Mele’s Palette of Talent

Fiji’s artistic landscape has been emerging in all areas; drama, art, handicrafts, and music to name a few.

With the power of social media, a passion or side hobby can be brought to light and made visible to many others to share joy and monetise creative passions.

One young Fijian, managing to strike a colourful balance of career and creative is Mele Nabola, a self-taught artist hailing from Muria-Naviti, Yasawa Islands with maternal links to Serua, Yanuca Island.

Path to art

Ms Nabola’s path to the world of art was anything, but conventional. With a professional background rooted in Public Health, she graduated from the Fiji National University’s, College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences.

Her work in health research, she believes, holds the key to unlocking solutions and fostering progress in Fiji.

“Working for a research institution has helped me grow and gain new skills in research,” Ms Nabola said.

“I believe research will help us find solutions to problems, expand our knowledge, and advance our country.

“I do not only focus on health research but in other fields such as business and social science research.”

But it was during the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic that Ms Nabola’s dormant artistic talents came to light.

“I helped my father paint some artworks he wanted to put in his office,” she said, reminiscing about her childhood days spent watching her father, also an artist, at work.

Encouragement from friends and fellow artists spurred her to explore her newfound passion further.

Mele Nabola built her art portfolio website by herself.

Artistic journey

“Peace, salvation, and happiness,” Ms Nabola said as she described the emotions that painting evoked within her.

Her artworks have been diverse in mediums from oil paint to watercolours and acrylics, reflecting her observations of life, bursting with vibrant hues and playful compositions.

Keen to follow her intuition, Ms Nabola’s artistry and love for the Fijian landscape shines through in every brushstroke.

Her artistic journey has seen her work showcased in the country.

Her debut exhibition with the Centre of Arts Suva, titled “37%,” shed light on the youth demographic.

While she alone creates her artwork, Ms Nabola recognised the key role her workplace mentors and community have played in achieving her goals.

“I want to thank curator Regina Vaka’uta for giving me an opportunity to be part of the exhibition,” she said.

“I volunteer with Selfless Fiji where I paint art murals along with other artists.

“My first mural was at St Christopher’s Orphanage.

“When I first saw they were looking for volunteers to paint the orphanage I joined because I love helping the community and I love painting.”

Creative ventures and website building

As her passion for art blossomed, Ms Nabola ventured into selling her artwork to support her family during the pandemic.

However, she soon realised the importance of staying true to her artistic vision amidst commercial pressures, opting to paint for herself rather than catering solely to the demands of others.

“Painting and selling art helped pass time,” she said.

“I could help my family with the finances because I was an unemployed broke final year university student and also have fun painting.

“Now that the pandemic has passed I have reached a stage in my journey as an artist where I have started painting more for myself than for others (apart from working for Selfless Fiji).

“The reason I do not have a specific art style was because I was painting what everyone wanted, it eventually drained me.

“Now I have the time and resources to fund and also find myself as an artist.”

Adding to her already diverse skillset, Ms Nabola decided to build a website which would act as an art portfolio.

“I could build my art portfolio and use it when I am applying for future art exhibitions and other art ventures,” she said.

Despite never having built a website before Ms Nabola was able to build her portfolio herself.

“The process was educational; regardless of my background I could grasp the model and use it to create my own” Ms Nabola said.

Her advice to fellow creatives echoed her own journey of self-discovery and perseverance.

Utilising social media as a platform for exposure, fostering relationships within the creative community, and embracing continuous learning are paramount in navigating the artistic landscape.

She was thankful to her workplace mentors and her creative community for their support and encouragement.

By: Shenal Harakh

• Shenal Harakh is the founder of her eponymous software development agency Shenal (www.shenal.online), which builds tech products for startup clients around the world.She is currently based in Fiji and is running workshops to digitally upskill communities. Head to https://fiji.shenal.online/ to sign up and keep up to date with new workshops, or follow her work on LinkedIn: Shenal Harakh or Twitter: @shenalyo.

Feedback: frederica.elbourne@fijisun.com.fj