Maldives Culture
If the cultural scene is taking its first steps, the Maldives is an ancient land. A commercial crossroads since the beginning of our era, the archipelago embraced Buddhist precepts for several centuries. Rare archaeological remains attest to the fact that the first settlers, from Sri Lanka and South India, brought their beliefs with them. What remains of this part of the islands' history are architectural traces and customs, as well as the tonalities of traditional music and the place accorded to dance.
As far as painting is concerned, we can't yet speak of a Maldivian pictorial tradition. However, several local artists are pursuing their careers. All self-taught, they practice painting, drawing or various visual experiments. Among the most respected, Mariyam Shany Ahmed, known as "Manje", works in watercolor, acrylic and ink to question the human relationship with the environment and femininity, in addition to folk scenes. Her pensive women are seen in a typical Maldivian environment, in vivid colors, among sea and land creatures.
The National Art Gallery of the Maldives, located in the heart of Malé, remains the only official exhibition venue. Founded by the government in 1999, its aim is to showcase Maldivian and international artists, as a way of nurturing heritage and patriotism. Its program alternates between photography, painting, crafts and conceptual art. The museum's permanent collection includes some artifacts from the pre-Islamic period, but above all objects from the Islamic period. These include coins, fabrics, a white coral Buddha head, 13th-century carved wooden panels and hand-woven carpets. Don't miss the sculptures discovered in temples dedicated to Tantric Buddhism.
Private initiatives
Events to promote the visual arts in the Maldives are organized by associations and private individuals. Hotels are at the forefront of exchanges, notably through a system of residencies. Guest artists come to teach workshops and exhibit their work, bringing little-known techniques to the islands. Among the hotels that champion the visual arts, the Joali offers, in a paradisiacal setting, a permanent exhibition of 13 works signed by artists who have composed in situ works integrated into the environment. South African artist Porky Hefer has suspended a manta ray from the terrace of one of the restaurant areas, while New Yorker Misha Khan has created a stunning garden of underwater sculptures, accessible only to divers. The hotel's 73 villas also house objets d'art, with the utmost respect for the environment. The Joali proclaims its intention to become a year-round artistic residence.
American painter Gregory Burns was one of the first artists to take up residency in the Maldives. It has to be said that he finds an ever-renewed source of inspiration in the seabed. Since his first residency at Banyan Tree Maldives in 2007, he has returned to Shangri-la Resorts (2010) and Amilla Fushi (2016-2017). His beach workshops are a great success.
Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts prefers to collaborate with local artists. For example, Maldivian artist Hussain Atheek was able to express his creativity through music during a workshop aimed at introducing visitors to abstract art. Self-taught, Hussain Atheek took up painting at an early age. Now, using acrylics, pastels and digital art, Hussain stops at nothing. He works in a number of establishments, organizes exhibitions and coordinates residencies.
In this spirit, German artist MadC was invited to create six frescoes for the Pullman Hotel on the Gaafu Alifu atoll. Her large, idyllic paintings adorn the walls of the white huts on stilts. Public art to admire with your feet in the water!
Street artist Alec Monopoly had the pleasure of painting an entire speedboat during a public session at W Maldives. At the W, he collaborated with Maldivian graffiti artist Sobah and Japanese artist Shiro to create the frescoes in "W The Store".
Some urban art can be found in the streets of Malé. The Raalhugandu skatepark has been redecorated by Toxicrew & Ram Miguel. A street art festival brought a bit of color to the capital's streets. The last one saluted the presence of Mike Makatron in 2022.
Artists' associations
Since 2016, the NGO Maldivian Artist Community-MAC has acted as a platform to support emerging talent. It accompanies them and helps them make a name for themselves as artists. The association brings together some fifty artists, some of whom have acquired a certain renown.
The more modest Fine Art Maldives association shares similar objectives, drawing on the passion of each artist involved.
Kula Art Studio offers training in Kandima. Located next to the Aroma Art Café, the studios overlook the lake. Classes are given by young Maldivian talents: abstract painter Ahmed Azmee (Baachy), Maimoona Hussain who combines fauna, flora and Arabic calligraphy in her canvases, and portrait painter Ahmed Shaffan.
To be followed closely ..
Since 2010, the Hay Festival has been celebrating Maldivian culture at the end of November. Artists from all fields take part: theater, literature, music, science, art and poetry! The event concludes with workshops for young people.
Unveiling visions, the MAC's exhibitions feature a selection of visual artists, with no limits on genre or discipline. Among the talents on show, Mohamed Gailhal discovered art in a drawing manual and now practices digital art. In another style, at just 17, Eema has won awards for her stunningly hyper-realistic portraits.
Far from market trends, Maldivian artists bring extremely diverse proposals to the table. Striped Coco, for example, paints characters in acrylic and oil on wooden panels that are rewritings of her photographs; Manje practices "deviant art". What do they have in common? To bring their vision of the world without worrying about influences!
