Ula falaoa (Mon - blue, Tue - green, Thu - red, Fri - white, Sat - yellow)

Linda Va'aelua transforms the humble bread tag into a powerful medium for cultural and socio-political commentary. Using individually cut acrylic pieces shaped like bread tags, she constructs ula (necklaces).

Va'aelua draws on the symbolism of industrial bread production—a common entry point into the workforce for many migrants—to explore themes of sacrifice, resilience, and intergenerational aspiration.

Colour plays a critical role, referencing the standardised, colour-coded bread tags used in commercial baking to indicate baking days (typically omitting Wednesdays and Sundays). These hues become a visual calendar of labour and rest, subtly encoding the rhythms of working-class life.

Va'aelua's signature motifs embedded within the work honour core Samoan values such as strength, community, and perseverance—qualities often carried into the workplace by diasporic families.