27 September 2025

Wota i Toktok

The Wota i Toktok exhibition was officially opened at the Suzanne Bastien Foundation Gallery in Port Vila, Vanuatu in September 2025.

The opening included a welcome by Elsie Molou, Communications and Advocacy Coordinator from Sista explaining the origins of the project and collaboration with University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Melita Grant, Associate Director Research from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the UTS spoke about her passion for Wota i Toktok and water, sanitation and hygeine (WASH) and thanked everyone who was part of the project, especially the artists and co-collaborators Elsie Molou and Carole Réocreux.

A woman standing on a platform holding a microphone, wearing a colorful pink and yellow dress with black patterns and brown sandals, in front of a large purple and white banner with motivational words. The background includes a metal wall with paintings and decorations.
A woman wearing a black top, a floral skirt, and sandals, standing on a carpeted stage with a microphone in her hand. Behind her is a banner with the word 'Oista' and the quote 'This is not a moment - this is a movement.' The stage is inside a building with metal walls and a carpeted floor.

The exhibition curator, Carole Réocreux, shared why she wanted to be part of this exhibition and the power of art in advocacy. Exhibition artists, Talula-Fay Taribakeo and Melissa Blumberg-Booth, spoke to the important connection between water and culture with Melissa sharing an engaging and moving poem.

Here is Talula’s speech -

“Growing up with my grandparents, I carried my own small bucket to the community well. I remember the happiness of filling it, and I remember the long hot days when we dug boreholes by the coast to find water during droughts. Those moments taught me that water is fragile, powerful, and above all it brings us together.

Water is more than what we drink. It flows, it heals, it carries, it remembers. It is joy when we fetch it from the well, it is struggle when we face drought, it is strength when the tide rises, and it is peace when it rests.

Here in Vanuatu, water is not just a resource. It is part of our stories, our kastom, and our survival. It flows through our gardens, it carries our canoes, it washes over our islands, and it teaches us to adapt and be resilient. Like water, we too must learn to move and flow, to overcome challenges, and to give life to others.

The art my cousin and I created comes from these memories and emotions  blending kastom stories and feelings of water how it has shaped us, tested us, and sustained us as island people and more.

But tonight, our work is just one stream in a greater ocean. Each artist here has poured their heart into capturing what water means to them, its beauty, its challenges, its memories. Together, all these works remind us to pause, to honor, and to care for the gift that God has placed in our lives

Kwai huki duruhi na vanua maoriana u huri, hoknia lo tarabehinda tanungwe karea ni beta maoriana mana revebulu lo kinao vunuhira

[English translation: As water flows through our islands, may our stories and art continue to flow through our hearts. Just like water, may we keep moving, giving, and connecting].

Tonight, may this wota I toktok exhibition  remind us all to respect and care for the gift of water, Kwai  Leo  or Wota I toktok.” - Talula-Fay Taribakeo

The opening was also made particularly special by the involvement of Edgar Hinge who created a sandroing (sand drawing) which told the story of water, and the interconnectedness of water across all aspects of life.

Two women standing in front of a colorful textile art piece at an art exhibition. The woman on the left has long blonde hair, is smiling, and is wearing a blue patterned dress. The woman on the right has dreadlocks, is crossing her arms, and is wearing a multicolored patterned garment with orange pants.
A sandy footpath with a detailed, intricate straw design of a shoe print and the word 'WAY' written underneath on the ground.
Group of children and adults gathered indoors, watching a traditional dance performance by an older man with gray hair, sitting on the floor, wearing a grass skirt and performing a cultural dance.
A woman dressed in traditional Polynesian attire, including a grass skirt and greenery, demonstrating Polynesian dance to a group of children seated on a tiled floor.

Jacob, Groovy Banana and supporting musicians provided wonderful music, and Jacob treated everyone to a Kastom story which he sang as shown in the photos below. Watch the Wota Mama video created by Gaga (Groovy Banana, featuring Sheila Wills & Marina Do Mar) here.

The following images were taken by JZ Photography and Melita Grant during the magnificent launch event.

Musicians performing indoors with wooden walls, using instruments including a drum, guitar, and keyboard.
A man with dreadlocks and a beard, wearing a blue t-shirt and peach-colored shorts, holds a wooden mallet and stands in front of a table in an art gallery or studio, with artwork hanging on the metal wall behind him.
Five women in flower crowns and grass skirts splash in a river surrounded by trees with the text "Wota Mama" above them.
A woman with dark hair styled in an updo, wearing a wreath of greenery and flowers, smiling and pointing at abstract blue paintings displayed on a white wall in an art gallery.
Two women, one with long blonde hair and light skin, and one with short curly hair and dark skin, smiling and posing together indoors.
An elderly woman with glasses smiling at an art display of hanging white and gray clouds and balls in front of a blue and yellow abstract painting.
Man with dreadlocks in a blue t-shirt and orange shorts holding a wooden axe, working on a large piece of fabric or carpet in an indoor art studio with fabric art paintings on the wall.
Three women smiling outdoors at night, standing close together, dressed in colorful dresses with floral and abstract patterns.
An art exhibit featuring a large waterfall scene on fabric draped over a stand, with people observing the artwork in a gallery space.
Photograph of a painting or print of a woman in a red patterned dress with short curly hair, facing ocean waves, hanging on a gallery wall with similar artworks.
Two women are standing indoors, smiling, and holding shopping bags with scenic landscape prints; they appear to have just finished shopping or are at an event.
Two women standing close together, smiling at the camera at an indoor event with people in the background.
A smiling woman standing in an art gallery in front of large paintings, including the famous Great Wave off Kanagawa, and another painting of pink and purple flowers.
Two women standing close together and smiling in a large indoor space with a high, wooden interior. One woman wears glasses and a pink dress, the other wears a yellow dress with white leaf patterns.
People attending an art exhibition inside a warehouse-style space with various artworks on display, hanging blue bags, and a speaker on the floor.
Table displaying various art pieces, pillows, and fabric samples in an art gallery setting. Four paintings are mounted on the white wall behind the table, including ocean-themed and nature-inspired works. The table has neatly arranged fabric swatches
Red dress with swirling white patterns, hanging on a wire, against a plain wall.
A woman with long, red hair in a blue patterned dress standing on a stage, holding a microphone and reading from paper, in a large indoor space with artwork and a purple banner with the word 'Sista' and the tagline 'This is not a moment - this is a m
Wota i toktok artists including Amelia, Elsie, Melita Grant, David, Talulah and more
Water music Vanuatu
Three textured blue panels with geometric patterns and string designs, mounted on a wall, with a small white pedestal and a carved wooden box in front, in an indoor space.
A colorful, painted fabric with a blue background, pink flower, and white flower surrounded by swirling blue patterns. Signed by the artist.
Test test test
A sidewalk with a black chalkboard sign advertising a new exhibition called 'World of Toktok' that is open, with a background of green bushes and trees, power lines, and a partly cloudy sky.
Two people, a woman and a man, standing under a yellow and black umbrella with hanging decorations, inside a room with white shelves and tiled floor. The woman is smiling and wearing a patterned dress, and the man is wearing a black cap, sunglasses,
Two children sitting on wicker chairs on a tile floor, watching a television, with their feet and legs visible in the foreground. The TV is placed on a small white pedestal and shows a woman speaking outdoors. The wall behind has various artwork, inc
A large block of ice with rainbow-colored light reflections, placed in a metal container, with a person’s foot and toes visible in the corner of the image.
A woman on stage speaking into a microphone, wearing a navy blue dress and a crown made of green leaves with purple flowers, holding a piece of paper. Behind her are framed artworks, and to her left is a purple and white banner with the words 'Sista'
A woman in a colorful dress speaking into a microphone at an event, standing next to a purple banner with the words 'JUSTA', 'INFORM', 'EMPOWER' visible, and a framed picture on the wall behind her.
Two women standing beside a colorful art piece on display. The woman on the left is barefoot, wearing a floral dress, and has her hands in front of her. The woman on the right is wearing a patterned dress with large earrings and sandals.
Close-up of blue and white paper lanterns or decorations hanging on a string indoors.
Three women smiling at an indoor event, wearing colorful and patterned dresses, with a man partially visible on the left side. The background has artwork and striped walls.
Child touching a glowing, colorful water table or light-up water surface with blue, green, and yellow hues.
A textile art piece hanging on a wall with a photograph of a diver above the ocean at sunset positioned in the center.
A man standing in front of a colorful artwork of trees, clouds, and animals on display at an art exhibition.
Two women and a young girl in an art gallery with staircase and artwork in the background. The woman on the left has dark skin and is wearing a patterned dress with a scarf. The woman on the right has light skin and is wearing a black dress, holding
A smiling man standing next to a colorful painting of three people swimming in the ocean during a sunset, with birds in the sky.
Children observing a large ice cube melting in a metal basin.
Fondation Suzanne Bastien Gallery Vanuatu art exhibition water
Fondation Suzanne Bastien Gallery Vanuatu art exhibition water
Wota i tok tok
An art exhibition display including textile arts inspired by different forms of water
People at the exhibition opening