“What does it mean to be a local?” Fiona Nusum considered the question proposed by the Charman Prize and her thoughts immediately turned to the ocean.

Before she knew it she’d started painting and, many months later, submitted her first ever work in a Bermuda art exhibition.

Tides of Renewal, the piece she created using oil pastels, is now on display at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.

“I've been a part of an exhibition in London for my undergraduate degree but this is my first show in Bermuda,” Ms Nusum said. “To actually have a piece in the public eye, I'm really excited. It was humbling and I'm very grateful to have this opportunity.”

It’s something she’s been quietly working towards since she predicted her career – sometime around age 4.

“I would tell everybody: I’m either going to be a teacher, an artist or an art teacher. I kind of landed me in the art world.”

Grown-ups at the time were likely amused but when it came time for Ms Nusum to go to university, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a master’s degree in art education that encompassed dance, musical, theatre and visual arts.

Back in Bermuda she taught at a nursery before joining the public school system.

“Just this year they've transferred me to Francis Patton, which is our new parish primary school.

“They had an art teacher retire and they said, We need a really good, strong arts presence, who could it be? And they moved me here.”

The Charman Prize accomplishes a goal she set sometime around the end of the pandemic to start painting for herself again.

“As an art teacher I'm always instilling the creative process in my students and so I said now's the chance. I need to get back into what I love doing.

“I'm teaching the students, I'm introducing them to artists, I take them into the gallery. And what better way than to show them the representation: ‘Hey, you can do this. Here's a piece of mine I've entered in an exhibition.’ And then to actually show my work.”

Ms Nusum is more familiar with photography and painting than the oil pastels she used for Tides of Renewal.

“I had fun and I enjoyed the process and I learnt quite a lot with it. The inspiration for the piece is taking our heritage and Bermudian culture and looking at what we have on offer in Bermuda,” she said.

“Our ocean is our backyard, our playground, and I'm often swimming, snorkelling, free-diving. I also teach swimming.

“And so I wanted this piece to show my love for the water but also what we Bermudians do if we're trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

“A lot of us flock to the ocean, to the beach and you can kind of find peace underwater.”

Added inspiration came from Jason deCaires Taylor, a British artist who creates underwater museums and sculpture parks.

“They're known for coral gardening, which is rejuvenating coral reefs and conservation and my piece shows that side of the artwork.”

She fell in love with oil pastels when her brother used them to create what was for her, a memorable piece of art.

“He was in high school and he brought it home and I saw that it was an oil pastel and I've thought about that ever since. And so this piece has been a long time coming.

“I've had the inspiration I thought about it and made notes in my sketchbooks and sketched out ideas and it's finally here.”

In creating Tides of Renewal she wanted to tell a story about Bermuda while also giving a visual of island life.

"The work should feel as though we are looking through glass or a tank into the blue, a visual window to life underwater, free of the stresses of our busy lives.

“This was a visual metaphor and pays homage to our Bermudian history and lineage. In order for us to understand the ‘local seen’, we must understand who and what came before.

“We Bermudians are a melting pot of many nationalities and cultures, and we form a strong foundation for future generations to build upon,“ Ms Nusum said.

“I hope to inspire the audience to think about what makes them unique, and to encourage them to take time to slow down and enjoy the island around us and find beauty in simplicity.”

She’s thrilled that her piece was considered worthy of entry into the Charman Prize by judges Madeleine Haddon, the curator of V&A East, a campus opening next year at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, England, Karole Dill Barkley, a trained docent and a member of the Black Arts Council of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and Amanda Coulson, the founding director of Tern Gallery in Nassau, Bahamas.

“I think I'm still in disbelief. I am still shocked and really excited. I’ve gone in to see the show at least four times already.

“Being part of the art scene in Bermuda and next to some great current and even emerging artists is absolutely a huge accomplishment which I'm grateful for. I’m grateful for having this opportunity,” she said.

“Because I had neglected working on my own art for a long time, I kind of learnt who I am as an artist through creating this piece – being able to prioritise time for my art, balancing life, balancing work and rediscovering the craft.

“Being involved in the Charman I recognise it’s not just a testament to my art’s journey but validation, I guess, of my passion and dedication that I can pour back into creating.”

• The Charman Prize is on display at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art until March 31. For more information, visitmasterworksbermuda.org/charman-prize/