Vea Mafile`o is of Tongan, English/Scottish descent. She was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and raised on a dairy farm in the Waikato. At different times of her childhood she also lived in Tonga.
Her recent art works explore natural and man made environmental issues in the Kingdom of Tonga mainly in the Ha’apai Island group. Themes include the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclone Ian and the resulting rise in sea levels.