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“I have seen the Maldives beautiful natural environment and the daily lives of everyday people from an up close and personal lens,” he says, describing his travels as a youth. His journeys’ resulted in a deep appreciation for the natural beauty of our island nation.

“As a nature lover, I have found a great fondness for the beautiful scenery of my country. Even without referring to a photo, as an artist, I always have those images in my head.”

Better known as Nazimbe, the 63-year-old has been practicing art since his schooldays. Opening his first major exhibition last Friday night, Nazimbe describes how he learned the essential basics of painting during his time in Majeedhiya. 

“With the strong foundation laid by my art teacher, Mr. Swampille, I built my artistic skills over time through self-studies. Using the internet and watching videos on YouTube, I studied how other professional artists would place their brushstrokes, watched their movements, and followed their advice on paint mixing. So, I am mostly self-taught.”

His exhibition, titled "Watercolor Journals of Nazimbe”, is on display at the National Art Gallery until January 25th.

An art journal of life at sea

Nazimbe's collection of paintings depicts his journey and observations through five segments: Light & Reflections, Travel Stories, Once Upon a Time in Male’, Life at Work and Curious Incidents. 

Explaining the purpose behind the segment “Once Upon a Time in Male’”, Nazimbe says he wanted to show people how Male’ has changed over the decades. “When I was growing up, Male' was a peaceful, serene and beautiful place. I wanted to share those memories with the public”, 

“Art is essentially a type of storytelling. Each art piece is a story in itself.” he adds. 

Water meets color

Unsurprisingly, the sea-faring man accustomed to the chaotic nature of the ocean finds solace in one of the most challenging mediums: watercolours. “When I was in school, I started with watercolour and found it easy to work with. Later, I learned how to use oil paints and mainly created oil paintings for a long time. Then, during a visit to another island, I saw a very nice watercolour palette, and suddenly, I felt like making a watercolour painting.” recounts Nazimbe. He soon found himself making a watercolour painting while sitting under a tree on the beach. Since then, watercolour has been Nazimbe’s preferred medium of choice. 

Although he enjoys painting in the open air while travelling, Nazimbe’s creative process when home in Male’ City typically unfolds in the quiet of the night while sitting at the kitchen table. As the world around him slumbers, Nazimbe translates his personal memories of tranquil island scenery and beautiful everyday island life moments onto a canvas. 

According to Nazimbe, the watercolour medium is challenging because no two paintings can be alike. “Unlike an oil painting, watercolour paintings are tough to re-create. Water plays the most important role in a watercolour painting. My paintings are not mine completely; the water is also responsible for the final result”

Keeping art alive

As such, he finds the lack of local artists specialised in watercolors very disheartening. “I believe if we have more exhibitions like this one, it will encourage more Maldivian artists to explore and appreciate watercolour as a medium,” 

“Looking at the (limited) range of products available in art supply shops, I believe it was bound to happen. You can easily find a tube of acrylic in any colour, but if you want specific watercolour paints you have to buy a whole box,” he says. 

Nevertheless, Nazimbe believes today's modern era offers many options for young artists to succeed. Recognising that many Maldivian artists are self-taught, he emphasizes the importance of mastering the basics of art. “If an artist isn’t familiar with the basics, a trained eye will notice strange oddities in the painting. My advice for aspiring artists is to make sure you know those basics when you start. Otherwise, you will not get good results.”

In his opinion, it is not just watercolors, but the art industry as a whole is very neglected in the Maldives. “I think the government can help by bringing in professional, qualified artists who are well-educated on the basics of art and painting,” he suggests. 

“I want to encourage more youth to try and specialise in watercolours. Watercolour is naturally very beautiful, so please don’t let it die out.”