Traditional Siapo Experience

OVERVIEW

Visit the studio of an artist that is a master of siapo, the art of painting nature-inspired patterns on bark cloth. This decorative art has become a symbol of Samoan culture as you will discover at the Regina Meredith Art Studio in the village of Leone. A fourth-generation siapo artist, Regina will show you how the cloth is prepared from the inner bark of mulberry trees. It is a complicated process as the bark must be soaked in water to keep it malleable, scraped with clam shells to remove impurities, pounded flat and glued to other pieces of bark cloth to make a canvas, which is then dried and stretched. Natural dyes are used for paint; the main colors being brown, black, yellow and red. The designs are always abstract or geometric. Besides seeing a collection of Regina’s extraordinary works, you will create your own piece siapo art in a hands-on class under her direction..

HIGHLIGHTS

• Delve into the traditional Samoan art of siapo at a master artist’s studio.
• Learn about the long history of siapo and how it has evolved over time.
• See how the bark-cloth canvas is created from the inner bark of mulberry trees.
• Paint your own souvenir siapo picture in a hands-on class at the studio.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.