Artwork

“Celebrating the Pacific” USP 50th Anniversary Mural, 2018.

A team of local artists were commissioned to paint this mural in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the University of the South Pacific in 2018.

Anare Somumu, Lingikoni Vaka’uta, Josaia McNamara, Jeke Lagi and William Camakau

The artists have titled the mural, “Celebrating the Pacific”, drawn from the 50th Anniversary theme. “Celebrating the Pacific, Shaping its Future”.

Following the order in which member countries joined the University, the mural depicts iconic cultural symbols from each nation and draws from the official USP tapa featuring each individual country design (kupesi). From left to right they are Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Niue, Tokelau, Nauru and Marshall Islands.

The Oceanic narrative binds these island nations with heritage elements of the Blue Continent showcasing to the world, the unique and special relationship that Pacific peoples have with the land, sea and sky.

Credit: Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, USP