With no formal artistic training, Tessa attributes her creativity to experimentation whilst being surrounded by bales of fabric and buckets of paint during her childhood when her father ran a small screen printing and garment manufacture business.

Tessa began working the local craft fair circuit in 1985, hand painting fabric, T-shirts and ceramics, and later as a mosaic artist creating custom mosaics in public areas within the Fiji tourism industry. From 2000 to 2006 she operated Namana Fiji Arts, a gallery and workshop facilitating local artists and craftspeople.

Recent works feature three dimensional mixed medium, with favoured materials being; plaster, acrylics, bark cloth, natural fibres and beach combed materials.

"My work has moved away from functional, and more towards sculptural and expressive. I live and work very closely with Earth and the natural elements, and through my work I celebrate our coexistence.. We belong to the land, our Mother Earth. We must learn to take better care of our home, and be thankful to have such an amazing place to come from."

"As a Pacific Islander, our cultures have always been close to nature with natural respect for her forces. I often draw upon my island environment and culture for aesthetic inspiration."

Tessa lives on the Coral Coast with her husband, Brad and their four children.

Exhibition Record

2007
Roots in Search of Water, Alliance Francais, Suva Fiji
2007
The Dreaming Festival, Woodford Brisbane, AUST
2006
Fiji Arts Club Annual Nation Exhibition
2005
Fiji Arts Council Nation Exhibition
New Media and Traditional
2004
9^th Pacific Arts Festival, Palau.
Contemporary Exhibition, Sculpture
Belau National Museum
2004
Fiji Arts Council Nation Exhibition
New Media and Traditional
2003
Fiji Arts Council National Exhibition
2003
"Art on an Island"
Sculpture and Traditional
2002
Western Art and Crafts Annual Exhibition
Tanoa International, Nadi, Fiji
1998
Red Cross/BMW Fashion Awards
1997
Red Cross/Fiji Times Fashion Awards

AWARDS

2004
Highly Commended New Media Award, Fiji Arts Council National Exhibition

2003
Highly Commended Sculpture Award, Fiji Arts Council National Exhibition

2003
Highly Commended Traditional Award, Fiji Arts Council National Exhibition

1998
Premier Collection Award, Red Cross/Fiji Times Fashion Awards

1997
Funky Award, Red Cross/BMW Fashion Awards

The Pacific Arts Alliance

Core Members

Registered Artists

Directory

Tessa Miller