Wisdom of the Mountain: Art of the Ömie

Editorial

When: 27 November, 2009 – 21 March, 2010
Where: NGV International
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Entry: Free

The National Gallery of Victoria presents for the first time an exhibition of contemporary barkcloths from Papua New Guinea, Wisdom of the Mountain: Art of the Ömie.

Making it more remarkable is the fact that the Ömie is a small tribe of less than 2,000 people living on the slopes of Mount Lamington in Papua New Guinea’s Oro Province. The barkcloths, or nioge, are made by the women of the tribe from the paper mulberry tree’s inner bark. They’re beaten into thin sheets and then created using materials from the rainforest itself. They reflect the women’s inner strength, the cultural history and importance of the area, and the spiritual beliefs of the tribe. The nioge were first created by the women of the area to reward their husbands for providing them with the ability to give birth. The nioge was then cut in two and worn by the first couple to live in the Ömie region, who then became the ancestors of the tribe.

The barkcloths often include tattoo designs that the Ömie ancestors decorated their body with, keeping traditional customs alive and this exhibition of contemporary barkcloths is not just a showcase of this particular artform, it is also testament to the tribe’s resilience and survival. The NGV is also holding a number of public programs, talks, symposiums and performances as part of the exhibition. For more information, visit the National Gallery of Victoria website. 

Tim Hunter, Citysearch