First Ni Van Woman Artist

The First Ni-Vanuatu Woman artist, Juliet Peter, has a reason to be proud of all her art work since 1980.

Originally from Erromango in Tafea Province, Juliet Peter was trained at the INTV before Independence in 1980 in painting, art and craft.

By 1983, only three years after independence, Peter organized her first art exhibition of wide variety of water color paintings on different subjects.

She has also worked with the Vila Hand Prints for several years and then left to continue with her own art work which she sells at the Women’s Market in downtown Port Vila.

She is a member of the Nawita Association of Vanuatu. Yesterday, she joined the Nawita Association to display her paintings in the 2014 Nawita Annual Exhibition at the French Embassy Hall in Port Vila.

A mother of 3 children aged 20, 17 and 10, her children are also following in their mother’s footsteps, although the youngest, the 10-year-old is still at school.

Two of her older children have learned the art of painting from their mother and are creating their own style of painting and art and craft.

She does her water color painting on canvas as well as on local taba and venturing into making broidery but decided to concentrate on paintings.

“I ventured into broidery but retracted to painting because it requires concentration and being creative all the time. Also, I have high demand from local mothers for various designs they ask for to apply to their local dress making,” she said.

At the age of 50, the mother of 3 enjoys her art work and earning she gets from her talent.

“I have painted water falls, sunsets, and different objects with mixed ideas as they come along,” she said with a smile.

“I do encourage many young up and coming ni-Vanuatu artists to make this their professional career, as I have to where I am today,” said the first ni-Vanuatu female artist.

Many of her art work were sold to both locals and expatriates over the past 18 years without turning back into doing something else.

“It’s part of my life now and I want to continue as well as teaching my own children and other young ni-Vans who are interested in the art of painting using water colour and of course oil, if they can afford this,” she said.

Her art works form some of the most outstanding 2014 Nawita art exhibition now on display at the French Embassy Exhibition Hall.