Eagan Mohamed Badeeu has painted a story of Maldivians. A story told of the impressions he remembers from a way of a life that existed about two decades ago, a way of life that is almost non existent today. Theyo Kulain Dhivehi Raajje – Maldives through Oil Colour – is a collection of Eagan’s works inspired by the surroundings, rhythms, and moods of daily life in a Maldivian village.

His paintings exhibited at the National Art Gallery are placed in threes, as best as they can be placed in a hall that is limited with space. They show green, white, and blue landscapes, often with exaggerated surroundings, depicting Eagan’s unique painting style inspired by Impressionist works which broke down conventional methods of painting. Some are semi realistic with intricate details as in Miskithu Valhu. Others more exaggerated with fiery blue skies in Bah’theli and wild contours of white sand in an otherwise peaceful setting in Funghi Viyun. The sudden changes in landscape using bolder brushstrokes, according to Eagan, come from the light and mood of his space at the time of painting.

There is a sense of freedom in the way the women in his paintings walk through the shady pathways, collecting water from the wells, sweeping the leaves with an iloshifathi, pausing to pick a fruit from a tree, all the while wearing mostly short sleeved dresses of different bright colours. It is hard to ignore the sense of longing felt for a time when most of us would run around like the children in the paintings, in between the houses with no walls, following the elders to the water well, collecting dried coconuts, following the resident rooster around. The paintings show the lives of people who were more in touch with their natural surroundings.

The purpose of this work by Eagan is to document a life lived not so long ago. A life lived according to the values and standards accepted by the community. The different dress colours are meant to represent different individuals who learned to co-exist within a community. Bodu beru used to be a festival of exchanges through music, which involved the whole community, men and women, young and aged, where expressions of humour is enjoyed, where love is proposed through songs and accepted by a dance.

The emotions felt through the paintings are still in memories of the living. The actual settings of the paintings are still visible in very few islands. But not without minor connotations of a globalised culture here and there. That was the ideal life as some of us would like to remember it. Or was this life ideal only because it is visualised through our selective memory?

A discussion with Eagan led to a series of questions. What will a foreigner visiting the islands make of these pictures if they have seen Maldives today? How does a Maldivian born fifteen years ago interpret the paintings? What would be the impression created in the painting called Ala’ Olhu if the woman was wearing a black buruga, instead of the blue dress and kandiki that is tied up in a knot at her knees?

Theyo Kulain Dhivehi Raajje runs at the National Art Gallery from 21 May 2009.

Reviewed by Ifham Niyaz
14 June 2009