Teuane Tibbo (1895-1984) was born in Sāmoa and is regarded as one of the key figures in the development of contemporary Pacific art in Aotearoa. With no formal training, Tibbo only began to paint at the age of 69, after Pat Hanly introduced her to gallerist Barry Lett in 1964. Despite this late start, Tibbo produced a significant body of work, painting floral scenes and depictions of island life in a richly colourful pictorial style.

Tibbo’s paintings recall memories of her time living in different Pacific Islands including Sāmoa and Fiji, before she migrated to New Zealand in 1945. In Untitled (1972), Tibbo paints an abundant arrangement of red, pink, white and yellow blossoms against a tropical backdrop. Tibbo celebrates the lush flora of the Pacific with her stylised palm trees and red hibiscus flowers – the simplified forms and vivid palette evoking a joyful, almost childlike appreciation of nature. The result is a lively celebration of growth and vitality, rendered with expressive confidence and warmth.

Tibbo passed away in 1984, and her work has continued to grow in critical esteem posthumously.