The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is about to get a serious colour upgrade. French artist Alexandre Benjamin Navet — known for bold, playful work rooted in drawing and vivid colour — will take up a four-month residency at the Two Michelin Key resort, running from 18 December 2026 through April 2027.
It is the second chapter in a partnership between the resort and Maison Ruinart, the world's oldest Champagne house, which last year brought Chinese performance artist Liu Bolin to the island. Navet's relationship with Ruinart dates back to 2021, when he became the first artist asked to reinterpret the house's eco-designed Second Skin packaging, later illustrating its environmental commitments through bespoke drawings.
For the Maldives edition, Navet says he is inspired by the intensity of the light, the marine world and the fragility of the atoll ecosystem — and his installations will spread across the island, with the centrepiece a complete artistic transformation of the Beach Shack, the resort's beachfront restaurant.
Guests staying during the residency can expect more than static art. The programme includes encounters with the artist himself, creative workshops for adults and children, two gastronomic Ruinart pairing dinners and curated Champagne tastings. At sunset, Ruinart will accompany the resort's nightly Defining Moment, when traditional bodu beru drumming and a flaming ceremony mark the shift from day to evening over the Indian Ocean.
The collaboration also folds into the festive season under the resort's 2026–2027 'A Canvas of Festive Wonder' programme. Navet is designing the resort's 2026 Christmas tree, its ornaments and an exclusive collection of festive gifts, with a Tree Lighting celebration on 22 December held in the presence of the artist and Maison Ruinart.
Why it matters: if you have ever found Maldives trips a little same-y — villa, lagoon, spa, repeat — this is the kind of programming that adds something genuinely different. Between December and April you can watch an island resort turn into a living canvas, meet the artist behind it, drink very good Champagne at sunset and let kids loose in art workshops. It also dovetails neatly with peak season: the December launch coincides with the holidays, while the installations stay up through April, arguably the best months weather-wise for a Maldives trip. travellers who prefer their luxury with a cultural layer — or families hunting for a festive break with actual substance — should keep the Fari Islands on the radar. Just note that champagne dinners and artist-led experiences at a Ritz-Carlton sit firmly at the premium end of the market.
