PORTRAITS

Ginette Mo’orea is all about the people we meet and friendships created over the years. In these series of interviews, we introduce you to personalities that are as different as they are solar. Locals, artists, craftsmen and lovers of French Polynesia...
 

  • President of the Polynesian Art Crafts Association and the Polynesian Art Jewelry Association. She is a wonderful craftswoman at the Pape'ete market and owner of Fauura Créations.

    Discover her interview.

  • From his years spent managing the Tetiaroa Marlon Brando hotel, Jean-Louis is now dedicated to managing Ginette Mo’orea. A true enthusiast of Polynesian craftsmanship, he is the ultimate guide to finding the most charming and authentic artisanal pieces.

    Discover his interview.

  • Owner of Manapearl.

    Interview coming soon.

Fauura Bouteau

President of the Association of Polynesian Art Crafts and of the Association of Polynesian Art Jewellery. Craftswoman at the Pape'ete market.

“My name is Fauura, I work in local craftsmanship and commerce, however the best job for me is to be a mother. I have three children, six grandchildren and a great-grandson.”

Ginette Mo’orea: What can you tell us about the craftsmanship of each island? Why is it essential to the Polynesian culture?

Fauura Bouteau: Why? To live! The inhabitants of these islands need this craft to live and to help the economy of each island. In the Marquesas for instance, they work with wood and stone. In the Australs, basketry. In the Tuamotus, the seashells...

Now let's talk about Tahiti and the Leeward Islands (i.e. Raiatea, Huahine, Maupiti, and Bora Bora); the craftsmanship is recent on these islands. In Maupiti, for example, we work with shellfish and are just beginning to be able to live from it. In Bora Bora, tourism reigns supreme. Craftsmanship in Tahiti is about evolution, we transform mother-of-pearl, we dress basketry, we modernize the Tifaifai... And why? So that we can make a living.

My own craft, I made it. I lived in France for 12 years and when I returned, I noticed that craftsmanship in Tahiti had deteriorated a bit. I would see some shell necklaces it was vulgar, there was no proper finish. Nobody told them that we had to have quality in these things for them to travel beyond. That's when I thought there was something to do and that's how I got into crafts and jewelry making.

GM: Is there a lucky charm to bring back from French Polynesia? If so, which one?

FB: It's us, our kindness. Everyone tells me “how people are so kind in Polynesia” so I think this is the thing to bring back with you, us, so as not to forget us.

GM: Where do you think is the most beautiful place in Polynesia?

FB: Tahiti and her islands. Why? Because when I go to the islands, everywhere I go I like to listen to people talking about their island, they love their island so much. I listen to them and when I come back to Tahiti I think of them, they are cut off from the world but they love their island. Tahiti and her islands are the most beautiful places in the world.

GM: Your favorite dish?

FB: A dish from my childhood! Grilled fish on driftwood. It's a taste you don't find just anywhere. This is a dish from my childhood in Tautira in my village; my uncle had a net and caught fish. He asked us to collect the driftwood to make a fire and would skewer the fish on it.

GM: One thing not to be missed?

FB: The Heiva, the party. Don't miss this. People are beautiful. When you are Polynesian, you would not miss this for the world, when you look at their faces, you notice how they seem to forget everything while dancing, they are incredibly present in that moment.

GM: Which island inspires you the most?

FB: All of them. However, there are two stunning places in Tahiti: the peninsula on the Teahupo’o side where surfers go, as well as the Tautira side. Why? Because it's all green. There are no houses in the mountains yet, it is like a blank canvas. It's called Fenua Aihere, it's the land that is covered with bush, greenery. It is the most beautiful place here in Tahiti, otherwise, as I mentioned, I love all the islands.

GM: One of the best-kept secrets of these islands?

FB: The thing that we should hold onto is the magic, the mana. I brought you an engraved stone, this is the mana of my home, of my ancestors. It is a stone in my village that is made to capture the enemy. I treasure it. The story of my village that I share with you is magic, the mana.

GM: A song and/or a smell most representative of the islands?

FB: It's my mom's scent. It will remain engraved in me all my life. My mom would send us until I was about 20 years old to look for plants, more precisely fragrant flowers. The flowers depend on the seasons. For example, right now there is gardenia tina, ylang-ylang. My mother would take a small piece of each flower, would make a bouquet, and on Sundays when she would go to mass, it was her perfume. The scent stays with me until today. The songs of the Heiva. These distant and joyful songs give me goosebumps.

GM: Who do you think is the next person we should interview?

FB: A young couple who makes crafts here in Tahiti.