An EXPLORE Fiji® Feature
Before the first brushstroke, there is always an idea.
For Josaia Waqabaca McNamara, that idea has guided more than three decades of artistic exploration, where philosophy, culture and spirituality come together on canvas.
Later this month, that lifelong pursuit will see the accomplished Fijian contemporary artist represent his country at one of Europe’s prestigious international art events.
McNamara has been selected as the first Fijian artist to exhibit at the 9th Chianciano Art Biennale in the historic spa town of Chianciano Terme, Tuscany, Italy, from August 15 to 29, 2026. His painting, In Light of Regeneration, marks an important milestone for both his career and the growing international recognition of contemporary Fijian art.
(Copyright Josaia W. McNamara)
In an interview with EXPLORE Fiji publisher Connie Chew, McNamara reflected on how he was sketching portraits on “scraps of paper and even on walls” long before his paintings reached galleries across Fiji, the Pacific, Asia and Europe. He recalls beginning to draw at around the age of four, when a childhood fascination with art first took hold.
With maternal roots in Matuku, Lau, and an Irish-New Zealand father who passed away before his birth in 1974, McNamara was raised between Fiji’s two cities, Suva and Lautoka. He now lives with his family near the village of Vanuakula in Naitasiri, where he continues to paint, write and reflect on the human experience.
“My artistic practice has been rooted in a universal approach founded in the essence of iTaukei culture, religion and esoteric spirituality,” he says.
Those three pillars have guided his work from the beginning. Alongside his paintings, McNamara has written hundreds of philosophical commentaries, believing that every artwork starts with an idea.
He is also the author of The Crown of Wisdom (2015), an art-booklet which explores many of the same ideas found in his paintings. Deeply philosophical by nature, McNamara sees writing and painting as inseparable, with words often becoming the starting point for images on canvas.
Underlying much of his philosophy is the idea of Oneness, the belief that humanity, nature and the spiritual realm are fundamentally interconnected, a concept that continues to shape both his writing and his art.
“When I begin a new work, I evolve my art expression from my writing. From a particular selected commentary, I translate specific key words into images, motifs and symbols,” he explains.
That process has produced a distinctive body of work filled with symbolism and layered meaning. Rather than providing answers, McNamara hopes viewers bring their own experiences and interpretations to each painting.
“My hope is that viewers will absorb related imagery into their own contextual realities, no matter which part of the globe people may view the same budding flower from,” he adds.
While culture, religion and spirituality remain at the heart of his work, his more recent paintings engage with contemporary issues such as conflict, artificial intelligence and geopolitical tension. These themes are brought together in Josaia Waqabaca McNamara: Art of Wisdom II, his current solo exhibition presented by The University of Fiji at its Suva Central Campus located in the De Vos building in Suva’s CBD.
Running until August 14 2026, it is the second installment of his Art of Wisdom collection, featuring original oil paintings inspired by these concerns.
Moving between realism and abstraction, the works invite viewers into layered worlds of symbolism, encouraging reflection on the relationship between body, mind and spirit. The exhibition also offers insight into McNamara’s creative process, where observations of the world around him evolve through philosophical writing before finding expression on canvas.
Among them is The Birth of AI, which explores humanity’s relationship with rapidly advancing technology.
“AI is taking over our mindset, our sense of self, our free will,” he says. “We have to find our way back to ourselves, to live the life we were naturally meant to live,” he says.
For McNamara, technology is another lens through which he explores larger philosophical questions about consciousness, free will and humanity’s future.
He credits his family for recognising his artistic ability at an early age, while later encouragement from the late Dr. Epeli Hau’ofa and Professor Frank Thomas at the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies in Suva helped shape his development as both an artist and philosopher.
Among the hundreds of works he has created over the years, several have become milestones in both his artistic journey and Fiji’s contemporary art story.
Painted in 2005, Trinity reflected the three pillars of his artistic philosophy. The work was later exhibited at London’s October Gallery before being acquired by a female Middle Eastern art collector, an early sign that his work was gaining international attention.
Souljah’s Freedom, first conceived in 2008 and completed in 2024, earned the Best Mixed Media Award at Fiji’s National Fine Art Exhibition, demonstrating how ideas first explored years earlier continue to evolve in his practice.
Now, In Light of Regeneration has become another landmark. Selected for this month’s Chianciano Art Biennale in Italy, the painting reflects on humanity’s capacity for renewal despite the challenges of climate change, global crises and the complexities of the modern world. Its selection is another milestone in McNamara’s growing international profile and recognition.
Looking back, McNamara sees his artistic journey as one continuous conversation. While his subjects have evolved with the changing world, the philosophy behind them has remained constant.
Having watched Fiji’s contemporary art scene grow over many years, McNamara believes Pacific artists are making an increasingly important contribution to global creative dialogue.
“As a practising artist, it is our Pacific artists in Fiji who are voicing and creating an important wave of contemporary expression that can advance the movement toward a more holistic, aware and empowered society,” McNamara says.
After more than 30 years of creating, McNamara says his greatest hope is that people leave with more than admiration for his paintings.
“I hope people will feel inspired somehow, or probably have some thoughts or insight into what I have been pursuing and creating. I also hope to challenge viewers to explore the space between worlds and stir critical reflection,” he says.
In McNamara’s world, the canvas is more than a place to paint. It is where ideas become images, philosophy becomes art, and every viewer is invited to pause, reflect and see the world a little differently.
Artwork Enquiries
For artwork enquiries, private viewings and purchases, email the NDINA Gallery at [email protected]. The gallery represents Josaia McNamara and manages correspondence on the artist’s behalf.
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