Artistic adventures in Vanuatu

When artists Ian and Kay George were invited to visit friends who are now living in Vanuatu, they were not sure what they would find never having visited the country before. However, the invitation had come from Gayle Stapylton who is now head of ANZ banking in Vanuatu and she seemed to enjoy living there so it must have some attraction. The other friend is Bernadette Lynch who is also well known in the business community from her term with the ANZ who was transferred to Vanuatu and now works for Gayle.
Kay said that although they had never been to Vanuatu, there were plenty of reminders of home on the journey to Vanuatu with Tuki Wright on their plane out of Rarotonga. When they arrived in Port Vila they visited a café where by chance they found a copy of the Vanuatu Weekender of 18 April 2009 which had an article featuring a large photo of local tennis player, Brett Baudinet from Ngati Raina in a story about the Oceania team remaining undefeated in the Davis Cup.
Talking of sports people, they met a keen golfer who turned out to be an official team member for Vanuatu for the Pacific Mini Games hosted by the Cook Islands this September. The golfer is good friends with Arama and Vaine Wichman and his parting words were to issue a challenge to the Cook Islands team: I hope you are ready because we are”.
The connections just kept coming having met with another person whose Cook Islands great grandmother but had been kidnapped during the infamous ‘blackbirding’ days but who later settled down to family life in Vanuatu. Which is pretty amazing considering they have never heard anyone mentioning Vanuatu except perhaps for the USP law school at Emalus.
Then it was time to explore the island and look at what artworks were available on the island. Their first port of call was to visit Russian born artist Nicolai Michoutouchkine and his partner, PNG born artist, Aloi Pilioilo who have been artists for over 50 years and later established a base in Vanuatu where they have lived for over 30 years. Their studio complex is like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ where everything including the tumunu in the garden is painted and the first thing they ask is whether visitors would care for a drink of vodka.
They also have a connection with the Cook Islands having run two art workshops for the USP Centre in Rarotonga but their paths never crossed before and Kay and Ian were determined to ensure they met this time around.
There is a hut for the hand painted clothing from PNG, another for artifacts from PNG, another for body oils and soaps for use in the spa. However, there are few galleries as such with local indigenous Melanesian artists selling their works and handicrafts at the local markets which are dotted all over the island.
The journey to Vanuatu seems to have inspired new enthusiasm in Kay who is completing her practical project towards her Masters degree through the Auckland University of Technology in conjunction with the USP centre but that is another story.

Herald Issue 455 15 April
- Powering the Future
- Fiji clamp down a worry for government
- Aitutaki Community Pays Tribute to Retiring Leaders!
- Cook’s to Lose Diverse Personality to United Nations!