Supercars’ only Polynesian driver proudly debuts Fijian inspired livery for Darwin
Supercars' only Pasifika-heritage driver debuts stunning Fijian livery for the Darwin Triple Crown (20-22nd June).
Jaxon Evans pays tribute to his birthplace, Fijian island Rotuma, with one of the most spectacular Indigenous Round liveries the Supercars Championship has seen on track.
SCT Motorsport has worked with artist Nakita Russell-Watling in delivering the impactful livery based off her artworks ‘Wings of the Ancestors’.
Evans’ history, identity, ancestral links and Fijian heritage are explored in the livery, with strong cultural symbols representing key parts of his journey.
Prominent across the door and roof of the #12 SCT Motorsport Camaro is the Frigate Bird symbol.
The large bird that calls the Fijian islands home, can stay aloft for weeks in the ocean winds.
While they live at sea, they always return to land, evoking a powerful metaphor for endurance, perspective and a deep-rooted connection to home.
Subtly, across the bonnet and roof, a keen eye can see the Tefui motif, the garland unique to the island of Rotuma.
The sharp-lined shape in a lighter shade of purple represents love, honour, respect and Rotuman identity.
Russell-Watling has also embraced traditional Rotuman tattoo art, introducing elements of those designs into Evans’ livery.
The strong-lined geometric shapes across the Supercar are a nod to Pacific carvings, woven craft traditions and tattoos.
The powerful livery is a first for Supercars, as is Evans’ own presence on the grid as the first Fijian racer in the Championship.
The Fijian-born, New Zealand-raised driver will race this weekend in Darwin with his heritage on full display.
Fans will be able to see Evans on track from the first practice session on Friday (12:50 ACST).
About the artist, Nakita Russell-Watling
Nakita Russell - Watling is a Fiji born artist and graphic designer by trade, who grew up in a small town on Fiji's second largest island; Vanua Levu. The daughter of an artist and mechanic, she grew up with a love for art and cars - and learnt through the difficulty of getting regular art supplies in this remote part of Fiji, meant a lot of Nakita's projects were using what material was readily available.
QUOTEBOARD
Jaxon Evans
Supercars driver, #12 SCT Motorsport Camaro
“This whole collab with Nakita has been something really inspiring.
“For someone from Rotuma, being seen and represented like this, especially in a sport where that rarely happens, means a lot.
“Nakita’s artwork isn’t just an amazing piece to look at, it tells a deeper story about where we come from and how far that can take you.
“Massive thanks to SCT, Supercars & Nakita for making this project come to life. It is something I’ll carry with me on and off the track.”
Nakita Russell-Watling
Fijian artist
"A friend that I grew up with reached out to me, and he was in contact with a person that was looking for an artist. And he asked me, 'Hey, I got this thing. Would you be interested?' And then I sort of squealed and screamed and said, 'Sure!'. And didn't even realise that this is where we'd be now just a few months later.
"It really just came from a friend saying, hey, what do you think of this? That happens a lot in Fiji. You just have to be a yes woman in Fiji. So as scary as this opportunity was, it's quite huge.
"When I first started the conversation my brain just went into overdrive. And then I went into a deep dive of Jaxon. I went online and I researched him, and I learned all this stuff about him, and then I felt the first thing that came to me was the frigate bird.
"I just knew the frigate bird and what it stands for. As in frigate birds’ natural instinct is to always return home. And these birds can be out at sea for days, weeks and months. They're out there for ages. But no matter where they end up, these birds always have a sense to return home. So I thought the bird could be a nice guide for Jaxon. And then I just envisioned him absolutely smashing that race with the bird leading the way.
"I also feel that whatever comes of this artwork locally here in Fiji will spark conversation, because Rotuma is very small, and not many people talk about it or know about it. So I thought that was significant too, and I felt a little bit of pressure, because of that and because of Rotuma's history with Fiji.
"My mum sent me a snippet of an interview with Jaxon where talks about being the first Pacific racer. And how he wishes that he could influence or inspire people to come into the field. And it's not just racing, there's other jobs in this field. I feel like I've just made his wish come true. He's just given me this opportunity; the domino effect of that is huge too."
QUOTEBOARD
Jaxon Evans
Supercars driver, #12 SCT Motorsport Camaro
“This whole collab with Nakita has been something really inspiring.
“For someone from Rotuma, being seen and represented like this - especially in a sport where that rarely happens, means a lot.
“Nakita’s artwork isn’t just an amazing piece to look at, it tells a deeper story about where we come from and how far that can take you.
“Massive thanks to SCT, Supercars & Nakita for making this project come to life. It is something I’ll carry with me on and off the track.”
Nakita Russell-Watling
Fijian artist
"A friend that I grew up with reached out to me, and he was in contact with a person that was looking for an artist. And he asked me, 'Hey, I got this thing. Would you be interested?' And then I sort of squealed and screamed and said, 'Sure!'. And didn't even realize that this is where we'd be now just a few months later.
"It really just came from a friend saying, hey, what do you think of this? That happens a lot in Fiji. You just have to be a yes woman in Fiji. So as scary as this opportunity was, it's quite huge.
"When I first started the conversation my brain just went into overdrive. And then I went into a deep dive of Jaxon. I went online and I researched him, and I learned all this stuff about him, and then I felt the first thing that came to me was the frigate bird.
"I just knew the frigate bird and what it stands for. As in frigate birds’ natural instinct is to always return home. And these birds can be out at sea for days, weeks and months. They're out there for ages. But no matter where they end up, these birds always have a sense to return home. So I thought the bird could be a nice guide for Jaxon. And then I just envisioned him absolutely smashing that race with the bird leading the way.
"I also feel that whatever comes of this artwork locally here in Fiji will spark conversation, because Rotuma is very small, and not many people talk about it or know about it. So I thought that was significant too, and I felt a little bit of pressure, because of that and because of Rotuma's history with Fiji.
"My mum sent me a snippet of an interview with Jaxon where talks about being the first Pacific racer. And how he wishes that he could influence or inspire people to come into the field. And it's not just racing, there's other jobs in this field. I feel like I've just made his wish come true. He's just given me this opportunity the domino effect of that is huge too."