In the middle of the Vanuatu Made event, where stalls overflowed with local products and crafts, one small table drew quiet attention. Sitting there was 10-year-old Kerol Thomson from Erromango, her tiny hands guiding a brush across canvas with focus and care.

Kerol loves to paint waterfalls and sunsets images that remind her of home. “I like it when people stop and look,” she says softly. “It makes me happy when they see my work.”

Her love for painting is a gift passed down. Kerol learned from her grandfather, a well-known painter himself, who sat proudly beside her at the event. Together, they showcased not just art, but a story of heritage, family, and creativity.

In her young eyes, art is more than color it is connection. “I paint because I like people to be interested,” she says. For her, the waterfalls and sunsets are not only beautiful scenes, but pieces of her identity, shared with anyone who stops to look.

At just 10 years old, Kerol is carrying forward a legacy of storytelling through art. And as she sits beside her grandfather, two generations painting side by side, it is clear that her canvas is not just a picture, it is a bridge between past and future.