Tag: Arts

Imagine a huge pair of hands cradling a bilo (cup) lined with solar panels rising from the grasslands of a Fijian island. Or an enormous circular ring, roofed with solar panels which shade a well-used timber platform carved with abstracted versions of traditional motifs. Those are the visions of the two winning designs in the […]

Spectrum’s Vesumona Tour concludes in Adelaide By Ben Wheeler Fiji’s Spectrum Collective has completed their performances at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Now it’s time to reflect on their Vesumona Tour, and what was for most of them, their first international performances. The opportunity for Spectrum to spread their message through music, art and the spoken […]

Fiji’s newest art gallery sits atop the air-conditioned haven of the Jack’s of Fiji complex in downtown Nadi. The Gallery of Fijian Art and Design sets out to celebrate and showcase Fiji’s creative heritage through painting, sculpture, glass work and various other art forms. While everything is for sale, visitors are also welcome to simply […]

Spanning the Spectrum By Ben Wheeler The Fiji Islands is a fertile ground for new movements across the arts sector, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Spectrum collective, a group of musicians, poets, raconteurs, and visual artists who are making waves here and abroad. Their work is characterised by an embrace of […]

Adi Tulia Nacola is taking the Fijian filmmaking scene by storm, releasing two short films last year, and now her first feature Adi. This new film is a stunning achievement. It is the first iTaukei language feature, the first Fijian feature by a female director, it boasts an entirely Fijian cast and crew, is a […]

A recent exhibition at the National Art Gallery in Suva marked the iTaukei new year, and a collaboration between two artists exploring their roots and routes taken. ‘Vulaiwerewere’ opened on June 21, the first day of the indigenous new year. It brought together artists Ropate Kama and Rachael Halstead, who draw/paint and carve respectively, to […]

By Ben Wheeler In 2016 I was moved by an animated film called Zootopia in a way I’m sure I haven’t been before. It told the story of an overachieving rabbit rookie cop, Officer Judy Hops (Ginnifer Goodwin), shady street fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman,) and their unlikely partnership and takedown of a conspiracy to […]

By Ben Wheeler In 1987 the world marvelled at The Running Man, a shiny Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle based on a dark, esoteric Stephen King novel and set in the seemingly far away and distant future that was 2025. King looked at the worst parts of society at the close of the 1970s and the dawn of […]

‘Kudru’, an exhibition confronting  Fiji’s political and societal rumblings continues at the Fiji Arts Council gallery in central Suva this week. Curated by Larry Thomas, this is the third iteration of Kudru, and features six artists working in vastly different styles. Speaking at the recent opening, Thomas said “Kudru is about discontent, and I use […]

A young Nadi-based artist is redefining the boundaries of creativity through stunning sculptures made from discarded everyday items.

A group of remarkable women from Nakera, in Cakaudrove, Vanua Levu is weaving its way to national prominence.

By Ben Wheeler There has been palpable excitement on the Fiji filmmaking scene over the past few years, and it reaches a crescendo this weekend as Andrew John Fakaua Ponton’s locally produced BATI opens across the country’s cinemas. That the film exists at all is a testament to patience and perseverance. It was shot in […]

“I think I have a very special story,” says Eni Kumar, as we settle down to chat. “When I look back to how it all started, I think it would be a great story to tell, something to leave behind, for the performers in Fiji, for
my children, and for those who would love to know about singers and how they got started.”

In the heart of Suva, where tradition and modernity often meet, fashion designer Temesia Tuicaumia is on a mission: to help Fijian men rediscover the strength in their roots—and wear it with pride.

Fiji’s national art gallery has taken a major step forward with the official announcement of its name: Na iTukuni National Art Gallery.

By Ben Wheeler 4 Quarters, Suva’s hardest working band, will be playing live on the closing night of The Fiji Fringe Festival this Saturday 5th April at 6pm. They will be jamming in the Civic Centre, which has been a hub for wild acts, stunts, pop-up book stores and art galleries, mock dance competitions, the […]

By Kite Pareti Fiji finally has a permanent home for the important and diverse paintings and artwork collected by the Fiji Arts Council, and its array of colourful creative art pieces will leave you inspired. Located at the St Stephens Building in Suva, the National Art Gallery of Fiji has been in its new home […]

By Ema Ganivatu A new exhibition featuring artists of vastly different styles, but united by common themes, is currently showing at the Oceania Centre at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala campus. Ulamila Bulamaibau and Sangeeta Rubine’s works focus on social issues and the strength and resilience of women worldwide. As soon as I […]

By Kite Pareti The Rara Room at the Grand Pacific Hotel buzzes with excitement as families, friends and soon-to-be friends gather for one common purpose – the love for arts and crafts. Hosted at the end of every month, the ‘Art & Sip’ events facilitated by Peter Sipeli, founder of Guided Walking Tours, Suva, attract […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti Traditional Fijian motifs and designs have long inspired local fabric and clothing designers, but few are working with these designs with as much elegance as Su Samuels of LavaLani Designs. Masi (tapa) designs are an important cultural form of expression, holding significant meanings that can be read and understood as stories. At […]

By Prerna Priyanka At just 16, Navi Fong stumbled into a dance studio in Fiji and unknowingly stepped onto a path that would see him enthral Fijians and people across the globe. Fong is a mesmerising presence on stage, his long hair and tall, strong frame commanding attention. But since his stage debut, he has […]

By Ben Wheeler It’s always refreshing to see something different and original make its way on to the big screen amongst the latest Hollywood and Bollywood big-budget franchise instalments. It was therefore with great joy that amongst the listings for February I spied Sanjane Koneshamoorthy’s Arranged Love arriving in cinemas across the Fiji Islands. This […]

By Kite Pareti Local jewellery business ‘A Beautiful Mess’ emerged from the belief that life, creativity, and personal growth often involve a blend of chaos and beauty. “I wanted a name that captures the concept that even in the midst of disorder or challenges or even in a messy journey towards your goal or work, […]

By Ema Ganivatu Fijian writer Adi Tulia Nacola has turned her talents to film with the release of her debut short film, Bubu Belo. This heartfelt project celebrates the beauty of village life and the strength of Fijian youth. Adi Nacola, from Soa in Nakorotubu, Ra, with maternal links to Nasukamai in Ra, wrote the […]