Temoana Poole, born artist in love with his forever muse: Moorea.
« I am born on the island of Moorea and so proud to say this…Moorea is our Mother, our Teacher…raised here i’ve marveled at her wild Nature my whole life… » Temoana
Slim figure, sparkling big eyes, spontaneous behavior, this young man seems to have emerged straight out from Pandora. Living in the middle of wild and natural environnement since childhood, his senses have been stimulated by « Nature »’s fluctuations and beauty.
Temoana Poole is a child of Moorea. He wish he could have been born on the beach of Temae like his mother. She was born in their family house in Temae with the help of his grand-father who was midwife at that time. Temoana is very attached to his land, his childhood was nurtured by key moments and strong bonds with his environnement which have forged the person he is today.
« I grew up in Temae, both in the sea and behind our house in the Purau (sea hisbiscus; Talipariti tiliaceum) forest, with my family and friends we were free, we were running around, half-naked, over a limitless, vivid and diverse playground. One day behind my grandmother’s house, while we were playing with the chickens and chasing for their eggs, I captured an unforgettable moment. We were in the middle of Tiare trees (gardenia taitensis) trying to catch a rooster perched on a branch but my cousin missed it, then it flew away, casting a shadow before the full moon…The beauty of the scene stroke me and is still vivid in my spirit. I have several key memories like this that are precious. »
This young man from Temae has developed a keen eye to Nature’s wonders. Consciously or unconsciously aware of this sensitivity, his father got him a disposable camera which triggered his passion for photography.
« I was a little bit trigger-happy with my camera, i wanted to capture everything, but then i started to be selective when my dad told me he won’t buy me cameras everyday! The brakish water lake of Temae was one of my favorite scene. The still waters were reflecting the clouds and the light of the sun, it was never the same from the sunrise to sunset what i found incredibly amazing! One day people started filling the lake with soil but I was watching it without really realizing what was happening. Another example of « evolution » was our football field that had been moved around many times because they were building parkings, putting more and more concrete in the neighborhood. I was upset and I thought to myself what could I do to stop that. And then I started taking pictures of my favorite spots and explaining to people what it meant to me and what ecology it sustained. I liked the reed beds bordering the marsh upstage because of all the different organisms like small fish, red crabs you could find there if you were looking close enough. »
« Nature boy » or « Temae boy » began to do preservation photography seizing his best sceneries with natural sunlight and sharing them to the world on social media. His goal was to raise awareness on abusive habitat destruction. Years later, several big property projects were popping up all around Moorea which brought local people, in the form of ngos, to gather in one federation « TAHEI IA MOOREA » and to defend their mountains and lagoons.
« When I realize I was not alone in this fight, I created, in 2020, with two other friends, Tehei Vanbastoler and Ayana Champot, the environmental organization Keep Moorea Wild, with the objective to save lands of Moorea and share the history of these sites. »
Keep Moorea Wild offers the opportunity to buy/sponsor plots of land in order to avoid further habitat destruction, offers sustainable land development projects through cultural and touristic revaluation and restoration. The aim is to promote the rich natural and cultural heritage in a touristic context. Polynesian islands are jewels in the Pacific Ocean which are coveted for ressources and life conditions. Our interest is to preserve the ressources which make our islands so special.
« My bond with Moorea has built up since little boy and is growing stronger as I keep on discovering, contemplating, and marveling at her… » Temoana
Moorea is a source of inspiration for many artists. Temoana and Moehau, Eimeo founder & designer, are artists who are sharing common visions concerning the future of their home island. Their collaboration on the collection Mo’orea is genuine and set an example for business social responsibility commitments.
« Eimeo Clothing bears the old name of Moorea which brings us back to this period where men was living WITH their island and all life it sustained. It’s meaningful to me. » Temoana
