Nolde began his career as a woodcarver in a furniture factory, but after some successful forays into painting, he had, at the age of thirty-eight, his first one-man show in Dresden. This would prove a turning point for him; he was invited to join the Die Brücke group of German Expressionists, and, though he remained a peripheral member for the next year and a half, their energy and ideas were liberating for the older but less-experienced Nolde. 

In 1913 the German Colonial Ministry invited Nolde to join the Kutz-Leber expedition to the South Seas. The intention of this group was to study health standards in New Guinea. Traveling across Russia, Siberia, and Manchuria en route, he filled numerous sketchbooks as well as painting large-scale works, many of which were confiscated by the British at the outbreak of World War I and not returned until many years later.
South Sea Islander was probably painted from life rather than executed later in his studio. The figure, facing us directly and with broad, accentuated features, is typical of his portraits from this period. Like many of his contemporaries, Nolde was greatly influenced by African art as well as other “primitive” styles, and that influence can be seen here. He chose a paper native to New Guinea, which necessitated using a much drier brush, because the surface was extremely absorbent and caused the watercolor to bleed easily. His style of broad areas of wash rather than detailed brushstrokes was conducive to working with this paper, and the result is a richly rendered portrait.