Map of Life my journey from Ahau, Rotuma to Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

BY:HarietaJanetVilsoni
LastOctober,2011,IwasprivilegedtobeaparticipantintheMapofLifeOceanianArtWorkshop
whichwassponsoredbytheOceaniaCentreforArts,CultureandPacificStudiesattheUniversityof
theSouthPacific.ThisWorkshopwasconductedbyrenownedPacificartist,writerandpoetJohn
Pule.Pule,NewZealandbased,hailsfromNiueandheisnostrangertoRotuma.Heismarriedto
SophiafromPepjei;whenhefirstvisitedRotumain97,Iwasinclasstwo.
PulewasmymentorforthethreeweeksIpaintedmycontemporaryartpiece,titledHanua,on
canvas.Pulechallengedourmerrybunchofparticipantstoreflectonour:roots,upbringingand
journeysinlifeandtodepicttheseexperiencesincolour.LikeourPolynesianforefatherswhoonce
crisscrossedthevastPacificOceanintheiroutriggersandusedchartsmadeofsticksandshellsto
markislands,routesandcurrents,wewerechallengedtoproduceamapoflife.
AttheworkshopIpaintedalongsidemultitalentedartistslikeJosaiaMcNamara,IramiBuliand
WilliamBakalevulocalartistswhohaveexhibitedtheircreationsinFijiandatoccasionslikethe
PacificArtsFestival.ItwasajoytohaveanotherRotumanVictoriaPauuamongstthisartisticcrew.
Pulechallengedustobepoeticandtutoredushow
tospringforthfromaworkofpoetry.Each
morningwehadtoreciteouroriginalpoemsand
expressourthoughtsastowhywehadwritten
themthewaywedid.Theindepthdiscussionsgot
usoutofourcomfortzonesandmadeusfocuson
ourindividualjourneysthroughlife.
IreflectedonmywonderfulchildhoodatAhau
GovernmentStation,thesadnessofleaving
ParadiseRotuma,chirpystudentlifeatYatSen,
stayingatMaristBrothersHighSchoolandbeing
partoftheRedFireexperience,theshifttothe
TeachersCollegecampusinNasinu,beinguprooted
againandthelongflighttoSeoulandthenDubaiandAlAin,thereadjustmenttoaninternational
schoolandmakingnewfriends,witnessingtheworldeconomicrecessionin08andhowitaffected
anexpatriatecommunity,thesacrificesmadebymyparentstoeducateus,sharingmyteenage
highsandlowswiththemandmyshuttlingtoandfrofromtheglitterofDubaitotranquilUSP.
DuringthethreeweeksoftheworkshopIwatchedaslowmotionreplayofmyyounglifevividly
trickleby.Thesessionswerereflective,nostalgic,emotionalandmadeusawareofourrootsand
familyandbeappreciativeofwhoweare.Theopenforumsboostedmyconfidenceand
empoweredmetostandinfrontofacrowdandexpressmyself.
InmyHanuapainting,whichwasexhibitedattheGalleryofOceanianArton2ndNovember2011,I
hadincorporatedelementsofPolynesianmotifswithArabicsymbols.Thefusionrepresenta
pictorialtraceofmyownjourney,mysiblings,myverysupportiveparentsandourhumblehomein
thesuburbofAlJimiintheoasiscityofAlAinintheemirateofAbuDhabi.Thecoloursrepresentthe

beautifulsunsetIseefromAhauthesundippingbetweenUeaandSplitIslandand,thehuesof
thedesertsanddunes.Inowhailfromtwoverydifferentdestinationsthetropicswithitsrainy
seasonandthedesertwhereitrainsonceinthebluemoondifferenttimezones,differentdress
codes,differentlanguagesanddifferentcultures.Ihavetriedmyutmostbesttocapturethese
experiencesinHanua.
IamstillabeginnerinArt.Myintroductiontotheworldof
Artwasbasic;IhaddoneArtandCraftatMalhaaPrimary
School(19962000)andhadevenwovenaminisizemat.
Thatwasbasicallythesumtotalofmyartisticlifeasa
primaryschoolstudent.However,inmysenioryearofhigh
schoolatAAESSinAlAin,ItookArtasasubject.Ineededa
fourthsubjecttocompletemyCambridgeASLevel
CertificatesoIchoseArtthinkingthatitwouldbeaneasy
course.Iwaswrong!Artismuchmorethanjustpainting
colorfulsketches.Ihadtoresearchfamousartistsandtheir
work,producesketchesformyportfolio,exhibitpaintings
andstudyforexams.Mypracticalexamtooktwodays.Artis
anintensivesubjectanddrawsonones:emotions,moods,
experiencesandperspectivesyes,thebeautyofRotuma
andthehistoryandwondersoftheMiddleEast,particularlytheUnitedArabEmirates,haveshaped
myartistichorizons.
FormyASLevelcertificate,IstudiedPabloPicassoandPaulGauguinsworksandgrewfondof
GauguinsartisticexpressionsofTahitianditsbeautifulwomen.Hisworkhasinfluencedmy
fondnessforabstracts,expressionismsanddepictionsofPolynesia.Arthasbecomebothapassion
andastressreliever.
MyparticipationattheworkshopwasmadepossiblethroughtheguidanceofProfessorVilsoni
Herenikonoaiamashukran!IwouldliketoencourageourRotumanyoungsterstocontinueto
expressthemselvesthroughthevariousformsofArt,Music,andSportsandtoenhancetheir
creativity!Nohalalumefaufooute!