Via Tuimaseve

Artist
Master of Visual Arts
Bachelor of Visual Arts

For Via Tuimaseve, deciding to study art and design at university was easy and she has since completed both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in visual arts.

“Art was the only subject that felt like home, and comfort is a big factor for me in anything I do. It felt like the art form closest to how I saw my thoughts being expressed with clarity. My high school art teacher recommended that I study at AUT, so I decided to apply for AUT’s Bachelor of Visual Arts.”

But that would only be the start of her AUT journey.

“I completed my Bachelor of Visual Arts at the end of 2019 and then joined the Master of Visual Arts programme in 2021. I decided to come back to study because I realised in my time away that I needed a bit more backing for myself and a master’s degree was the best choice to achieve this.”

Sharing a glimpse of her world
For her Master of Visual Arts research, Via decided to focus on her upbringing and all the love it taught her.

“My family are my everything and they’re the most relevant knowledge holders in any area of my life. Our shared lived experiences, as a family and as individuals, have been a gold mine I didn’t realise we had all been sitting on for so long. It only felt fitting to share a small glimpse into our world, speaking and bringing to life a language only we spoke.”

She was impressed by the support of her supervisors from AUT’s School of Art and Design.

“My supervision team was made up of two angels, Dieneke Jansen and Dr Nooroa Tapuni.”

The right choice
If you’re passionate and ready to commit to being consumed by studio life, visual arts is a great choice, Via says.

“As a visual arts student, you spend hours upon hours with your studio crew, and will form bonds you keep for life on those nights of completing and critiquing as a crew. There’s a lot of support within the visual arts department – during my study I faced two incredibly significant losses and a few of our visual arts staff carried me through both times.”

She says joining the master’s programme was the greatest decision she made.

“I was capable of growing so much as an arts practitioner and in the process have connected with a few of my cohort who I’ll be keeping for life. In completing the master’s degree, I feel so ready to start sharing my practice beyond the tertiary landscape.”