Florence Taura

**Florence Clothilde Taura** (born 16 May 1956) is a Maronan artist and former beauty pageant titleholder. An alumna of the École nationale des beaux arts, Taura focuses her artwork on sculpture and abstract paintings, as has been identified as a feminist artist. As an artist, Taura's work has been featured in galleries both in Marone and internationally.

Prior to her art career, Taura was a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Marone 1973 and Miss New Malonia 1972, becoming both the first representative of New Malonia at Miss Marone and the first woman representing the region to win the national title.

## Early life and education

Taura was born on 16 May 1956 in Tooka, in the overseas region of New Malonia, to parents Mahui (1928–2017) and Anne-Marie Taura (née *Botrel*; 1931–2014). Her father was a Wahitian who worked as an electrical engineer and migrated from Maronan Naysia to New Malonia with his family in the 1930s, amidst a wave of Naysian migration to the region, while her mother was a homemaker who came from a *Métropolitain* background; Taura's maternal family had migrated to New Malonia from metropolitan Marone in the 1890s. Taura was raised in an upper middle-class family as the eldest of three children; her younger siblings include Jacques (born 1958) and Véronique (born 1961).

Taura began her education in 1961, attending private, Eurean Catholic schooling for girls in Tooka. Ever since her childhood, Taura had an interest in art, and aspired to pursue a career as an artist. She completed primary school in 1968, and later graduated from *collège* as well in 1971. Taura subsequently enrolled in Lycée Aubin Montgomery, a private *lycée* in Tooka and the most prestigious school in New Malonia, to study a *lycée académique* program in literature and languages. After one semester at the school, Taura paused her studies to reign as Miss Marone 1973, and did not return to the school after completing her reign. In September 1974, Taura enrolled in the École nationale des beaux arts in Delmas, earning a *baccalauréat* diploma in 1977, a bachelor's degree in fine art in 1980, and a master's degree in sculpture in 1982.

## Pageantry

Taura first began her pageantry career in 1972, after registering to compete in Miss New Malonia 1972 in July 1972, the inaugural edition of the pageant. She had been scouted by pageant organizers while at a shopping mall in Tooka, and opted to compete after encouragement from her mother and younger sister. She was ultimately selected as a contestant and went on to win the title, becoming the first woman to be crowned Miss New Malonia.

As Miss New Malonia, Taura was qualified to compete in Miss Marone 1973, the first representative of New Malonia to ever compete in the pageant. Miss Marone was held in December 1972 in Le Varet, where Taura went on to advance into the Top 12 and then Top 5, and ultimately was crowned the winner, becoming just the third woman from overseas Marone to win the title. During her reign, Taura resided in Delmas and worked as a promotional model and brand representative both domestically and internationally for Miss Marone and its sponsors. As Miss Marone, Taura represented Marone at Miss Parth 1973 in August 1973, and placed as the fourth runner-up.

## Personal life

Since winning Miss Marone 1973, Taura has resided in Delmas, and has resided in the 4th arrondissement since 2005. Between 1998 and 2005, Taura resided part-time in Wahiti, where she owned an oceanfront apartment. Taura has never married and has no children.