Pacific artists fundraise for child cancer work

Tongan Artists Glen Wolfgramm, Visesio Siasau and Fijiian artist Joshua Toganivalu are among the ten artists from New Zealand and around the Pacific are helping doctors travel around the region for child cancer.

Orexart gallery's Pacific Currents exhibition in Auckland is showcasing contemporary artists and their works for sale, with a portion going towards a charity.

The New Zealand registered World Child Cancer Charitable Trust will benefit from the art sales.

Trust chairman, Simon Lala said they help medical staff with travel to Tonga, Fiji and Samoa to assist with child cancer work and training.

"And that was the driving force behind setting up the charitable Trust was to get children up into the Pacific an early and get a better diagnosis and access to treatment," he said.

"And so the money that we raise funds projects going and is for doctors to go up there in their own time and do some training of the doctors up there, so that the doctors up there can provide a better service."

Simon Lala said they hope to extend their work to include Papua New Guinea.

 

Photo by: Pataka Art Museum/ anetonga.com (Art by artist Glen Wolfgramm)