William Bakalevu discovered his love for painting at the age of 37, after moving from the urban vistas of Fiji’s Suva city, where he was born, to Nikorolevu village, the home of his forebears. The local history and stories of Nikorolevu village captivated Bakalevu; he was compelled to find a way to visually document and celebrate day-to-day life in the rural community.

After sharing his aspiration with other local friends, the idea emerged to create illustrations of selected stories and paint them on the walls of local homes. Without any prior painting experience, Bakalevu completed a series of domestic murals that started his lifetime commitment to retelling the narratives and characters of local legends and proverbs. The selection of works by Bakalevu in the Asia Pacific Triennial celebrate his distinctive approach to artmaking, developed and refined over more than three decades.