Na Cagi Ni Veisau Exhibition open at the Fiji Museum and will run until the 8th of February 2026

Na Cagi Ni Veisau marks ten years of the Veiqia Project, which is reviving the traditional tattooing and rituals of iTaukei women.

The exhibition launches today at the Fiji Museum and will run until the 8th of February, 2026.

Researcher and Cultural Advisor of the Veiqia Project, Dr. Tarisi Vunidilo, highlights the importance of the Veiqia ceremony in iTaukei culture, saying it uniquely crowns women and their identity through time of growth and maturity.

Dr. Vunidilo says that the Veiqia ceremony includes women being tattooed and wearning a fibered skirt called the liku.

The Veiqia Project team received an award in New Zealand last week on the recognition of the veiqia around the world.

She further explains that the launch aims to feature and highlight Fiji’s traditional ways for the younger generation, rekindling the light of knowledge and raising the recognition of women in the community.

Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Museum, Andy Lowe, shared his heartfelt gratitude to the Veiqia team for their hard work in reviving and sharing knowledge that was long lost to the iTaukei community.

President of the Fiji Craft Society, Etiqa Tuvuki, says the event brought together artists, researchers, and guests from Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand to honour the rich heritage and creativity of Fijian women.

She highlights that Na Cagi Ni Veisau—which translates to “The Winds of Change” reflects how culture is never static but constantly evolving across generations.

Tuvuki adds that the exhibition pays tribute to the proud legacy of Fijian women, especially those who once carried their lineage and identity through the traditional practice of veiqia tattooing.

She says that for nearly a century, veiqia and the rituals surrounding it—songs, dances, and the gifting of the first liku (fiber skirt)—were silenced.

She explains that the Veiqia Project, launched in 2015, has since reignited these conversations, connecting women through exhibitions, talanoa sessions, and research that reawaken ancestral memory.

Tuvuki also congratulated the Veiqia Project team for receiving the Pacific Heritage Award at the Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Awards, recognizing their efforts to revive and celebrate Pacific heritage art forms.

She says that at the heart of the exhibition is the liku, which traditionally marks key stages in a woman’s life — puberty, marriage, and motherhood.

She adds that the display features works by 12 women artists from Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand, including several members of the Fiji Craft Society.