Salanieta shares generations of pottery

At yesterday’s Central Women’s Expo in Suva, where stalls were full of colour and handicrafts, one display stood out, not for its brightness, but for the quiet strength it carried.

Sitting calmly among her pottery was Maria Salanieta, an artist whose hands tell the story of generations.

Ms Salanieta, from Serua Island with maternal ties to Nasilai, Rewa, grew up surrounded by clay, fire, and tradition.

“I come from a line of women known for pottery,” she said.

“It started long before me and when my mother died, I knew I had to carry it forward.”

Representing the Vulagi Women’s Group, she showcased more than just clay pots. Each piece was formed from a special kind of soil found only in Rewa, the same soil her mother and grandmother once used to mould clay pots.

“It’s not just any soil,” she explained.

“It holds our stories.”

Though pottery is her signature, Ms Salanieta also crafts traditional Fijian trays from pandanus leaves (voivoi) and hand-oven necklaces.

“It’s all connected, the clay, the leaves, the weaving. It’s how we survive, and it’s how we remember.”

For Ms Salanieta, the expo isn’t just a marketplace, it’s a space where culture breathes, and women’s stories are honoured.

“I don’t just sell pottery,” she said.

“I share where I come from.”

And through her art, Ms Salanieta continues to do just that, quietly, powerfully, and with deep purpose.

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