Finolhu, a Seaside Collection Resort and the first Design Hotels™ member in the Maldives, has announced the launch of the property’s “A Year In Colour” Art & Design Year 2026, the first initiative of its kind in the Maldives. This year-long celebration of creativity, culture, and island inspiration will feature immersive artist residencies, dynamic collaborations, and interactive guest experiences that merge art, design, and barefoot luxury.

Curated to reflect Finolhu’s distinctive aesthetic—where bold colour, sustainable design, and relaxed luxury converge—the programme will welcome a rotating roster of internationally acclaimed artists, designers, and creatives throughout 2026. Each will draw inspiration from the island’s natural beauty and Maldivian heritage to create original works and interactive moments that invite guests to engage directly with the creative process.

From January through December, artists representing diverse markets— including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Russia, the Middle East, and Asia— will each bring a unique perspective to the island, hosting hands-on workshops, design sessions, and intimate exhibitions that blur the boundaries between art, travel, and community.

Below is a preview of Finolhu’s confirmed 2026 artist calendar. Each artist will spend 1-3 weeks on the island, developing bespoke creative projects that reflect the spirit of Finolhu.

January 4 – 17 | Sarah Stieber (U.S.-based artist)

Known for her electrifying use of color and dynamic figurative style, Sarah Stieber’s work embodies empowerment, positivity, and energy – setting the tone for the year’s creative journey.

Steiber’s vibrant aesthetic and community-driven ethos are integrated throughout her work. Stieber has cultivated an expansive portfolio of public murals, tape paintings, art-inspired jewelry, and interiors. Her paintings are exhibited worldwide and have been featured on billboards in Times Square New York, Piccadilly Circus in London, and on the Duomo in Milan.

During her residency, Stieber will lead Tape Painting Workshops, guiding guests through her signature technique of using vibrant vinyl tape to create crisp, geometric compositions layered with expressive color. The classes – open to all ages and skill levels – invite guests to co-create bold, joy-infused artworks inspired by the island’s tropical palette and ocean hues.

Socials: @sarahstieber

February 17 – 22 | Chef Janice Wong (Singapore-based artist)

A visionary pastry artist celebrated for her edible art installations and multi-sensory approach to design, Chef Janice will fuse culinary creativity with visual expression in a series of guest experiences.

Chef Janice Wong is a globally acclaimed pastry artist known for her groundbreaking edible art, multi-sensory dessert experiences, and innovative approach to confectionery design. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and recognized as “Asia’s Best Pastry Chef” by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, she has collaborated with leading chefs and exhibited her edible installations around the world. Through her residency at Finolhu, Wong will fuse art and gastronomy, inviting guests to explore creativity through taste, texture, and imagination.

During her residency, Wong will lead a series of immersive, hands-on chocolate art workshops designed for kids, teens, and families. Guests will learn to paint, mold, and sculpt with chocolate as a medium, blending color, flavor, and texture to create edible works of art. Each session reflects Wong’s central installation theme, an artistic interpretation of Hanifaru Bay, allowing participants to craft figurines that highlight the atoll’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status. Playful yet refined, the workshops offer a uniquely multi-sensory experience that celebrates creativity through taste and imagination.

Socials: @janicewongsg

March 5 – 18 | Anna Bochkova (Germany-based artist)

A contemporary artist exploring geometry, abstraction, and color balance, Anna will transform Finolhu’s natural landscape into a study in movement and minimalism.

Anna Bochkova is a Hamburg-based visual artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, ceramics, papier-mache, drawing, and installation. Her work builds fragile yet evocative worlds that explore themes of care, utopia, memory, and belonging – often reflecting her experience of migration and her fascination with speculative Eastern European philosophies. Her sculptures and immersive installations have been shown across Europe at venues like Tomas Umarian Contemporary, Eigen+Art Lab, and Kunsthaus Hamburg, inviting viewers into tender, atmospheric spaces where human and non-human forms coexist in imagined futures.

Workshop details to come.

Socials: @anna_bochkova

March 26 – April 15 | Hussain Ihfal Ahmed (Maldives-based artist)

Finolhu’s Art & Design Year will spotlight local creativity with Hussain Ihfal Ahmed, widely known as Iffa, whose work reflects the island’s unique textures and cultural heritage.

Iffa is celebrated for his innovative use of mediums, including oil, watercolor, sand, and his signature coffee paintings. With over two decades of experience and exhibitions spanning the Maldives, Europe, Asia, and the U.S., his work reflects the islands’ cultural richness and natural beauty. A Visit Maldives 2025 Ambassador and National Award winner, Iffa is also renowned for leading immersive art workshops that connect guests with Maldivian creativity.

During his residency, Iffa will lead a series of immersive Acrylic Art and Coffee Painting Workshops, inviting guests to explore Maldivian creativity through two of his signature mediums. In the Acrylic Art Workshop, participants will paint vibrant, island-inspired scenes using bold colors and guided techniques suited for all skill levels. His Coffee Painting Workshop—one of his most distinctive offerings—teaches guests how to create warm, textured artworks using instant coffee as the primary medium, blending artistry with sensory experience. Each session is designed to be relaxing, hands-on, and deeply connected to the Maldives’ cultural and natural surroundings, offering guests a memorable and therapeutic creative escape.

Socials: @iphpha_gallery

May – September | Md. Nakib Rahman (Finolhu Resident Artist) & Yashika Pitigala (Sri Lankan-based artist)

During the summer months, Finolhu’s in-house creative team and emerging Maldivian artists will collaborate on projects inspired by sustainability, community, and the ocean.

Finolhu’s Resident Artist, Md. Nakib Rahman is a Bangladeshi ceramicist whose work explores the calming, elemental connection between earth, water, and form. With more than seven years of experience, Nakib is known for his meditative approach to wheel throwing and the pinch technique, shaping clay into organic, sea-inspired vessels that reflect the simplicity and serenity of island life. His “Earth & Ocean” workshops invite guests to slow down, embrace mindfulness, and craft their own clay pieces—each one a personal expression of patience, creativity, and the natural rhythm of the Maldives.

Sri Lankan artist Yashika Pitigala brings a deeply expressive, nature-rooted perspective to Finolhu, drawing inspiration from the rhythms, colours, and quiet poetry of island life. Trained in acrylics, watercolours, mixed media, and polymer jewellery design, her work captures the fluid beauty of the ocean—each piece a harmonious blend of texture, emotion, and coastal storytelling. Through her signature “Moments in Motion” workshops held by the lagoon, Yashika guides guests in exploring mindfulness and intuitive creativity, encouraging them to translate the movement of waves and shifting light into flowing, heartfelt works of art.

October 21 – 31 | Matthew Williamson (U.K. – based artist)

Known worldwide for his joyful use of color and pattern, Matthew Williamson will bring his distinctive design perspective to Finolhu through an exclusive collaboration and guest workshop.

Matthew Williamson is a British designer whose kaleidoscopic use of colour, pattern, and print first made waves in fashion with his 1997 debut collection at London Fashion Week. Over more than two decades, his eponymous label earned global acclaim, dressing style icon, expanding into homeware and lifestyle, and eventually evolving into a full-fledged interiors and design studio. Today, Williamson brings his signature joyous maximalist aesthetic to spaces and interiors worldwide, a perfect match for the vibrant, design-forward spirit of his residency.

During his residency, Williamson will demonstrate how to paint one of his favorite motifs, the Palm tree. Williamson focuses on an abstract, contemporary painting style, taking motifs from nature and the local landscape.

Socials: @matthewwilliamson

November 3 – 13 | Yakov Khomich (Russia-based artist)

A photographer and visual storyteller, Yakov’s residency will explore the interplay between light, reflection, and emotion within Finolhu’s natural surroundings.

Yakov Khomich is a contemporary artist based between Russia and France whose work defies stylistic boundaries and embraces eclectic experimentation. Raised in a family of artists and formally trained in film and fine arts, Khomich began painting full-time in 2019, launching a career defined by fluid technique and a wide variety of media, from oil and spray paint to mixed media. Since his debut solo show in Moscow, his work has been featured in major exhibitions and fairs such as Cosmoscow Art Fair and Blazar Art Fair, attracting international collectors and audiences drawn to his dreamlike scenes, evocative figures, and emotionally resonant paintings.

During his residency, Khomich will lead three immersive two-hour masterclasses focused on painting and sketching within Finolhu’s vibrant natural environment. Guests will explore Yakov’s expressive techniques for capturing movement, emotion, and the play of light across the island’s landscapes. Each session combines guided instruction with open creative exploration, encouraging participants to develop confidence in both observational and intuitive mark-making. Designed for all skill levels, the masterclasses provide a reflective, artist-led space to translate the colours and textures of Finolhu into compelling visual works.

Socials: @yakov_khomich

December 20 – January 3 | Araceli Adams (International)

To close the year, Araceli Adams will curate a festive collaboration uniting global craftsmanship, cultural celebration, and design-driven joy.

Araceli Adams is a Spanish-Australian artist and designer. Her hand-made and painted porcelain pieces draw on the rich biodiversity of the Indo-Pacific and the decorative traditions of the natural history books produced during the Age of Discovery. With degrees in English and marketing, and a diploma in ceramics (with distinction), Araceli learnt the mysteries of porcelain at New York’s Greenwich House Pottery. She now runs Casa Adams Fine Wares, a regenerative ceramics studio where her handmade pieces are produced and meticulously hand-painted to bring the magic found underwater into our daily lives. Araceli is listed as an exceptional craftsperson on the Homo Faber guide.

During her residency, Adams will invite guests to participate in a hands-on porcelain painting experience inspired by the vibrant marine ecosystems of the Baa Atoll. Each guest will receive a half-baked porcelain platter pre-sketched with local sea life – such as rays, reef fish, corals, and turtles – which they can paint in their own style, regardless of experience level. Designed to be both creative and educational, the workshop offers guests the chance to learn about the underwater species they encounter during their stay at Finolhu while creating a beautiful, meaningful keepsake to take home.

Socials: @araceli_adams

“As the Maldives’ first Design Hotels member, Finolhu has always championed creativity as a cornerstone of our identity,” says Steven Phillips, General Manager of Finolhu and .Here Baa Atoll, Seaside Collection Resorts. “The Art & Design Year is a natural extension of that philosophy—celebrating design as a living, evolving conversation between our guests, our environment, and the global creative community.”

At the heart of the programme is Finolhu’s Art Lab, a barnacle-inspired creative sanctuary designed by KölorGroup Singapore and Muza Lab London in collaboration with Asali Bali. The building itself is an incredible work of art and since its debut in 2024, has become a hub for creativity in the Maldives, hosting classes in painting, fabric dyeing, pottery, and resin art. The Art Lab will host residencies, exhibitions, and sustainability-focused workshops using natural and recycled materials found throughout the island.

As part of the resort’s evolving Kaleidoscope of Life concept—which celebrates colour, connection, and creativity—the Art & Design Year underscores Finolhu’s identity as a design-forward destination where architecture, art, and nature exist in joyful harmony.