'Kalisolaite ‘Uhila: Koe tenga tete to tete utu pe koia' opens with a durational performance that marks the artist’s return to a formative period shaped by labour, migration and community. Drawing on ‘Uhila’s teenage years living and working in Mildura, Australia, the performance revisits the orange orchard as a site of physical labour and a place where ideas of masculinity, care and belonging were first negotiated.

At the centre of the gallery, oranges are arranged on a circular plinth alongside blue cushions and napkins bearing the artist’s signature. During the performance, ‘Uhila peels each orange by hand, offering slices to visitors who pause, sit and spend time together. The slow, repetitive action echoes the rhythms of orchard work, transforming labour into an act of hospitality and generosity. Conversation, stillness and shared presence emerge through this simple exchange.

The gesture reflects the proverb Koe tenga tete to tete utu pe koia (the seed you sow you will reap) which resonates throughout the exhibition. Each offered orange becomes a quiet meditation on how acts of work, care and resistance accumulate over time, carrying the potential for unexpected returns.

Following the opening performance, the plinth, oranges, cushions and napkins remain in the gallery for the duration of the exhibition. Visitors are invited to return to the work in their own time, sitting, resting and sharing an orange independently. In this way, the performance extends beyond its initial moment, allowing everyday gestures to unfold across the exhibition period.

The work reflects on ‘Uhila’s experiences of migration, family and collective histories formed through labour in Mildura, alongside the artist’s early encounters with art and subcultural networks. Through the recurring scent of citrus and the embodied act of offering, memory is carried forward as material, gesture and shared experience.

Koe tenga tete to tete utu pe koia explores how labour, tenderness and togetherness intertwine, revealing how the seeds of the past—sown through work, care and community—continue to bear fruit in the present.

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Presented in conjunction with the exhibition, 'Kalisolaite ’Uhila: Koe tenga tete to tete utu pe koia', at UNSW Galleries from 29 May – 16 August 2026.