Papua New Guinea / A New Dawn

Katrina Naomi Wai’in - The Spirit of the River (From East Sepik) (2015)

“This Imago Mundi collection - observes its creator Luciano Benetton - testifies to the link with the past and with the many cultural and mental worlds that are part of this country. In this distant otherness, art breaks away from our traditional interpretative schemes and its understanding requires adequate immersion in the cultures of origin. To fully appreciate the beauty, emotion, strength, even the fear, that these works manifest, we must first and foremost be perceptive travellers.”

Freddy Akiss Joe - Tumbuan Lives (2015)

Isolated groups and clans still live in the depths of these forests, bearing witness to a past that has long been lost to us. They include a nomadic tribe who takes refuge in hidden caves. The Meakambut remained unknown to the rest of the world until, some years ago, the anthropologist Nancy Sullivan discovered about fifty people who still hunt birds and wild pigs with spears and hand-made arrows. Another group, the Korowai, live in homes built in trees to escape the sudden attacks of rival tribes. And the Huli paint their faces yellow to intimidate their adversaries and place the skulls of their parents high on rocks to spread benevolent influences.

Jeffry Feeger - The Origin of Form (2015)



Joan Winter, director of the local cultural foundation Massim, analyzes the content of the 140 Imago Mundi works and focuses her attention on the “Forgotten Bird of Paradise” by Joshua Badegadega, “a unique painting, an acknowledgement to PNG’s persecuted Melanesian neighbours in the Indonesian Provinces of Papua and West Papua, the other half of the island of New Guinea.” Joshua Badegadega in “Forgotten Bird of Paradise” has chosen to paint the West Papuan flag, the morning Star, symbols of West Papua; the tears of suffering married to the traditional and typical curvilinear designs of so much of the island of New Guinea’s Melanesia culture. He has included the Bird of Paradise, also an iconic symbol in PNG where it is central on the Coat of Arms.

Joshua Badegadega Kauke - Forgotten Bird of Paradise (Dedicated to the West Papuan Region and the Freedom Fighters of West Papua) (2015)

She highlights a group of works about bilas, “all that with which we adorn our bodies in PNG,” ingenious, innovative and diverse masks, elaborate feathered, tapa and multi-medium headdresses, infinitely various face and body painting and body adornments. Adorning, changing ones personal demeanour happens for all sorts of ritual, ceremonial, war related and tourism events. From the group of warrior portraits, perhaps the most striking are Moses Minipa’s Worrior and Venantius Gadd’s Warrior Mask. John Siune is a much celebrated and recognised artist in PNG. His Simbu Warrior dances frenetically in a pose that is more threatening than deadly.

Bruce Mathias - Local Lifestyle (2015)



We cannot help but love the children of Papua New Guinea too: in “My Nephew” by Ian Jeva, “Child in a Bilum” by Ken Vovoki or Rolland Harvey Musob’s more jagged “Neglected Child”. is now a more common sight as urbanization and the poverty it brings for too many, takes hold. Environmental concerns are also in evidence as drought takes hold in this once tropical paradise turning mainland regions to dust and smaller island communities to water logged misery through climate change.

Claire Tawake Janget - Nais (2015)

Medical practitioner and art hobbyist Poyap Rooney, inspired by the work of Wesevo has helped to pioneer the practice of Art as therapy for mental health and wellbeing via his newly established Korobesea Medical clinic. Informal lessons in creative painting hosted weekly by Wesevo aim to incorporate a more holistic approach toward art. Participants in his lessons include Lorraine Michael a gifted 12 year old diagnosed with hearing impairments and mood disorder, Allan Mogerema a popular and influential yoga instructor and Hannah Hola a former Arts and drama student.

Stanislous Motolova - Island Life (2015)



In contrast to Port Moresby’s hustle and bustle is the scenic township of Alotau in Milne Bay Province. It is home to the Contemporary Artist Association “28Kreativ”, a group of collaborating musicians, painters, poets and dancers that are creatively exploring new platforms to promote the arts. Also based in Alotau are a group of carvers from the Trobriand Islands who live in the Kitava compound, they carve various stylized depictions of animals and traditional cultural figures.