antiquesandartireland.com

Work by the Belfast born landscape and marine painter James Glen Wilson (1827-1863) will feature in a large exhibition on Fiji at the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia in Norwich from October 15 to February 12, 2017.  Commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1852 to take part in the survey voyage of HMS Herald in the western Pacific Wilson recorded coastal views and the activities of the survey.

Fiji has a long history of activity and cultural exchanges with canoes transporting goods and peoples to Tonga, Samoa and neighbouring Pacific islands since 1,000 BC.  The Europeans arrived in the 19th century, a Colonial government was established in 1874 and Fiji became independent in 1970. Many traditions have been maintained and even with a population of less than one million Fiji is a major rugby nation. The exhibition will highlight sculpture, textiles, ceramics, ivory and shell regalia, European paintings and historic photographs. Works in the exhibition by James Glen Wilson, who finally settled in Australia, show Fijian war canoes in action an a siege by Christian Fijians of a fortified village.