An accomplished artist has returned to Samoa after 27 years, where his journey into art was inspired and he wants to share with Samoans his creative skill and art. 

Galumalemana Steven Percival, a researcher of Samoa’s cultural heritage and a co-founder of the Tiapapata Arts Center, said this would be a lovely experience for art lovers who are interested in new ways of creative expression.

“The artist is quite an accomplished artist from the United States and he came to Samoa as a young man at the age of 16 years old, lived in Samoa for about 10 months, 27 years ago,” said Galumalemana.

The visiting artist James Keul is a Durham-based artist with active plein air and studio practices. In his contemporary plein air watercolour paintings, Mr. Keul is able to skillfully blend meticulous observation and render with instinctive responsiveness to both the medium and the surrounding elements.

“James enjoys the cross-pollination of artistic mediums, using his understanding of nature to inform his artwork and his advanced knowledge of colour, form, and design principles to inform his gardening practice. James’s art also encompasses murals, printmaking, and graphic storytelling,” he said.

“Samoa made such an impact on his life that his trip to Samoa now as a grown man and artist is a rediscovery of what made such an impactful experience for him that has changed his life in a way and he is expressing it in his art from what he observes in Samoa via the culture, the language and the environment.

"This art exhibition will reflect his work on what he sees today and in his mind he is always thinking of what he saw 27 years ago and this art exhibition is called 27 years later.” 

He will be conducting a workshop on Saturday for those who are interested in learning about monotype printing which is a fascinating way of expressing art in two dimensions onto paper. 

They will open the art exhibition called "27 Years Later" at the Tiapapata Art Gallery this Saturday at 2.00 pm and invite anyone who would like to take part in the Monotype Printing Workshop. The entry to the exhibition is free and to participate in the workshop, the cost is $40 per person. 

Those who participate will have to come with creative ideas and a learning mind to observe and produce some work, according to the organisers.