Jon Apisa
Communication with fine art
Raised in Hawaiʻi with a mixed heritage including ʻāiga Sāmoa (Sāmoan family) with values of agānuʻu Sāmoa (Sāmoan culture). A life long interest and learning of Sāmoan, Hawaiʻian and Polynesian art & culture.
Currently working on Polynesian art, Sāmoan art, Pacific Island art.
Additional projects include the: Polynesian Dictionary, Polynesian Astronomy, Polynesian plant names and Polynesian animal names: to quickly view similarities, differences and cognate relationships between words across Polynesian languages.
Art for sale | Art Portfolio | Artist Statement
Always interested in projects that use clear communication, open collaboration, and mutual respect while working with others.
Graduated from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) with a degree in Art. While attending UNLV, developed and worked on fine arts skills including drawing, painting, and design. Awarded third place for his cartoon drawing in the UNLV newspaper, Rebel Yell, by the Society of Professional Journalists: Mark of Excellence Awards. Worked as a contract web designer for companies based in Hawaiʻi as well as Las Vegas.
Pasefika
Created Pasefika Designs name and Pasefika logo after visits with family in Amerika Sāmoa (American Sāmoa) and also visiting Upolu, Sāmoa. Built the website Pasefikadesigns.com which has now grown to be Pasefika.com. The website was built as a portfolio of artwork with the foundation of Sāmoan and Polynesian artwork and a cultural resource. Learned and worked on contemporary forms of “Tatau” (Polynesian style tattooing).
Amerika Sāmoa
Upon graduation from UNLV, moved to Amerika Sāmoa (American Sāmoa) while formally establishing, Pasefika Designs. Pasefika Designs specialized in various fine art works and web design.
Performed professional contract art and design work for local businesses in American Sāmoa also including the American Sāmoa government marketing the Sāmoa Bowl I and Sāmoa Bowl II, the American Sāmoa Small Business Center, and American Sāmoa Community College.
Served as a guest instructor for a summer art and computer art course at Pacific Islands Center for Educational Development (PICED).
Creative solutions by design
Las Vegas
Working at Las Vegas briefly in the casino gaming industry developing digital art assets and web site user interfaces for large scale internet marketing operations.
Worked at UNLV in collaboration with the academics and intellectuals in higher education in Southern Nevada. Academic work with a group of dedicated professionals, to enrich the online education experience through visualization.
Invited to speak about web design at the 3rd Annual Pacific Islander High School Education Conference 2009.
Worked in the aviation industry, as the Web Master: Airport Program Administrator for the Clark County Department of Aviation.
Focused on customer experiences both on location and through the Clark County Department of Aviation websites including McCarran Airport (now Harry Reid International Airport), Henderson Executive Airport and North Las Vegas Airport in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
Return Home
Hawaiʻi
Reorganized Pasefika Designs, LLC into Pasefika, LLC in Hawaiʻi with a focus on visual communication with fine art, design and graphics to share Sāmoan, Polynesian, and Pacific Island culture with everyone.
Currently, in Hawaiʻi focusing on fine art.