What began as a plain Colorbond fence has become a vibrant work of art thanks to Solomon Islander artist Donald Suakapu, whose talent is leaving a lasting impression on the Castlemaine community.
Local resident Margaret Grey recently commissioned Donald to paint a sweeping landscape across the inside of her backyard fence after discovering his work on display at Castlemaine Library.
“I’ve just had a new fence put in, and it’s so lovely to have a scene to look at instead of boring new Colorbond,” Margaret said.
For Donald, the mural is another unexpected chapter in a journey that began in 2022 when he left his home in the Guadalcanal Province on a four-year work contract in Australia.
He and 15 other Solomon Islanders believed they were heading to Queensland until moments before boarding their flight, when they were told their destination had changed to Castlemaine.
“We didn’t know where Castlemaine was,” Donald said.
“It was spring when we arrived, and it was very cold for us. Standing at the bank to do our documents, we were freezing. Now it’s good; we’re getting used to it and have proper clothing.”
Donald said thousands of Solomon Islanders were eager for the opportunity to work in Australia.
“There are 9000 of us here, but there are still 20,000 on the waiting list back home,” he said.
“It’s really hard to find a job back home.”
Before coming to Australia, Donald earned money however he could, selling fruit and coconuts at market and creating intricate seashell carvings and jewellery.
“The shape is always already there; you just have to carve it out,” he said.
Although his parents were both primary school teachers, Donald is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist whose passion began in childhood after winning a primary school art competition.
“My first drawing, it was a crucifix, was up there for two or three months; they never put it down. Other pictures went up and down, but not mine,” he recalled.
Wanting to thank the community that welcomed him and his fellow workers with bedding and accommodation, Donald created and gifted a large painting representing the Solomon Islands’ nine provinces. The work now hangs in Castlemaine Library after being presented to the mayor.
“It’s part of our culture that we have to say thank you,” he said.
“I was thinking about how to say thank you, so I decided to do a big painting. We’ve got nine different provinces in the Solomon Islands, with different languages. It’s so diverse, so I represented the nine provinces and gifted it to the community.”
His artwork has continued to gain attention, with paintings displayed at the caravan park where he is staying and commissions from work colleagues, including portrait paintings.
“When I first came here, artists here normally do just one type of art, but I do all,” he said.
Donald will complete his four-year contract in September and plans to return home to finish building his house before applying to come back to Australia.
“We cannot extend the visa; we have to leave for six months and reapply from outside the country,” he said.
“I love it here, and I want to come back. It helps me achieve a lot of my dreams back home.”
He said his work in Australia had enabled him to build a home for his family and support his daughters’ education, including his eldest, who is studying telecommunications and engineering in Hong Kong.
“I want to get them into good studies, so I have to work, work, work. Anything I can do.”
