Orama Nigou
Resident in 2025
In September 2025, Orama Nigou will inaugurate the NOHO residency as its first laureate. An emerging artist and researcher from French Polynesia, she began her study at the Centre des Métiers de la Polynésie française before continuing her studies in textile design in mainland France.
Her work, deeply rooted in Polynesian cultural heritage, gives a central place to the feather. It takes shape through the creation of textile objects, often activated through installations or performances. Nourished by themes of memory and transmission, her practice explores the intimacy of the creative process, self-making, and the necessary transformation of the human being.
During her time at NOHO, she will develop a new project that extends her research on feather techniques inspired by potential remnants of the maro’ura. Two key paths will be explored: eliminating the support and becoming the support. The first will take the form of sculptural embroidery, isolating the sewing gesture to create floating objects. The second introduces this gesture into performance, with the body becoming the support that deepens the intimacy between the maker and the creation. This project will unfold through live performances, remnants of performances, as well as video, photography, and material installations.
Her research and creative work have already led her to collaborate with institutions such as the Musée de Tahiti et des Îles and the musée du quai Branly. She has also completed a residency at the Cité internationale des arts and participated in major cultural events like the European Night of Museums and Nuit Blanche in Paris. In addition, she regularly contributes to group exhibitions in galleries.
The NOHO residency will officially open its doors in September 2025, as a pilot edition. It aims to host artists from across the Pacific, offering a creative space conducive to the development of plural artistic forms and diverse practices. The next call for applicants will open in march 2026.
To learn more about Orama Nigou and her work, please visit :
https://www.facebook.com/OramaNoRaiatea/
https://www.instagram.com/orama.nigou/
