In 1995, Lemi Ponifasio created the MAU group in New Zealand, forming the basis for his philosophical approach and his work with communities. In Samoan, MAU means “solemn statement of the truth” and “revolution”. His multi-facetted work has been presented in factories, isolated villages, schools and island “marae”, as well as in European and American festivals and institutions.
In 2013 he created MAU Wahine in order to work with Maori women on their vision of the world through art, then MAU Mapuche in Chile where he worked with a community of Mapuche First People. In 2017, after working for twenty years with young Kanaky artists in New Caledonia, he set up the Theatre Du Kanaky.
His work has been performed in major world theatres and festivals including Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, the Holland Festival, the Lincoln Center in New York, the Avignon Festival and the Edinburgh International Festival.
The artistic universe of Samoan director, choreographer and activist Lemi Ponifasio is characterised by a pared-back, slowed-down aesthetic. A pioneering artist on the boundary between dance and theatre, his conception of art transcends the barriers between genres and cultures. He relies on the power of images, movement and the dynamic interactions between light and shadow.