06/04/2026
FIDJI 1838 — OUR ANCESTORS. OUR STORY. OUR PRIDE.
On the 4th of April 2026, something extraordinary happened in Chartres, France.
For the first time in history, an exhibition was dedicated entirely to Fiji in 1838 — the Fiji our ancestors lived in, breathed in, built with their hands. The Fiji before the world changed everything.
In October 1838, French navigator Jules Dumont d’Urville sailed into the Fijian archipelago aboard the Astrolabe and the Zélée. It was a decisive and turbulent moment in Fijian history — a time of fierce political rivalry between Nakalassé of Viwa and the great war chief Tanoa Visawaqa of Bau. A society alive with power, faith, and extraordinary craft.
During that two-week stay, artist Ernest Goupil produced exceptional drawings — portraits, landscapes, canoes, daily life, women of high rank, men of strength and spirit. Raw, real, and deeply human.
Those drawings were never published. They were kept from the world for nearly 200 years.
Until now.
And here we are — the Fijian community in France — standing in the very rooms where our ancestors look back at us from the walls of a French museum. The emotion was indescribable. To see our people, our culture, our identity preserved and finally honoured on European soil… it brought tears.
This is not just an art exhibition. This is a moment of recognition. A moment of healing. A reminder that we were here, we were complex, we were magnificent — long before the world tried to define us.
Walking into the museum, visitors are welcomed by a breathtaking structure draped in tapa — handmade in Fiji especially for this exhibition. A piece of our islands, placed at the heart of a French museum. That alone says everything.
This historic exhibition was co-curated by Stéphanie Leclerc-Caffarel, Responsable des Collections Océanie at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Samson Verma, Fijian artist, Grégoire Hallé, Conservateur of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Chartres, and Philippe Bihouée, Attaché de Conservation. A profound vinaka vakalevu to all four of them for bringing our story to light with such care, depth and respect.
We extend our deepest gratitude to:
🙏🏾 The Fijian Ambassador HE Laitia Tamata and the Fiji Mission in Geneva, for representing our nation with dignity
🙏🏾 The Mayor of Chartres, Monsieur le Maire Ladislas Vergne and the people of Chartres, for opening your city and your hearts to our community.
🙏🏾 C’Chartres Rugby Club, for your warm welcome and brotherhood
🙏🏾 Our Fijian community across France, Europe, and the UK who made the journey to be present for this historic moment.
And a very special vinaka to the French Fijian Support Association led by Jone Daunivucu & Fero Lasagavibau, the Fijian community in Paris and the surrounding areas — you showed up not just in body but in spirit. You ensured our traditional Fijian protocols were carried out with pride and respect, and you blessed us all with the warmth of our beloved Fijian cuisine. You brought Fiji to France, and we felt it in every bite and every moment. 🌺
This exhibition reminds us that the encounter between French and Fijian cultures is not new. It began in 1838. And today, we are still here — carrying our culture, our language, our identity — across oceans and generations.
To our Fijian family everywhere — this exhibition is open until 2 August 2026. If you can make it to Chartres, go!! Feel your history. Stand tall. Stand proud.
Fidji 1838 – Face à Face
📍 Musée des Beaux-Arts de Chartres
📅 4 April – 2 August 2026
Vinaka vakalevu. 🙏🏾🇫🇯
