About Jazzo
Talofa lava, Fakaalofa lahi atu.
I'm Jazz Faleva'ai-Mose, an Australian-born Samoan and Niuean multidisciplinary Pasifika artist whose practice explores culture, identity, and belonging through contemporary art.
Growing up in Australia, I often found myself navigating the space between the traditions I inherited and the world I was growing up in. Like many children of the Pasifika diaspora, my understanding of culture wasn't formed in one place—it was woven through family gatherings, language, food, music, faith, and the quiet rituals that become part of who we are.
Today, those moments continue to shape everything I create.
A Practice of Teu le Vā
One of the guiding philosophies behind my practice is the Samoan value of teu le vā—to nurture and care for the relationships and sacred spaces that connect us.
Within my practice, teu le vā is expressed through the responsibility I feel towards the artistic traditions of my ancestors. It is a commitment to honouring Pasifika artisanal practices with care, respect, and integrity.
Rather than borrowing motifs for their aesthetic qualities alone, I believe they deserve to be understood.
Every pattern carries a history. Every motif holds knowledge.
They are visual expressions of identity, genealogy, place, and story.
For this reason, I approach my practice as both an artist and a lifelong learner. Through research, conversations with community, cultural practitioners, and knowledge holders, I continually deepen my understanding of the traditions that inspire my work. This process reminds me that creating contemporary Pasifika art is not simply about making—it is about listening, learning, and carrying knowledge forward with care.
To practise teu le vā is to recognise that these artistic traditions are not mine to redefine, but to respectfully engage with. My hope is that every artwork contributes to the ongoing life of our cultures by honouring those who came before us while creating space for future generations to connect with them in meaningful and contemporary ways.
Carrying Culture Forward
Working across painting, printmaking, pyrography, textiles, and installation, my practice celebrates contemporary Pasifika identity through storytelling.
Inspired by traditional visual languages, nostalgic family moments, and cultural knowledge, I create works that invite people to pause, reflect, and reconnect—with culture, with community, and with themselves.
Rather than preserving culture as something fixed in time, I believe our stories remain alive because we continue to tell them.
In a world that is constantly changing, understanding how we respectfully carry our cultural practices forward is essential—not only for our generation, but for those who will come after us. Through my work, I hope to contribute to that ongoing journey, honouring the knowledge of our ancestors while creating space for contemporary Pasifika stories to flourish.
My Hope
I create because I believe our stories deserve to be seen, our traditions deserve to be understood, and our cultures deserve to continue evolving with care.
If my work encourages even one person to reconnect with their identity, ask questions about our traditions, or feel a little closer to home, then it has fulfilled its purpose.
"Honouring the past. Creating for the present. Carrying culture into the future."