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Âriké !!

Originally from Waa Wi Lûû, in the north of Kanaky/New Caledonia, I’m Marylou Mahe, an indigenous illustrator and graphist. 

I am a mix of two Indigenous cultures: Kanak and Amazigh (Kabyle from Algeria). My dream is to live from my art and share my artistic universe with the world — a blend of fantasy, Indigenous symbolism, and magic ! My illustrations attempt to highlight my Kanak roots and also other Pacific cultures. 

Having completed two Master's thesis on the indigenous Hawaiian people as part of my Master's Research in 2021, I've had the opportunity to study in depth the uniqueness of Oceanian peoples, the same uniqueness that animates my drawings. My first thesis focused on the American and colonial construction of the ‘Hawaiian’ identity and my second thesis explored the feminist voices of indigenous women in 21st century Hawaiian literature.

I believe in art as a means of raising social awareness, which is why my illustrations often represent my personal commitments, such as preserving the environment and indigenous peoples, as well as the status of women in our societies. I specialise in children's illustrations and my aim is to publish and illustrate my own tales inspired by my island. I have another string to my bow — I’m also a graphic designer! I create visual identities for clients, from logo design and brand guidelines to website creation and redesign. I’m actually the creator of this website, Kalja Magazine! Yes, all of it truly comes from my mind.

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