Nina Tonga

Nina Tonga is an Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of Hawaii. Specializing in contemporary Pacific art and visual culture, her interdisciplinary work explores gender representation, intercultural relationships between Pacific nations, and the digital age's impact on art practices. She holds a PhD from the University of Auckland (2022), following earlier MA (2008) and BA (2008) degrees there. Her research bridges art history with curation, focusing on Indigenous digital practices and diaspora communities.

As an acclaimed curator, she organized major exhibitions like Pacific Sisters: Fashion Activists (2018-2019) and To Make Wrong/Right/Now (2019). She served as inaugural Curator of Pacific Art (2017-2019) and Curator of Contemporary Art (2019-2023) at Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington. Her writing appears in journals like Art New Zealand and A Companion to Contemporary Art, addressing topics from Indigenous photographic histories to museum engagement with Pacific communities.

Her publications analyze digital platforms' influence on art, including works on Māori moving image and Pacific digital homelands. Courses taught include Contemporary Pacific Art and Pacific Art: Polynesia/Micronesia. Her research emphasizes decolonizing art practices, curatorial ethics, and the intersection of technology with cultural preservation.