As the sun set behind the Santa Monica Mountains Monday night, the center courtyard of the J. Paul Getty Museum was alive.
Tahitian music echoed through the sea of people dressed in bright yellows and reds, sacred colors symbolic of Polynesian pride, as noted by the Getty in its invitation. Traditional Polynesian garb adorned the crowds of performers, who yelled and chanted in celebration as they danced. The night was filled with electric energy, which could all be attributed to one man, Mai.
The festivities were centered around the opening celebration of the “Portrait of Mai” by British master of painting, Sir Joshua Reynolds.
In 2024, the Getty Museum acquired the painting alongside the National Portrait Gallery in London for 50 million pounds (equivalent to $62 million). It had previously been in the hands of a private owner for more than 200 years.
Since the acquisition, it has remained in England. As of Sept. 14, it is now open for public viewing at the Getty in Los Angeles. Fullagar explained that the campaign for the purchase of the painting was based on the fact that it’s a national treasure and a representation of British heritage.
Associate Director for Collections Richard Rand was heavily involved in the acquisition of the piece. Rand shared that rather than the traditional examination of the piece through the lens of Reynolds and the European historical context, the Getty aims to focus on Mai’s identity through the Polynesian indigenous perspective.
“Los Angeles has a huge Pacific Islander community, and because we are located on the Pacific, Mai can look out across the ocean to his home,” Rand said.
Rand explained that Mai is often viewed by Polynesians as “an ancestor and a representative of courage and power,” as he entered a society where he knew nothing and became someone to be hailed in the highest points of British society.
“I’ve always thought it was more interesting to see this painting through the eyes of the subject, because that kind of story’s been buried for quite a long time,” award-winning art historian Kate Fullagar said.
Fullagar has dedicated years to studying this portrait, conducting roundtable discussions, seminars and writings focused on Mai and his legacy. She noted that the conversations surrounding this picture have only shifted very recently.
“I’ve been surprised that all the fuss around this picture, which has been going on for over 20 years now, has very rarely mentioned the Pacific side of its history, other than the last few years,” Fullagar said.
Since the creation of his masterpiece, “A Portrait of Mai,” art historians have tended to focus on the painter rather than the subject.
Mai was a refugee of a war that broke out in his homeland of Raiatea, located in modern day French Polynesia, and has been noted as the first Polynesian to visit Great Britain. He arrived in Britain in 1774 on a voyage from Tahiti with Captain Cook, with the mission of securing support to reclaim his home.
Hinatea Colombani, a Tahitian dance teacher and leader of Artistic Direction and Cultural Research for the exhibition, said that she believed the painting was a “passport of Mai’s life.” Colombani said she was the first person to notice the landscape behind Mai as being from his home, and she opened up a conversation about this aspect of the piece.
For the ceremony held on Monday night, the Getty collaborated with the Indigenous Arts Movement from Tahiti. The night featured a demonstration on the creation of Polynesian Tapa cloth, a bark cloth made through an intricate process that was thought to be lost for generations.
Attendees were also welcomed to view a traditional tatau (tattooing) demonstration. Polynesian tatau can be seen on the hands of Mai in Reynolds’ portrait, an aspect which Fullagar calls a mystery. Reynolds presented in his writings that subjects in art should have an aspect of universality showcasing “eternal human truths” and avoid individual aspects that “push the idea of human difference.” The tattoos on Mai’s hands are a key aspect of his individuality, making them even more significant when viewing the piece.
Patu Mamatui, a master tattoo practitioner from Tahiti, viewed the portrait that night.
“I have no words,” Mamatui said. “I feel so connected to the piece. It’s a reminder for all Polynesians that it’s in our nature to go to new places and try new things.”
“Mai is more than inspirational. He changed my life,” Colombani said. “When talking about him to people from Tahiti now, everybody’s so proud. He really has an impact.”
Currently, there has been discussion of bringing Mai back to his home.
“I hope we’re gonna start to have another journey with the portrait in Tahiti,” Colombani said.
She explained that following Monday night’s festivities, she has been in conversation with Timothy Potts, the Director of the Getty, on the possibility of lending the portrait to a museum in Tahiti in the future.
“It is my goal to serve [Mai’s] story and serve my community,” said Colombani. “I don’t want any more young people in Tahiti to open a book and see his portrait and not know who he was.”
Edited by Camille Culbertson and Andriana Yatsyshyn
Correction: Richard Rand’s title is Associate Director for Collections at the Getty Museum.