Tanu Gago (MNZM) is an award-winning photographer, interdisciplinary artist, and filmmaker. He is a 2020 Arts Foundation Arts Laureate, 2020 CNZ Pacific Arts Contemporary Artist recipient, the 2014 Auckland Festival of Photography Annual Commission recipient, and the 2018 Macmillan Brown artist in residence. In 2019 Tanu was inducted into the order of merit, with Queen’s honors for services to Pacific arts and the LGBTQIA+ community. He is also the Creative New Zealand 2022 McCahon House Artist in residence and an artist in development with Piki films. A Samoan immigrant raised in South Auckland, Tanu is also the co–founder of Queer Indigenous Arts Collective FAFSWAG. In recent years Tanu has been working at the intersections of film, Queer activism, moving image, animation and AR interactivity with an interest in building restorative narratives for Queer Indigenous Moana audiences. He is the director of FAFSWAGVogue.com, an interactive documentary about ball culture in Auckland, New Zealand. His most recent project, ATUA is an augmented reality installation that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in 2022. Tanu has a number of screenplays in development, and recently received Catalyst funding for his short film Picking Crew.
