We hold our mothers' teachings in our hearts and hands: Bark cloths from PNG
Past exhibition
Jessie Bujava (Kipora) Papua New Guinea, Omie, b. 1970
siha'e ohu'o visuano'e - fruit of the tree and teeth of the mountain fish
natural pigments on nioge (barkcloth)
203 x 115 cm
787377
Jessie has painted traditional Sahuote clan designs which she originally learnt from her mother, the late Agnes Sirimi and her grandmother. The diamond shaped designs are siha'e (the design of...
Jessie has painted traditional Sahuote clan designs which she originally learnt from her mother, the late Agnes Sirimi and her grandmother. The diamond shaped designs are siha'e (the design of the fruit of the tree). The arrow-like designs are visuano'e (the design of the teeth of the mountain fish). These designs have been painted within a complex structure of orriseege or 'pathways' which is a style of painting now unique to the village of Birrojo and orginates from nearby Budo and Gorabuna villages, old Sahoute clan strongholds - both deep within Omie territory. Most of the Gorabuna village was destroyed in a natural disaster of floods and landslides in 2007 so most of the people from Gorabuna established the new village of Birrojo.