, Hala Peau ‘o e Teau’i Nima was offered in response as an act of care and generosity. It hung at The Civic throughout premiere week, grounding the space in Tongan tradition, mourning and passage.
Within Tongan tradition, ngatu ‘uli is a sacred and highly valued form of koloa faka-Tonga. It is reserved for Tongan Royalty, significant occasions and times of mourning. It may be used to honour the deceased as they lie in state before entering Pulotu, the Tongan ancestral realm.
Its presence at The Civic honoured Jonah’s passing, his connection to Kolomotu‘a and the legacy he continues to carry.
Hala Peau ‘o e Teau’i Nima was created through a collaborative community project involving more than 100 Tongan and wider community members living in Aotearoa, ranging in age from five to over 70 years old.
The work was named by Hon. Moheofo Virginia Tuita-Aleamotu‘a and was originally intended as a gift for Lady Dowager Tuna Fielakepa, the late wife of the Noble and Estate Holder of Kolomotu‘a.
Lady Dowager Tuna Fielakepa entrusted the ngatu back into the care of its tauhi or guardian, Alisi Tatafu, so it could be luva, shared and gifted back into the life of the wider Tongan community through significant occasions such as the premiere of LOMU.
This ngatu ‘uli is more than a physical artwork. It is a living knowledge system and a vital fe‘unu, or strand, weaving together collective labour, storytelling, community and ancestral continuity.
A second layer of koloa
On the morning of the premiere, a second ngatu was placed behind Hala Peau ‘o e Teau’i Nima, extending beneath it to give the installation greater length, depth and another layer of koloa.
This lau nima had previously been at risk of being discarded before it was rescued by its owner. In the week leading up to the premiere, it was carefully restored with the support of family and community members, transforming it into a regal and beautiful foundation for the foyer installation.
Placed behind the first ngatu ‘uli and dropping below it, the lau nima allowed the combined works to cover the full height of the foyer display. Its owner has since named the restored work Lau Nima a Lomu.
The meeting of these works emerged through response, collaboration and tauhi, allowing existing koloa to support and deepen a new digital artwork created in Jonah’s honour.
Bringing the works together at The Civic
Projection mapping specialist Sith Douang Kham Chanh worked alongside Dr Faletau to translate Kupesi a Lomu into an immersive installation within The Civic.
The digital kupesi was projected throughout the foyer and at the base of the layered ngatu, connecting patterns created from the voices of Jonah and his parents with the physical koloa. The projection reflected through to the ngatu ‘uli, allowing the works to meet in the space while each retained its own history and integrity.
The projected artwork and the ngatu ‘uli spoke directly to themes within the film, including Pulotu, mourning, memory, passage and the enduring connection between those who remain and those who have gone before.
As guests arrived, they moved through an environment filled with Jonah’s voice, the voices of his parents and the visual language created from their words. Every digital pattern projected beneath the ngatu ‘uli and in the foyer had been generated from those voices.
The installation formed a bridge between sound and image, past and present, family and public legacy. Before audiences encountered Jonah’s story on screen, they first encountered him through his language, genealogy, family and culture.
This was not simply an artwork created for a film premiere. It was a living tribute where love became sound, sound became pattern, and pattern became legacy.
Mālō ‘aupito to Mrs Hepi Lomu for entrusting us with these precious family voices, to Dr Sione Faletau for transforming them into such a powerful and uniquely Tongan tribute, and to Sith Douang Kham Chanh for bringing the digital work to life throughout The Civic.
We also acknowledge Hon. Moheofo Virginia Tuita-Aleamotu‘a, Lady Dowager Tuna Fielakepa and every community member whose care and contribution allowed these sacred koloa to be shared in honour of Jonah Lomu.
Ngatu acknowledgements: ‘Alisi Tatafu and Elizabeth C Taufa, known as Peti, are acknowledged as our kau finemātua mei falehanga. The creation of Hala Peau ‘o e Teau’i Nima was led by ‘Alisi Tatafu and Ebonie Fifita-Laufilitoga Maka alongside more than 100 community members. Lau Nima a Lomu is owned by Elizabeth C Taufa and was restored with the support of Ebonie Fifita-Laufilitoga Maka, Vitolio, Elizabeth C Taufa and Robert Mafile‘o.
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