Sioeli, The Tongan Lad

Artist Benjamin Work presents Sioeli, The Tongan Lad, a new video installation created during his Auckland Museum residency, exploring courage, remembrance and connection across Aotearoa and the Moana.

Benjamin Work: Sioeli, The Tongan Lad

ON NOW UNTIL MAR 31, OPEN TUES - THURS, 10AM to 3PM
AUCKLAND MUSEUM RESEARCH LIBRARY TE PĀTAKA MĀTĀPUNA

During his three-month residency as the Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist in Residence at Auckland Museum, Benjamin Work examined manuscripts, journals, missionary correspondence, and illustrations from the Museum’s Documentary Heritage collections.

His research led him to the 1840 account of Sioeli (Joel), a young Tongan man who drowned alongside Reverend John Bumby between Rangitoto and Tiritiri Matangi. Among the materials he studied was Bumby’s handwritten book of prayers, recovered from the upturned waka and still marked by water damage.

Banner and right image: From Sioeli, The Tongan Lad, photography by Raymond Sagapolutele

Through video and sound, Sioeli, The Tongan Lad reconstructs the tragedy using fragments of survivor diaries and historical records, drawing viewers into a reflective space between memory and imagination. The work acknowledges Sioeli’s courage and restores his name and his home, Vava'u to history and is on display now in the Museum’s Research Library, located on Level 2.

Sioeli, The Tongan Lad is presented as part of the Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist Residency, delivered in collaboration with Creative New Zealand.

The Research Library is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 3pm. 

Handwritten book of prayers, belonging to Reverend J.H. Bumby, saved from upturned canoe at the time of his drowning, June 26, 1840. Part of the Smales, Gideon. Papers, 1822-1971. Collection of Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. MS-530.

About Benjamin Work

Benjamin Work is the 2025 Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist in Residence. He is an artist of Tongan and Scottish heritage based in Tāmaki Makaurau. His practice draws from Tongan cultural history, Indigenous mark-making, and visual language systems. His work spans installation, sculpture and painting, often exploring themes of identity, narrative, and cultural memory. Benjamin has exhibited nationally and internationally and is known for his exploration at the intersection of Faka-Tonga (Tongan way) and Faka-Pālangi (European way) in contemporary art spaces.

About the Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist Residency

The Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist Residency, is delivered in collaboration with Creative New Zealand, and provides a unique three-month opportunity to create new work inspired by Auckland Museum’s Documentary Heritage collections, promising to bring fresh perspectives and vibrant narratives to our cultural treasures.

These collections are diverse in both format and time-period, consisting of manuscript, ephemera, oral history, photographic and works on paper from the 18th century to today. The heart of the Documentary Heritage collections beats strongest in the stories of Māori and the Pacific, the history of the greater Auckland region, and experiences in global conflicts and explorations.

The Residency stands as a vital component of the Museum’s Matafatafa Aho Five-Year Pacific Delivery Plan. This initiative highlights the Museum’s commitment as a kaitiaki of one of the most significant Pacific collections in the world. By fostering a proactive and dynamic approach, we aim to forge deeper connections with Pasifika communities and the collections. This residency is not just about art; it’s a powerful platform for collaboration, innovation, and the vibrant expression of identity, ancestry and culture.