EXHIBITION CATALOGUE 2025-2026

Meet the Artist

Aima Musthafa

Meet the Artist

Aima Musthafa (b. 1990) is a Maldivian artist and storyteller whose work is rooted in colours and emotions. She draws inspiration from the subtle movements of island life in the shifting of shadows, the ripple of water, and the play of light across changing skies. Using vibrant palettes of purples, turquoises, and warm oranges, she captures fleeting impressions that invite viewers to pause and rediscover beauty in every day. Stories from her grandmother often make Aima reflect on how life in the Maldives was just a few decades ago, and how quickly it is changing. Seeing how human activity and climate change affect her islands makes her more mindful of what is fragile, and more grateful for what remains. Her practice spans paintings, murals, illustration, and digital work, carried by a spirit of experimentation. For Aima, making art is a way of grounding herself. Learning how to be, while paying closer attention to the beauty and cycles that connect people, culture, and environment.

Simple Pleasures

This series grew from a wish to be more present and notice what’s often overlooked. In the Maldives, beauty is everywhere, yet it can fade into the background. Between sunsets and seas are the smaller joys — a Rakisbondu doing push-ups, a kanbili darting by, a broken shell on the sand. Painted in acrylics on canvas, these works use purples, oranges, and turquoise drawn from nature but made dreamlike. The Villa is gently enveloped by a bespoke scent, created in partnership with Hoba Spa. This carefully crafted aroma translates the simple pleasures of the Maldivian coastline—the subtle scent of native flora—into a shared sensory experience. Simple Pleasures is a reminder that wonder lives in the quiet moments — the ripples, shadows, and rhythms that ground us and keep us connected to where we belong.