Island traditions, ocean guardianship, and eco-creativity in the Pacific
Fiji, a South Pacific island nation of more than 300 islands, is renowned for its canoe voyaging, tapa cloth, wood carving, and meke dance traditions. Its culture reflects deep respect for the ocean, forests, and communal life. Yet Fiji faces urgent ecological challenges: rising sea levels, coral bleaching, cyclones, deforestation, and plastic pollution. In response, Fijian artists and cultural leaders are increasingly embracing sustainability in the arts — preserving ancestral practices while exploring recycled creativity, eco-fashion, and climate advocacy through performance and visual storytelling.
Fijian culture embodies ecological knowledge and resilience:
Tapa cloth (masi): Made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree, dyed with natural pigments, used in ceremonies and art.
Weaving: Mats, baskets, and fans woven from pandanus and coconut leaves, sustainable and communal.
Canoe building (drua): Wooden double-hulled sailing canoes once central to navigation, crafted with renewable materials.
Wood carving: Kava bowls, weapons, and ornaments shaped from native timber with symbolic designs.
Meke dance & oral storytelling: Performances linking people to land, sea, and ancestry, embedding ecological values.
Tattooing (veiqia): Historically tied to identity, rivers, and nature.
These eco-conscious traditions form the foundation of Fiji’s eco-arts revival.
Artists use plastic waste, driftwood, and marine debris to create installations and sculptures, raising awareness of ocean pollution and climate change.
Designers reinterpret tapa cloth and weaving with modern cuts, organic fabrics, and natural dyes, positioning Fiji within the global slow fashion movement.
Fijian musicians and choirs blend traditional songs with contemporary genres to highlight cyclones, rising seas, and climate justice, giving a global voice to island struggles.
Village theatre and youth drama groups perform plays about sustainable fishing, coral protection, and disaster resilience, combining entertainment with education.
Events like the Fiji Fringe Festival, Oceania Centre for Arts & Culture exhibitions, and community festivals integrate eco-crafts, recycled art, and environmental storytelling.
Oceania Centre for Arts & Culture (USP, Suva) – hub for eco-arts and Pacific cultural innovation.
Women’s weaving cooperatives – sustaining pandanus weaving with fair-trade and eco-design.
Youth art collectives – making murals about ocean conservation and climate resilience.
Eco-fashion designers – blending tapa traditions with modern sustainability.
Musicians & climate activists – linking songs with Pacific climate justice campaigns.
Rising seas and extreme cyclones, threatening communities and cultural spaces.
Plastic pollution & coral bleaching, stressing marine ecosystems.
Deforestation, impacting carving and weaving resources.
Economic vulnerability, limiting eco-arts investment.
Migration & displacement, disrupting intergenerational transmission of culture.
Eco-tourism & cultural exchange: Linking eco-arts with marine conservation and heritage villages.
Global eco-fashion markets: Positioning tapa and pandanus weaving in sustainable design.
Youth education & empowerment: Expanding eco-art in schools and climate programs.
Pacific collaboration: Fiji could lead a Pacific Islands eco-arts alliance with Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
In Fiji, sustainability in the arts is both a continuation of island traditions and a creative response to climate crisis. From tapa cloth and pandanus weaving to recycled ocean art, eco-fashion, and climate-conscious performance, Fijian artists are transforming creativity into resilience. As rising seas and cyclones reshape the Pacific, Fiji’s arts sector stands as a cultural bridge between heritage, ecological awareness, and global climate action.