Viliame Vosabeci, a 28-year-old farmer from Vanua Levu, walked away with $5000 prize money at the Nadi International Airport yesterday.

He was announced the winner of the traditional artwork category for the Airports Fiji Limited (AFL) National Artwork Competition.

Mr Vosabeci’s passion in painting began at the age of 18.

“I believe if you have talent and passion in painting you will need to practice more so you can get better,” he said.

He was raised in a rural setting but tells of his work being inspired by local and established artist Anare Somumu.

He is fascinated by the traditional way of living of the iTaukei people with its various crafts which his winning artwork focused on.

It took him two-and-a-half weeks to complete his masterpiece titled ‘Naisamasamaraki’, a depiction of the cooking of coconut oil that falls in perfectly with the theme: ‘Our culture, our identity, our heritage and our future’.

“My painting depicts a simple idea of how elders cook coconut oil using traditional equipment and tools,” he said.

“This generation seems to have forgotten our ways and how we did things back then.”

Meanwhile, contemporary artwork gold winner, 69-year-old, Sharon Light, also scooped the silver award for her painting titled ‘Hawksbill Turtle and Pandanus’.

Ms Light accredited her success to her husband who has been her biggest supporter.

“My husband has been a big help because he was always my biggest critic and was always pushing me to paint,” she said.

Competition co-ordinator Christopher Chand said of the 400 entries, the winning paintings would be displayed at prominent areas of the modernised Nadi International Airport.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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