Nom’e Javavamu Darugé I’jové (We Dance Our Designs to Life)

A Collection of Barkcloth Art from the Ömie Artists, Papua New Guinea

Nom’e Javavamu Darugé I’jové (We Dance Our Designs to Life)

A Collection of Barkcloth Art from the Ömie Artists, Papua New Guinea

Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by DAPENI JONEVARI (MOKOKARI) of Omie Artists. The title is Ujawé soru’e (Asimano’e, taigu taigu’e, odunaigö’e ohu’o vinohu’e) ohu’o dahoru’e – Men’s ceremonial initiation tattoos (Heads of men, pattern of a leaf, jungle vines and Siha’e fruit tattoo design of the bellybutton) and Ömie mountains. [16-017] (Natural Pigments on Nioge (Barkcloth)) Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by DAPENI JONEVARI (MOKOKARI) of Omie Artists. The title is Ujawé soru’e (Asimano’e, taigu taigu’e, odunaigö’e ohu’o vinohu’e) ohu’o dahoru’e – Men’s ceremonial initiation tattoos (Heads of men, pattern of a leaf, jungle vines and Siha’e fruit tattoo design of the bellybutton) and Ömie mountains. [16-017] (Natural Pigments on Nioge (Barkcloth))
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DAPENI JONEVARI (MOKOKARI)

Ujawé soru’e (Asimano’e, taigu taigu’e, odunaigö’e ohu’o vinohu’e) ohu’o dahoru’e – Men’s ceremonial initiation tattoos (Heads of men, pattern of a leaf, jungle vines and Siha’e fruit tattoo design of the bellybutton) and Ömie mountains
Ujawé soru’e (Asimano’e, taigu taigu’e, odunaigö’e ohu’o vinohu’e) ohu’o...

16-017
Natural Pigments on Nioge (Barkcloth)
 Ujawé soru’e (Asimano’e, taigu… | 16-017
Natural Pigments on Nioge (Barkclot…
 129 x 54cm | 50.79 x 21.26in (irregular)
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The border and the central band that runs through the nioge are orriseegé (paths/pathways) and provide a compositional framework for the designs.

The black sawtooth design that runs around the borders of the work are dahoru’e, the design of the Ömie mountains.

Dapeni has painted Ujawé sor’e, men’s initiation rite tattoo designs. Dapeni’s father told her how her grandfather lived in a guai, the underground site where he underwent his initiation tattooing.

The streams of zig-zags are taigu taigu’e and would often be tattooed on the upper arms of boys for their initiation into manhood. The design is very old and some Ömie people believe that it may have originated from a pattern seen on a leaf.

The curly ends are odunaigö’e, a climbing jungle vine with thorns and tendrils. The small diamond designs represent the fruit of the sihe tree. Sihe is a yellow fruit found in the rainforest and often eaten by cassowaries. In the time of the Ancestors during times of tribal warfare, the Ömie male warriors struggled to find food while they were in the bush defending their borders in the forest far from their villages. They survived by chewing the sihe fruit, swallowing the juice and then they would spit out the pulp. The siha’e design is sometimes also called vinohu’e, the men’s tattoo design of the bellybutton. The diamond shape was tattooed around men’s navals during the Ujawé initiation rite.

The circular designs are asimano’e, the heads of living men complete with ears and eyes. Dapeni explains how this design is uehëro (her own wisdom) and came to her in a dream.

The border and the central band that runs through the nioge are orriseegé (paths/pathways) and provide a compositional framework for the designs.

The black sawtooth design that runs around the borders of the work are dahoru’e, the design of the Ömie mountains.

Dapeni has painted Ujawé sor’e, men’s initiation rite tattoo designs. Dapeni’s father told her how her grandfather lived in a guai, the underground site where he underwent his initiation...