Sven V. Ortquist (

Apia Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. The Apia Urban A ...

, January 16, 1938 –

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, June 15, 2013) was a Samoan artist, wood-carver, and sculptor. Besides a carver, he was a boat builder, book illustrator, and painter. He has been awarded the Consortium for Pacific Arts and Cultures’ Heritage Award and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. He has been the Master Carver for the American Samoa Council on Arts, Culture and the Humanities. He has also been the resident artist at Jean P. Haydon Museum. Ortquist was the founder and first president of the Samoan Voyaging Society, ''Aiga Tautai o Samoa''. Ortquist has been an artist-in-residence at the territory’s largest college, American Samoa Community College and has also worked with a United Nations program teaching and constructing cheap plywood fishing boats for the poor. Ortquist was born in

Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabit ...

and is the son of a Swedish coconut trader, Gustav Adolph Ortquist, and a Samoan mother, Muimui Vale from Vailima. His father first came from Sweden to

Apia, Samoa Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. The Apia Urban Area (generally kno ...

in order to work as an accountant. Ortquist was profiled in the documentary “The Samoan Heart” (1996).

Artwork

His first major project was to turn a three-inch high Italian picture of

St. Joseph the Worker According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orth ...

into a life-size statue. The project was commissioned by a church hospital in

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

. One of his many works includes the painted mural in front of the museum in

Fagatogo Fagatogo () is the downtown area of Pago Pago (the territorial capital of American Samoa).Grabowski, John F. (1992). ''U.S. Territories and Possessions (State Report Series)''. Chelsea House Pub. Page 51. . Located in the low grounds at the foot o ...

. The artwork, which depicts the legend of

Tagaloa In Samoan mythology, Tagaloa (also known as Tagaloa-Lagi or Tagaloa, Lagi of the Heavens/Skies) is generally accepted as the supreme ruler,

and Pava, is on the exterior wall of the Jean P. Haydon Museum. One of his most famous works is located at the Holy Family Cathedral at Fatuoaiga. Ortquist and his son Jude have carved the statues of the cross and altar inside the cathedral, along with the

tapa Tapa, TAPA, Tapas or Tapasya may refer to: Media *Tapas (website), a webtoon site, formerly known as Tapastic * ''Tapas'' (film), a 2005 Spanish film * ''Tapasya'' (1976 film), an Indian Hindi-language film * ''Tapasya'' (1992 film), a Nepalese f ...

design which decorates the columns and the nativity ''fale'' outside. Besides the woodcarvings, Ortquist also designed the cathedral’s stained glass windows.Stanley, David (2004). ''Moon Handbooks South Pacific''. Moon Travel Guides. Page 480. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortquist, Sven Samoan painters 1938 births 2013 deaths 20th-century sculptors Woodcarvers American sculptors 20th-century painters People from Apia