In 2025, almost 30 years after he was sent to Mildura to live with family and work in an orange orchard, Kalisolaite ‘Uhila revisited the Australian city during a residency.

In 1997, Mildura proved to be a turning point for ‘Uhila, sending his life on a different trajectory: Instead of fruit picking and with it the hardship of manual labour and predetermined class existence, his aunt and uncle decided to send him back to school, where he first connected with the freedom and joy of subcultures, and – crucially – with art.

In returning to Mildura, ‘Uhila not only retraces a formative period of his life but also reconsiders how acts of labour, masculinity, and care continue to shape his artistic practice. Through durational performances, such as Fakahoko, and personal reflection, he transforms everyday gestures/acts and objects into meditations on endurance and kinship.

In 2026, with the exhibition Koe Tenga tete to tete Utu pe koia (the seed you sow you will reap) held at both Te Uru, Aotearoa, and at UNSW Galleries, Australia, ‘Uhila recapitulates 27 years of artistic practice, reflecting on gestures of hospitality, on family and togetherness/belonging, and on growth. Koe Tenga tete to tete Utu pe koia reflects on our links to the past, to collective histories and trauma. It considers how we grow through personal perseverance, unexpected opportunities, and new encounters.

The proverb “the seed you sow you will reap” resonates throughout the exhibition, suggesting that every act – of labour, kindness, or rebellion – carries a potential return. In Mildura’s orchards, this idea takes on literal form, while in ‘Uhila’s art, it becomes a philosophy of care, persistence, and transformation. The scent of citrus, the rhythm of wheels on concrete – such details from ‘Uhila’s youth reappear in the exhibition space, evoking the resilience and tenderness that underpin his artistic practice. In this story, oranges become tokens of love and care, while skateboarding references freedom and escapism.

Koe Tenga tete to tete Utu pe koia is an invitation into an intimate moment and the setting of ‘Uhila’s past and artistic practice – the exhibition becomes a space where memory, labour, and love intertwine, reflecting how the seeds of our past continue to bear fruit in unexpected ways.

Presented in partnership with UNSW Galleries, Bidjigal/Gadigal Country, Sydney, Australia.

IMAGE | Robert George