Riya Mala 
[Photo: AMBASSADE DE FRANCE AUX FIJI/ FACEBOOK]
A new historical exhibition is shedding light on the role women played in early Fijian society through rare drawings dating back nearly two centuries.
Speaking at the opening of the “Fiji 1838: Face to Face” exhibition, French Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Benjamin Delannoy says the drawings offer a unique perspective that differs from many 19th-century European records.
He says that while many historical accounts focused on chiefs and warriors, the artwork also portrays women as mothers, craftspeople, producers, custodians of knowledge, and active members of their communities.
Delannoy adds that the drawings show that women played a vital role in Fiji’s social, economic, and cultural life, with contributions extending far beyond the household.
“They show us how women were essential to the social, economic, and cultural life of Fiji and that their contribution extended far beyond the private sphere. These drawings have been preserved in France, but they take on part of their meaning here in Fiji, where they can be viewed alongside the knowledge and perspectives of the people whose history they portray.”
Delannoy says the exhibition brings together historical records and contemporary Fijian perspectives, allowing the public to better understand Fiji’s rich cultural heritage.
The exhibition is the result of collaboration between French and Fijian museums, researchers, and artists, featuring rare drawings created during a French expedition to Fiji in 1838.
