Papua New Guinean artrefers tovisual art created inPapua New Guinea or by Papua New Guineanartists. Papua New Guinea has been inhabited byhumans for roughly 50,000 years; throughout that period, the hundreds of distinctethnic groups of the island developed unique artistics traditions and styles.Statues andfigurines,ritual masks,carvings, andweavings, all generally with spiritual and religious significance, comprise a majority of the art created historically in Papua New Guinea. In the late 20th century, acontemporary art movement emerged roughly the same time as the country gained itsindependence in the 1970s. This movement reflected both the nation's tribal traditions and customs as well as its progression towards modernization.
Humans are believed to have first inhabited thehighlands of the island ofNew Guinea, which would later become part of the country of Papua New Guinea, around 50,000 years ago.[1] Many of thevillages that eventually developed on the island had little contact with one another due to impassable terrain, causing them to diverge culturally, as evidenced by the ethnic andlinguistic diversity present throughout Papua New Guinea.[2] Alongside this cultural divergence, distinct and uniqueartistic styles and traditions emerged among the different groups.[3]
Much of the art created during this early period had a religious or spiritual significance, and were likely used in tribalrituals; humans and animals such asbirds andechidnas were often subjects.[4][5] For example, inNew Ireland, complex sculptures depicting humans,fish, and birds in atotemic arrangement were, and continue to be, fabricated formalagan ceremonies, which are an intricate series of rituals commemoratingdeath, among other symbolic ideas.[6] Additionally,uli figures are wooden statues carved and painted to resemble deceased ancestors in mortuary ceremonies.[7]
The people of Papua New Guinea utilized many differentmediums for their art, includingstone,[4]wood,fibers,pigments, andseashells.[6] Their creations often took the form of masks, statues, figurines, carvings and weavings.[5][8] Some peoples even created ceremonial houses,shields,instruments, andovermodelled skulls.[5]
European sailors first made contact with the peoples of Papua New Guinea, as well as many other islands inOceania, as early as the 16th century. New Guinea was colonized and divided between theGerman Empire and theGreat Britain by 1884;Australia would later take control of the nation of Papua New Guinea in 1921 followingWorld War I.[9] During the Papua New Guinea's period ofcolonization in the 19th and 20th centuries, European collectors frequently exported art pieces from the colony abroad toEngland and Australia. This practice was so commonplace that it led to common artistic objects virtually vanishing from local villages. ThePapua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery was later opened in 1977 to combat this phenomenon.[10] Despite the removal of many artifacts, the actual indigenous methods of art themselves survived and continued to be practiced by natives, somewhat unaffected by the European colonization of the islands.[5]
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Papua New Guinea gained its independence from Australia on 16 September 1975.[9] Alongside its newly gained status as an independent nation, a contemporary art movement developed simultaneously in reaction to the drastic changes occurring in the country at the time.[11] Early figures of this movement such asMatthias Kauage andTimothy Akis were major influences in the movement when it began in the 1960s and 1970s. These early members of the movement were themselves influenced by Western artists who had come to reside and teach in Papua New Guinea. Other noteworthy artists of this period includedJoe Nalo,Larry Santana, and Jakupa Ako.[12] These artists' work became so important to the fledgling nation's rapidly modernizing culture that they became nearly ubiquitous, even appearing onstamps and the exterior ofNational Parliament House inPort Moresby.[13]
A major theme of the movement is the combination of artists' indigenous cultures with a Papua New Guinea's recently-attained statehood, modernization, and worldwide technological advance.[11][14] This era was of great importance to the country, and the dramatic changes occurring in the country at the time socially and politically were commonly reflected in the works of artists of the time.[13] Other themes, such as theAIDS pandemic, which reached Papua New Guinea in the late 1980s, were also portrayed by these artists.[11] Paintings, generally featuring indigenous motifs combined with bright, bold colors and lines, became a major medium of art during this period. However, other traditional methods, such as statues, weavings, decorative shields, and pottery continued to be produced.[13]
In addition to the contemporary movement, there has also been an effort to repatriate historical pieces that were taken abroad during the country's colonial period.[15] A large amount of artwork created in Papua New Guinea still remains in museums in theUnited States,France, andGermany, among other countries. The firstPrime Minister of Papua New Guinea,Michael Somare, once requested the return of cultural artifacts to the country, referring to them as "living spirits with fixed abodes,"[16] expressing their spiritual significance to Papua New Guineans. In 2020, theNational Gallery of Australia transferred 225 artifacts, including masks and sculptures, to the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery.[15]
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