On 29 September 2009, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake ruptured the seafloor south of Sāmoa and generated a tsunami that inundated the coasts of Sāmoa, American Samoa and Niuatoputapu in northern Tonga. Over the following days, months and years, residents worked to rebuild villages and repair damaged properties, while knowing that as well as the risk of further tsunamis, their lives would be impacted by rising sea levels and soil salination caused by climate change. In this tribute, John Vea tries to keep the sea from rushing towards the shore by constructing a wall of breeze blocks on a Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland beach – yet this act is futile, with the power of the waves constantly battering the makeshift structure. Rising tides and warming oceans are evidence of the massive impact climate change will bring for all of us, and this region in particular.

He Kapuka Oneone – A Handful of Soil (from August 2024)