Arriving at Kiribati on my list of countries to paint a picture of was exciting because I really had no idea where it was... Africa, Europe, somewhere in the ocean. Indeed it was somewhere in the ocean, the middle of the Pacific to be precise. It is in the Micronesian subregion of the Oceania region, which is in an easterly direction from Australia. The country is an archipelago, that is, a collection of small islands some of which are connected to each other by causeways. Having painted numerous tropical island countries in the series so far, I wanted to find an interior concept that featured the landscape without showing beaches and mountains. With a little research I learned that a major crop in the region is the giant taro marsh plant, which produces a nutritious, starchy root that can be prepared for food. It takes many years to mature, but the taro root can be stored underground for decades, and thus provides a convenient buffer against food shortages. In the painting, I added a local farmer to give a sense of the scale of these plants.
World Inspired Landscapes: Kiribati, watercolour 6 x 9" cold press, January 2024 (No. 3843a)
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