Nikki Mariner

Nikki Mariner @manameaartstudio was born in Auckland to a Samoan father and Pākehā mother. She has no formal art education and until a few years ago, painting was a private and therapeutic hobby. Then she moved to Sāmoa founded the Manamea art studio and gallery with her husband Lalovai, an artist. 

Nikki was inspired to create artwork showcasing women’s stories because of the few professional female artists in the male-dominated Sāmoan art scene.

Bold colours and figures depict the experiences of brown women who balance traditional cultural norms with modern busy lives. Sisterhood, surviving trauma, and juggling multiple identities and roles are recurring themes in her work.

Nikki's unique style could be described as figurative and expressionistic. Her body of work produced in the last three years numbers around 70 works, with more than 55 pieces sold to private collections in Europe, the U.S.,  Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region. Nikki's work has been exhibited in Australia,  New Zealand,  Samoa and the U.S.

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