He has one sister, his parents were both born in Samoa and are Pepe (Lalomauga, Upolu) and Tuifa’asisina Tinou'amea (Palauli, Savai'i).
"[3] Some of the visual references in his work are Stone Age rock art, classical Greek vase painting, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Samoan siapa (tapa) cloth.
[11] It is said in his paintings that reoccurring motifs, "remind us of the inherent humanity of his creatures, and the universality of their struggle and endeavour within a limited existence".
[9] His work style has changed over the years of his practice, in the late 1990s his paintings were highly politicized dealing with subjects such as prejudice and racism, poverty and youth suicide amongst Pacific Island populations in New Zealand.
[13][14] In 2021, Leleisi'uao and Bergman Gallery participated in Tokyo International Art Fair, Japan[15] His 2006 exhibition Empowered Wallflower - Whitespace, Ponsonby was about a new generations relationship to Fa'a Samoa and how domestic aspects such as using a traditional salu broom are important.
[16] In 2017 he won the Wallace Art Awards including a six-month residency in New York the 'International Studio and Curatorial Programme'.