NDINA Gallery

08/10/2026

ALIFERETI MALAI x ARTWAKA AUCKLAND 🇫🇯

Discover Malai’s work and join him for Art-Talanoa from 6:30pm October 8, 9 and 10 Fale Talanoa 🤝

Complimentary shells until 7:30pm 👏

Named Fiji Artist of the Year 2019, Alifereti Malai is a prominent contemporary Fijian painter whose four-decade career stands as a testament to personal redemption and artistic dedication.

Born in 1965 in Suva, Fiji, Malai navigated a challenging youth before discovering painting and drawing while serving a 10-year prison sentence.

Embracing art as a therapeutic means to heal from childhood hardships, his raw talent caught the attention of local authorities and international embassies, ultimately earning him an early release for good behavior.
Malai’s distinctive style bridges indigenous Pacific heritage with modern abstraction.

He initially gained widespread acclaim for his highly intricate, fine black-ink drawings executed on masi (traditional Fijian barkcloth), which detailed cultural artifacts including war clubs, cannibal forks, and tabua (whale’s teeth). Over the years, his practice expanded into vibrant oil and acrylic paintings, alongside striking local portraiture.

This unique fusion of traditional motifs and contemporary techniques has earned him international exhibitions across New Zealand, New Caledonia, Germany, and the United States.

23/09/2026

Artwaka is a voyaging event series and collaborative platform led by NDINA Gallery combining contemporary Oceanic arts with intentional space for kava-talanoa 🤝

Rooted in the shared significance of ‘waka’ - premium noble kava roots in Fijian tradition and the traditional canoe in Māori culture - the program celebrates Pacific heritage and contemporary art as a living, connected force.

NDINA is thrilled to partner with host for Artwaka’s maiden berth in Aotearoa. A New Zealand kava cultural institution, Four Shells is a rooted hub for Pasifika creatives and we are honoured to share your space in celebration of Fiji Day 2026.

We are also excited to announce our collaboration with the Fiji Craft Society bringing together heritage artisans with contemporary artists for a dynamic group exhibition and series of evening talanoa sessions from 6-10 October exploring the vibrant stories of Fiji’s visual culture 🇫🇯

16/09/2026

This is why NDINA Exists 🎯

To build strong exposure and sustainable livelihood for Fiji’s contemporary art eco-system.

NDINA’s founding principle is Truth. We share these numbers from Hibiscus because transparency is fundamental to building strong lasting relationships rooted in trust. The warm reception our artists received and the income they were able to generate is a testament to the support of the vanua and potency of their storytelling.

We also share these numbers to demonstrate what is possible when just a fraction of Fiji’s abundant creative talent in visual arts is channeled into a curated platform at a dynamic public forum. Creative Industries boom when given space, flexibility, and trust.

NDINA believes in collaboration over competition and we look forward to co-creating more empowering spaces like the Hibiscus pop-up with creative partners across Fiji and the wider Pacific.

Our gratitude is immense to the Hibiscus Festival Committee for supporting and encouraging engagement in Fiji’s contemporary art.

A special vinaka vakalevu is extended our artists and the wider Fiji arts community for your trust and friendship, together we will continue building the infrastructure needed to bring your impactful stories to the world 🤝

14/09/2026

Vina’a va’alevu Anare 👏

https://www.facebook.com/share/18PgfRUMuQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 - 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐔𝐌𝐔

For more than three decades, Anare Somumu has used illustration to communicate stories, ideas and knowledge.

Now, his drawings will help bring 20 new short stories in Vosa Vakaviti to life for Fiji’s children.

Anare is the official illustrator for the Volau ni Volavola/Talanoa BookLab project, which is developing a collection of 20 iTaukei short stories earmarked for the literature curriculum for Years 7 and 8 in Fiji’s primary schools.

An illustrator since 1991, including around 15 years with the Curriculum Development Unit (CDU) of the Ministry of Education, Anare believes a picture can do much more than decorate a page.

“Drawing or illustration is a way of communicating. It is a powerful communication tool.”

For iTaukei, he says, learning has traditionally happened through what we see and hear. Long before knowledge was extensively written down, stories and oral traditions helped pass values, behaviour and indigenous knowledge from one generation to another.

Today, Anare sees illustration as another way of strengthening that connection, helping young readers understand and engage with stories written in Vosa Vakaviti.

He also sees his talent as his own small contribution to something much bigger.

“I illustrate. I am not a writer. But that is my contribution to making our country better.”

His message is for all of us: whatever our gift or talent may be, we can use it to contribute to our communities, address the challenges around us and help build a better Fiji.

For Anare, that gift is illustration.

And through the Talanoa BookLab, his drawings will help a new generation see, read and connect with stories told in their own language.

04/09/2026

Vinaka sara vakalevu for spotlighting Fijian Arts!
Come visit our pop-up exhibition until 10pm on Saturday 5th September celebrating Hibiscus Festival at Albert Park Pavilion 🌺

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DeFNAPbFh/?mibextid=wwXIfr

04/09/2026

Special Hibiscus Festival prices on original artwork 🌺

Come down to Albert Park Pavilion for fine art facepainting and to find a unique handmade gift for the ocean lover in your life 🪸

Only until Saturday night 5 Sept ⏰

31/08/2026

Join local artists every evening of Hibiscus Festival this week from 6pm at NDINA Gallery for dynamic kava-talanoa sessions to exploring Fiji’s contemporary art movement 🪄

Free Entry | $10 Kava Basins

31/08/2026

Lively bookmarks from Mason James Lee 🎨
Only available at Hibiscus Festival 🌺
📍Albert Park Pavilion

30/08/2026

Limited edition 70th Anniversary 🌺 Mug designed by Josaia W. McNamara ☕️

Pick yours at Albert Park Pavilion until 5 September📍

30/08/2026

Celebrate Hibiscus Festival with face painting from Fijian Masters, only at NDINA gallery 🥳
Albert Park Pavilion 📍