In All Star 1.0, Jimmy Ma’ia’i traces the formation of his Samoan identity through the cultural crosscurrents of Auckland — where hip hop, diasporic experience, and ancestral forms converge. Presented at Grace, the exhibition brings together airbrushed masi, paisley bandana motifs, and carved clubs to explore how Pacific people have adopted, adapted, and re-authored global cultural symbols.

Moving between references to hip hop jewellery, museum collections, and Samoan carving traditions, Ma’ia’i reflects on ideas of value, status, and inheritance — asking what is prized, preserved, and passed down. In this Walkthrough, the artist offers a considered introduction to the exhibition, speaking to the layered histories embedded in its materials without resolving them into a single reading.

All Star 1.0 is part of The Walkthrough, an ongoing series of artist-led tours through current exhibitions across Aotearoa.