Leafa Wilson/ Olga Krause b. 1966, New Zealand-born Samoan (Vaimoso/ Siumu/Fasito’otai) Leafa Wilson’s artistic career spans over 30 years. Whilst known mostly as a curator, Wilson is known mostly for her curatorial career, independently and also as the Waikato Museum curator of art from 2004 – 2021, she is also an established multimedia performance artist whose work has been included in numerous group and solo exhibitions, nationally and internationally. Her performance practice is often endurance-based, and open source when working in a communal space. Wilson often performs with daughters Faith and Olive (Fili 2015, Enjoy Gallery). In 2019, Wilson collaborated with noted London-based performance artist, Helena Goldwater at Raven Row Gallery Space, facilitated by the Moku Collective. Wilson’s works often include reiterated motifs and props such as musical instruments, blue tarpaulin and light sources, and allusions to the unseen. Her work ‘This Ain’t No Disco, was performed during the opening night of Still Like Air I Rise (2017, Ngutu Kākā Gallery (formerly ST Paul St Gallery) Auckland curated by Charlotte Huddleston and Abby Cunnane). More recently, her works were part of the group exhibition Creation Stories at Gus Fisher Gallery, Michael Lett in Auckland, 2022, curated by Dr Karamia Muller and Simon Denny, and in ‘Motherland/Homeland’ 2023, at Hoea! Whare Whaakaata Toi, Turanganuiakiwa curated by Bonni Tamati of Samoa House Library, Tāmaki Makaurau. Wilson is represented in public and private collections.
