GREGORY BOISSY
Te Farereira’a-the encounter

Until 1989, the Austral Islands in Polynesia organized a festival bringing together the inhabitants of the archipelago's five islands.
The event was then put on hold until November 2022. Te Farereira'a brought together nearly 500 people for five days in Tubuai. Each of the Polynesian archipelagos has its own personality and characteristics in terms of art and culture. What at first glance appears to be a uniform territory is, in reality, “a sea of islands,” in the words of Tongan thinker Epeli Hau'ofa. Each island resonates with its own particularities and worldview. The people photographed, residing in Rurutu, Tubuai, Rapa, Raivavae, and Rimatara, agreed to be photographed before or after performing on stage in traditional costume. This series of portraits is the first step in a long-term documentary project on the cultural expression of the Polynesian archipelagos, which will continue in the Marquesas, the Leeward Islands, and the Tuamotu Islands.

Author
I live and work in French Polynesia. My work is mainly editorial and for the press. I am a founding member of the Paris-based photo news agency IP3 PRESS, created in 2005. I was the photo correspondent for Agence France Presse – Getty Images for Polynesia from 2006 to 2019. I was a photographer for Les Nouvelles de Tahiti from 2006 to 2014. I collaborated with Tahiti Pacifique magazine in 2015 and 2016, and again from 2020 to 2023. I was a photojournalist for Tahiti Infos from 2020 to 2022. Since 2006, I have also collaborated with the magazines of the Polynesian airlines Air Tahiti Nui and Air Tahiti, as well as with the Tahiti Tourism Agency and Honuatere, the tourism magazine.

Website
https://www.gregoryboissy.com/

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