Dive professionals at Wakatobi turn to the watercolour art medium for creativity, peace and a touch of healing.
“Painting is a sort of meditation,” says Chiara Sola, both a dive professional and resident artist at Wakatobi. “When I am in front of the colours, everything else disappears. It’s very important for me to be able to free my mind and relax, and painting allows me to do that.”
After a day spent working at sea, Chiara winds down as island life unfurls amidst Wakatobi’s perfect backdrop: lush greenery lit by the warm afternoon sun, birds singing in the distance and an endless ocean horizon where the water reflects the last light of day. Here, surrounded by like-minded colleagues, artistic inspiration strikes. In her studio quarters, watercolour pigments, fine brushes, and a jar of seawater await — her tools for translating Wakatobi’s colours into collector-worthy art.
Inspired by Wakatobi’s vivid reefs, much of Chiara’s work mirrors the wildlife she frequents during her time in the water. “I’m always fascinated by the different textures and colour palettes you can see underwater!” She exclaims. “Nature can combine the oddest hues and weird patterns and still make them work beautifully. Whenever I’m diving, I look for unusual colours — ones I can bring back into my paintings.”
Chiara’s artworks often catch the attention of resort guests, many of whom recognize her signature in the boutique displays. “It’s always so rewarding,” she says. “I’ve met many guests who are also artists, and it’s wonderful to share that passion. People see beauty in my work, even when I look at the same piece and see mistakes.”
Love at First Brushstroke
Perhaps there’s something in the water at Wakatobi – Chiara isn’t the only dive professional who has felt its creative pull. It was Silvia, a former colleague and friend, who first encouraged both Chiara and Roberto to pick up their brushes again. Though Silvia has since moved on from the Wakatobi team, her watercolours still hang proudly in the resort’s boutique.
For Silvia, art had been a childhood passion. She attended art school and loved drawing animals, but life led her away from the easel for many years. That changed in 2019, when a long-time guest and friend gifted her a set of watercolours and paper. “I left the artistic side of me asleep until I drew a fish I saw at Wakatobi,” Silvia said. “When I started to paint with this unique medium, it was love at first brushstroke.”
When asked what memories inspire her work, Silvia said, “I remember the fabulous colours of Wakatobi’s reef, the peace I feel underwater, and the unique character of each creature I’ve encountered over the years,” she said. “It’s a joy to see a subject full of life appear from a white sheet of paper — creating something with our hands is magical.”
Like Chiara, Silvia often paints the same marine life she guides guests to see beneath the surface, yet her style is distinct, often leaning toward abstraction, as seen in her White Pygmy Seahorse series. “The creatures of the underwater world are full of colours, particular shapes, and even personality,” she says. “How couldn’t Wakatobi be inspiring for an artist? I’ve realized that water has always been the key element of my life — both as a dive professional and as a watercolour artist. Water is wild and has a life of its own, even just a drop flowing across paper with colourful pigments.”
Thinking with Colour
For Silvia, Wakatobi water is the muse, but for fellow dive professional and painter Roberto, its also the medium. That element isn’t just inspiration; its physically part of his art. Each of his artist proofs, or the original versions of his watercolour paintings before replication, begins the same way his dives do: with a dip of the brush into Wakatobi’s seawater. “The water I use to mix the pigments with is straight from the ocean here at Wakatobi,” Roberto explains. “That way when people buy the artist proofs, they can take an actual piece of Wakatobi home with them”.
Although Roberto took painting classes as a child, he stepped away from art for many years. Surrounded by the warmth and friendship of colleagues like Chiara and Silvia, and inspired by Wakatobi’s vibrant atmosphere, he found the courage to pick up the brush once more.
“Painting is almost like a healing process,” Roberto says. “Thinking with colours made me see colour again during a gray period of my life. I draw much inspiration from the sunsets and ocean here at Wakatobi. The ocean, like for many of my colleagues, is in my heart. Painting is entertaining, but every piece is a project. I find peace in them.”
Beautiful times at Wakatobi
Many of the artists’ works are displayed at Wakatobi’s boutique, where guests can purchase prints. Some artist proofs – the original, one-of-a-kind versions – are even more special, often gifted directly by the artists themselves.
“Some paintings have a special place in my heart because I know they made someone very happy,” Says Chiara. “For example, I painted a magnolia for my mum and a pair of long-nose hawkfish for my dad, who is also a diver! I still remember their expression when they received them. Seeing those paintings on the wall at home brings me joy. I have also gifted many of my works to friends — for me that is the best part of painting. And for guests, I just hope they are touched by the subject I have chosen to paint because it represents something special for them. I hope my paintings remind them of the beautiful times spent at Wakatobi!”
Looking ahead, all three artists are expanding their creative horizons. Silvia plans to add new underwater creatures to her collection and is experimenting with a series of landscape watercolour — “an unusual subject for me,” she says. Roberto is exploring larger sheets of watercolour paper, noting that “large scale prints are more complicated but offer much more colour and light.” As for Chiara, her future projects remain a secret: “I’ve already been working on a couple of new subjects for the boutique, but I can’t spoil it — I’d like it to be a surprise for our returning guests!”
Visit Wakatobi to meet the resident artists — they might even be your dive or snorkel guide, and perhaps the key to bringing the spirit of Wakatobi into your own home.
Collectors Statement
For collectors and art enthusiasts, Wakatobi’s resident watercolour artists offer prints meticulously reproduced on high-quality watercolour paper, capturing the vibrancy and nuance of each original piece available for purchase in their boutique. The selections featured here represent just a glimpse of the full collection available from their resident artists. The boutique is continually refreshed as each artist releases new works throughout the year, with each print offered in highly limited editions, and in some cases, as singular pieces. For those seeking a truly singular experience, original Artist Proofs can be made available upon request — one-of-a-kind, hand-signed works that embody the artists’ vision and the living spirit of Wakatobi’s reef.
