Sigavou Studios
P.O. Box 10244
Nadi Airport
Fiji Islands
Tel: (679)6720717
Fax:(679)6724101
romarova@connect.com.fj

ROOMS IN THIS GALLERY:
the studio foyer / painting on silk / making barkcloth / notes on the artist


Maria in her studio

 Bright tropical colours and the contrasting textures of natural silk and rough, handmade barkcloth are trade marks of artwork by Maria Wiehler-Rova, who lives and works in the South Pacific islands of Fiji.

Born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Rova went on to live in Germany and England, where she majored in Art while studying for a degree in Education. A love of travel and an interest in foreign cultures eventually led her to settle in Fiji, where she has lived with her Fijian husband and children for the last ten years.

After several years of teaching in a local elementary school, Rova decided to dedicate an experimental year to following a life-long dream: that of working as a full-time artist. Armed with a camera and sketch book, she set out to gather ideas and details for her work. "Fiji is a place of abundant inspiration," she enthuses. "The diversity of color, form, pattern, and texture in the wildlife of the islands, with its amazing range of plants and animals, and striking land and sea scapes, is a well-spring of creativity!"
1989: Getting married Fijian-style!

The artist with her extended family in Taveuni 		The ideas for many of Rova's paintings have grown out of visits to her husband's village on the 'Garden Island' of Taveuni, in northern Fiji. Running water and electricity are unknown luxuries in this remote settlement, located at the foot of towering volcanic mountains. Here, her husband's extended family lead a traditional lifestyle in harmony with the sea and the tropical jungle around them. The villagers' fresh, unsophisticated approach to life, with that wonderful joie de vivre so typical of Fijian people, reflects in many of Rova's paintings, with their celebration of color and nature. Other works bear the influence of traditional Fijian cultural motifs, where rhythmic geometric patterns painted in earth-tones prevail.
Rova makes frequent use of traditional Fijian 'masi', or barkcloth, as a medium on which to paint. The barkcloth she uses is produced by village women on the small island of Vatulele in southern Fiji. A renewable resource, masi is made by harvesting strips of bark from specially grown mulberry trees. Each piece takes days to produce, involving a process of pounding, soaking, and stretching. Exploring contemporary uses for this traditional fiber, and thereby supporting the livelihood of indigenous women living in their island villages, has been
especially satisfying to the artist.

Sketching orchids in the "Garden of the Sleeping Giant" just outside of Nadi.
More recently, Rova has explored silk-painting as a new medium for her work. "Pure, natural silk is a pleasure to work with because of its beautiful sheen," explains the artist, "and its smooth texture contrasts beautifully with our rougher, Fijian barkcloth!" Employing the age-old 'serti' technique, Rova uses special dyes and lining paint imported from Europe, as these, when combined with the silk, create brilliant colors in an endless range of hues. Each work is carefully painted by hand, often as part of a Limited Edition series.

For the busy mother of three, one year of painting has now turned into four as Rova continues to support her family through the sale of her paintings. At present, her studio is still based in her home near the town of Nadi, on Fiji's largest island. Rova's artwork is sold under her Sigavou Studios label. "Sigavou" is the Fijian word for 'new day', a reference to Fiji's position close to the International Dateline, making Fiji one of the first countries in the world to welcome in each new day!

As an active member of the Western Arts & Crafts Society, a support group for local artists and craftspeople which is based in Nadi, Rova is passionate about raising the profile of art in Fiji. She believes that, with the right training and support, many more young Fijians could be using their artistic talents as a path out of unemployment and poverty. "There are no teaching facilities for aspiring young artists in this area, so passing on skills informally is really important," says Rova. She employs apprentices and studio hands who help her in her work, while picking up valuable experience.

Maria sees her artwork as a continuous development of style and subject matter. While a minimalist approach reflecting
ethnic Pacific art characterises many of her barkcloth paintings, a more abstract exploration of pattern and color can increasingly be seen in Rova's silk work.
At "ART 2001", an exhibition showcasing artists from all over Fiji staged by the Western Arts & Crafts Society in Nadi recently, one of Maria's silk paintings featuring traditional Fijian pottery
in a semi-abstract composition was awarded the "Best Contemporary Artwork" prize.


Award-winning artwork: "Pasifika VII"

It's not hard to fall in love
with a place like Fiji!
"Life in the South Seas has definitely had a strong impact on my artwork," muses the artist as she thumbs through paintings she did in England. "For one thing, my palette has exploded! Look at all the intense tropical colours in my newer work!"

Recent themes are often based on minute details observed in nature: the structures that form a piece of coral, the scales of a fish, or the curl of a leaf. "In the fast paced life of the twenty-first century, it is easy to become oblivious to the beauty so often hidden in our surroundings. If my artwork can rekindle for the viewer a sense of wonder in the small details of nature - the ordinary as well as the exotic - then I will be a pleased painter indeed!" she smiles.

ROOMS IN THIS GALLERY:
the studio foyer / painting on silk / making barkcloth / notes on the artist

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