Eaten Alive (1998)
‘Eaten Alive 1998’ (2023) by Yuki Kihara. Plastic doll, fabric and mixed media. 470mm (H) x 250mm (W). Part of ‘BERTHA’ (2023) exhibition by Yuki Kihara curated by Natalie King. Commissioned by the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo, Sydney. Courtesy of Yuki Kihara and Milford Galleries, Aotearoa New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Gui Taccetti.
“Buckwheat and Bertha hit prime time with our television foray entitled Eaten Alive. This was 10 episodes of a cooking and game show with segments produced by Stephen Stehlin for Tagata Pasifika. The segments aired each Sunday morning during its run, aimed at a Pasifika audience.
My family loved watching these segments, including my own minister Uncle, Rev Leuatea Sio who, my cousins tell, watched them religiously and laughed out loud at our antics.
It was groundbreaking to have two Fa’afafine on TV on Sunday TV but it received a lot of criticism at the time.
This would be one of my last appearances as Bertha in New Zealand, moving to Sydney in 1998.”
-BERTHA aka Harold Samu