Alifereti Malai solo masi exhibition "Vakatakila"  Revelation

Exhibition launch on Thursday 7^th July 2016 at 7.30pm. Free entrance, French wine and finger food offered.

Exhibition open until Friday 22^nd July at Alliance Française opening hours (9h-13h / 14h-18h). Free entrance.

Alifereti Malai is an award winning artist who hails from Burelevu, District of Nagonenicolo in the highlands of Naitasiri. He is one of the most aspiring and inspirational artists in the Pacific.

He learned art when young and was educated at Mualevu Village School in Vanuabalavu, Lau as well as Marist Brothers High School and Ratu Kadavulevu School. He spent 3 years doing contemporary arts at the Oceania Centre for Arts and Culture in USP.

He has also represented Fiji at Arts Festival around the Pacific and in Australia and New Zealand. Alifereti is currently operating from his highland paradise creating art.
                                                

"Vakatakila" Revelation

Something is brewing

It's all about "Masi" through Art

the cloth of the Gods

To the future ... From the past

To reveal is to show

Telling all for you to know

This natural fibre

From long time ago.

« I was brought up and bred from the "Masi" Tapa plantation watching my Grandmother planting, treating and painting on Masi. I cling to her "sulu" for warmth and safety from the uncertainties of life ... at the same time watching, helping and assisting her in her Masi making task. Naturally, I was her student. She revealed to me its secrets, its breath, and I lived through it.

So, all throughout these years, I have been creating, drawing and painting on Masi. It is part of my life, as I breath and live Art.
Now that I must "vakatakila" ... reveal to you this natural iniqueness of "Masi", its secrets ... trhough my art. »

                                                                                                                            

He is a member of the Waisiliva artist collective, based in Leleuvia Island, whose group exhibition took place at Alliance Française of Suva in March-April this year.

This exhibition is also exhibiting few artworks of his son, Alifereti Malai Junior, a young and aspiring artist who completed his seventh form education and is now a full time artist, and Unise Bera, a Fijian women artist, based in Laucala and masi maker.

More info : http://www.waisiliva.com/alifereti-malai.html

A first masi workshop, mixing traditional and contemporary techniques, is organized with the artist on Tuesday 28^th June. More information soon.