JUNGLE GEOMETRY: New Ömie Paintings from Papua New Guinea

Short St Gallery warmly invites you to Jungle Geometry featuring incredible artworks from the Omie artists of Papua New Guinea.

The Ömie of Papua New Guinea are among the last indigenous peoples on Earth who retain the ancient artform of barkcloth painting. Ömie barkcloth textiles are known as nioge, which is the primary artistic medium for their painting—a custom which remains fundamental to recording, preserving and expressing all aspects of Ömie cultural heritage. This time-honoured tradition has been practiced since the first female ancestor, Suja, created the first barkcloth by the Uhojo River—as detailed in the Ömie creation story. With profound, ever-evolving creative vision and wisdom, Ömie women paint the layered, inner worlds of their mountainous rainforest homelands, onto their nioge. Barkcloth knowledge is passed on through the matrilineal line in an unbroken lineage, from mother to daughter. Artists train intensively under the tutelage of their “mothers”, who are either Duvahe (Chiefs) or proficient, senior painters, as Ömie jagor’e (law) instructs.

Exhibiting alongside the highly-refined paintings of senior artists, such as, Faith Jina’emi (Iva), Wilma Rubuno (Lamay) and Rosemon Hinana, are a new generation of exciting Ömie artists who are now leading the way into the future with the vital sensitivity in their approach that firmly upholds the sacred, ancestral origins of this artform. This exhibition showcases the latest innovations and developments of this living and thriving painting movement through paintings by artists of remarkable resolve, such as, Diona Jonevari (Suwarari), Jessie Bujava (Kipora), Elvina Naumo (Ebahino) and Hilda Mekio.

The world of the Ömie is one of breathtaking natural beauty, a remote paradise where mountains extend to the horizon in every direction and are often cloaked in cloud and mist that drifts gently through the densely forested valleys, over the peaks. Ancient, narrow pathways of the ancestors wind through the verdant green of the forests, which burst with flowers, fruits, birds, butterflies and mysterious creatures in a spectrum of splendid colours. Observations of this enchanting natural world—one of the most biodiverse on Earth—has come to beautify the Ömie’s barkcloth skirts and textiles and are the central facet of Ömie painting designs.

Through keen observation, Ömie women painters look towards the natural jungle environment to uncover geometries and abstract motifs, uncovering an internal logic or system hidden within nature’s multifarious forms. Harmoniously weaving their multitude of organic, geometric shapes, symbols and patterns together in every possible variation, they create dazzling optical rhythms and movement that extend beyond the two-dimensional painting surface. Through these designs, the paintings become activated with the experiential feeling of the landscape and environment, rather than simply remaining a representation of it. The beauty and energy of place comes to life through the paintings.

We invite you to join us for this exciting exhibition to celebrate the Ömie women’s captivating paintings.