The exhibition itself was rather fascinating. Oceania, a largely unknown area (to the Europeans at the time), covers a third of the world’s surface. Thousands of volcanic islands and coral atolls are found here. “The exhibition tells the story of Pacific islanders, including their momentous encounters with the West, through three interlinked themes: voyaging, Settlement, and Encounter.
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| drawings by Maori people, ink on paper |
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Drawing of two urita (supernatural creatures) (Papua New Guinea)
reminds me of the Voynich Manuscript |
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| I have seen the signature facial features the Maori use in their carvings a lot in childhood. |
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| many of the sculptural forms have an intimidating, violent, mad emotion to them that feels foreign. |
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| Akua hulu manu, feathered, god image, probably Ku the god of war (Hawaiian Islands) (fibre frame, human hair pearl shell seeds, dog teeth, feathers |
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Ahu'ula, feather cloak (Hawaiian Islands)
reminded me of tales from earthsea (film) |
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Aiaimunu, mask (Gulf of Papua, Papua New Guinea)
at first, I was shocked at how large the mask was, but as I observed it longer I felt disgusted with the mesmerising pattern on its body. It makes my teeth clench tight and I feel somewhat triggered. reminding me of trypophobia. |
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| Fish malangan (Papua New Guinea) associated with funerary ceremonies occurring some years after death, making the final passage of the deceased to the spirit world. the figure attached to its tongue represents someone in the process of death. |
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Kehe tau hauaga foou (To all new arrivals), John Pule
"he addresses global turbulence from an explicitly Pacific viewpoint. Of mural size, the work combines scenes of conflict with many images of human relationships in order to reveal a world that is living in confusion.
"The painting acts like a huge chart that is mapping a Pacific perspective onto the nature of worldwide reality. Bombs and nuclear testing are contrasted with pollution and global warming. The painting gathers contemporary and historical narratives that express stories about the world by inviting us to visually ‘read’ what are seeing." - cr. auckland art gallery |
(in the studio I sketched/painted a bit of the hei tiki since I found that to be one of the most interesting aspects of the exhibition, the notion of memory and remembering ancestors or lost ones) (I didn't really like how they turned out though, I still feel more at ease with ink and watercolour)
