The Nautilus Maldives will welcome acclaimed British painter Phoebe Dickinson to Baa Atoll from 18–21 October for Portraits from a Living Postcard, an intimate Artist in Residence programme shaped by the landscapes and changing light of the island.
Over four days, Dickinson will work from The Nautilus, translating the colours, views and natural surroundings of the Maldives onto canvas while inviting guests into her creative process. Open studio sessions, landscape painting and a final exhibition will allow the residency to unfold in view rather than behind closed doors.
The programme forms part of The Nautilus’ Masters for Masters creative calendar, which brings artists and creative voices to the island in a celebration of individuality, imagination and the freedom to create.
Dickinson is known for her portraits, landscapes and still lifes, with six solo exhibitions held across London and New York. She has exhibited five times at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition and received both the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ RP Award and a Certificate of Excellence from the Portrait Society of America. Her paintings are held in collections including Houghton Hall, Daylesford House, Belvoir Castle and Blenheim Palace.
Inside the Artist’s World
Throughout the residency, Dickinson’s Open Artist Studio sessions will offer guests a closer look at the process behind the finished canvas.
Rather than encountering the work only once complete, guests can watch as paintings gradually take shape, hear about the observations and ideas informing them and speak with Dickinson as she works.
The sessions offer an informal window into an artist’s practice, with guests free to linger, observe or join the conversation as scenes from The Nautilus are interpreted through Dickinson’s distinctive perspective.
Paint Your Own Postcard
As the light softens towards sunset, guests will have the opportunity to move from observer to artist through a landscape painting experience led by Dickinson.
Taking inspiration directly from the island, participants will work with its colours, views and atmosphere to create their own interpretation of The Nautilus. Guided by Dickinson, each canvas becomes a personal record of time spent in Baa Atoll and an individual response to the landscape around them.
The experience reflects the wider Art of Bohemia philosophy at The Nautilus, where creativity is approached without rigid schedules or expectations.
An Island in the Making
Dickinson’s own collection will continue to evolve throughout her four days on the island, capturing different impressions of The Nautilus as the residency progresses.
The programme will culminate in a guest artwork showcase alongside the official unveiling of Phoebe’s Nautilus Collection, bringing together the works created by Dickinson and participating guests.
From observing an artist at work to taking up the brush themselves, Portraits from a Living Postcard turns the island into both subject and studio, leaving behind a collection shaped by four days of looking more closely at the landscape.
