The stitched mat or fala su'i, 'Angel in pink', depicts two angels dressed rather stylishly in pale pink, heralding the central presence of a crucifix and bible. Around them abstracted birds and lightening bolts fill an aqua blue sky. The work is a striking example of the presence of Christian religious iconography in contemporary Samoan textile art. In his description of fala su'i, Roger Neich has noted: 'Designs range from simple to elaborate geometric shapes, and from leaves and flowers to scenes of angels, flags and whole villages. These scenes are usually shown simply with figures in profile and no attempt at perspective beyond simple overlapping.'(1) The imagery used on fala su'i relates directly to the environment, customs and spiritual beliefs which sustain everyday Samoan life. The two angels in 'Angel in pink', with their dark hair and carefully tailored dress, are reminiscent of the beautifully dressed altar boys who carry the bible and crucifix slowly up the aisle at the beginning of each Sunday service. It is believed that this form of distinctly Christian iconography began to appear on the islands with the emergence of the fala su'i in the 1960s and continues to be extremely popular. Christianity itself was introduced to the Samoan archipelago by the missionary John Williams in 1830. Structurally very similar to existing political and religious systems, it was quickly adopted and, in a slightly hybridised form, continues to play a fundamental role in the social, cultural and political lives of Samoan people. Most obvious of these is the passionate adherence to ritual and in particular the celebration of the Sabbath and significant rites of passage such as weddings, funerals, births and the allocation of title. These important religious and cultural occasions are marked by the gathering of extended family and the ceremonial exchange of gifts. Traditionally such gifts included highly venerated finely woven mats and decorative hiapo or tapa cloth. With the introduction of wool and the European bed however, decorative fala su'i or stitched mats increasingly began to accompany and then replace these customary gifts. In contemporary homes, the brightly embroidered fala su'i are now one of the most highly sought after gifted items. They provide a decorative covering for the bed, which in the small island fale (home), dominates the open living space. Fala su'i have thus become one of the major vehicles of creative and cultural expression for Samoan women. The fala su'i 'Angel in pink' was in the collection of Tosi Savusa on the main island of Upolu, Samoa until it was purchased by the Gallery. It was originally presented to her mother in the early 1990s as part of a gift-giving ceremony. Throughout the Pacific, the custom of giving gifts traditionally accompanies christenings, the allocation of title, weddings, funerals and the welcome or farewell of guests. Depending on the status of the family and the occasion, different quantities and quality of mat are given. Tosi Savusa is part of an extremely important and powerful Samoan family, headed by the Chief of State, Chief Tanumafili 11 Malietoa. Occasions for gifting mats to this family also include political welcome ceremonies and celebrations, often involving high ranking officials from other islands. Many mats are therefore gifted, often moving into the family as a mark of respect and honour. While the artist of 'Angel on pink' is unknown, it is believed that the innovative su'i or stitching was done in Samoa during the 1980s. The wool is still compact and the style of design is very similar to iconic religious designs produced in Samoa during that period. Essay by Ruth McDougall, Curatorial Assistant, QGMA, Nov. 2005. 1. Neich, Roger. 'Material culture of western Samoa'. National Museum of New Zealand, Bulletin 23, Mar. 1985, p.36.

The stitched mat, or fala su'i, Angel in pink, depicts two angels dressed in pale pink, heralding the central presence of a crucifix and bible. Around them abstracted birds and lightening bolts fill an aqua blue sky. This work is an example of the presence of Christian religious iconography in contemporary Samoan textile art.

The imagery used on fala su'i relates directly to the environment, customs and spiritual beliefs which sustain everyday Samoan life. The two angels in Angel in pink, with their dark hair and carefully tailored dress, are reminiscent of the beautifully dressed altar boys who carry the bible and crucifix slowly up the aisle at the beginning of each Sunday service. It is believed that this form of distinctly Christian iconography began to appear on the islands with the emergence of the fala su'i in the 1960s and continues to be extremely popular.

Christianity itself was introduced to the Samoan archipelago by the missionary John Williams in 1830. Structurally very similar to existing political and religious systems, it was quickly adopted and, in a slightly hybridised form, continues to play a fundamental role in the social, cultural and political lives of Samoan people. Most obvious of these is the passionate adherence to ritual and, in particular, the celebration of the Sabbath and significant rites of passage: important religious and cultural occasions that are marked by the gathering of extended family and the ceremonial exchange of gifts.

Traditionally such gifts included highly venerated, finely woven mats and decorative siapo, or tapa cloth. With the introduction of wool and the European bed, however, decorative fala su'i increasingly began to accompany these customary gifts. In contemporary homes, the brightly embroidered fala su'i are now one of the most highly sought after gift items. They provide a decorative covering for the bed, which in the small island fale (home), dominates the open living space. Fala su'i have become one of the major vehicles of creative and cultural expression for Samoan women.

Throughout the Pacific, the custom of giving gifts traditionally accompanies christenings, the allocation of title, weddings, funerals, and the welcome or farewell of guests. Depending on the status of the family and the occasion, different quantities and quality of mat are given. Occasions for giving mats also include political welcome ceremonies and celebrations, often involving high ranking officials from other islands. Many mats are therefore gifted, often moving into the family as a mark of respect and honour. While the artist of Angel in pink is unknown, it is believed that the innovative su'i, or stitching, was done in Samoa during the 1980s. The wool is still compact and the style of design is very similar to iconic religious designs produced in Samoa during that period.