Tuffery became aware of Manukau’s bird population and local birdlore while living there in 2005. Fascinated by New Zealand’s geological history as a singular landmass (a vaka) and natural sanctuary for a vast array of bird species, Tuffery draws on his own associations to Samoa and to cars as symbols of migration (urban vaka). These contemplations have been the subject of many recent works and animations and are part of a trajectory which involves Tuffery continuing to refine his printmaking techniques as well as working more diversely and collaboratively with other artists.
“Everything I see, feel and hear, has an impact on my compositions, especially architecture and music. I want the audience to hear the images as well as see them. The lines that I carve, are for the dynamic of my work, these come from the veins of banana leaves and the strapping in Polynesian fale’s (houses). The shimmer in this dynamic, trap’s light in a way to form a unique frequency. This frequency is me.”
