THE ART OF ISAWDI (FATE SAVARI)

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

THE ART OF ISAWDI (FATE SAVARI)

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

Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) of Omie Artists. The title is Dahor’e Monam’e, Dahore Guavo, Gora, Jije Gwodo, Jije Maiha ohu’o baderivamo - Mount Monam’e, Mount Guavo, Gora valley, Gwodo star, Maiha star and lightning. [14-230] (Pencil and Ink on Paper) Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) of Omie Artists. The title is Dahor’e Monam’e, Dahore Guavo, Gora, Jije Gwodo, Jije Maiha ohu’o baderivamo - Mount Monam’e, Mount Guavo, Gora valley, Gwodo star, Maiha star and lightning. [14-230] (Pencil and Ink on Paper)
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FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) (dec)

Dahor’e Monam’e, Dahore Guavo, Gora, Jije Gwodo, Jije Maiha ohu’o baderivamo - Mount Monam’e, Mount Guavo, Gora valley, Gwodo star, Maiha star and lightning
Dahor’e Monam’e, Dahore Guavo, Gora, Jije Gwodo, Jije Maiha ohu’o baderivamo...

14-230
Pencil and Ink on Paper
 Dahor’e Monam’e, Dahore Guavo,… | 14-230
Pencil and Ink on Paper
 22 x 30.5cm | 8.66 x 12.01in (irregular)
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In 2012 at Gora Art Centre, Fate Savari presented a schoolbook she had obtained from her granddaughter. It was filled from front to back with drawings about her ancestral Ömie stories (including the creation story), histories, culture and clan designs. There were also some loose pages in the front and back of the schoolbook and more drawings on paper wrapped up in a larger drawing on paper. Fate created the book and drawings because she felt a great urgency to record her profound knowledge before she passed away. She used whatever materials she could find on hand. After presenting this first book, Fate requested “another book and drawing materials” so she could still create art during the seasons that she didn’t have any barkcloth to paint. So in 2014, Fate filled yet another drawing book with her art and this drawing is from that second collection of drawings.

Fate has drawn mountains with stars and lightning. The stars are named Jije Maiha and Jije Gwodo. The mountains are named Dahor’e Monam’e, Dahore Guavo and Dahore Gora.

The borders are orriseegé or ‘pathways’ through the gardens and provide a compositional framework for the designs.

~ The curved lines are nenyai, a white seashell forehead adornment worn by women. Fate says these were made “in the times of the Ancestors” and are still worn today. Ömie people obtained the seashells from coastal tribes of Oro Province by means of trade and they also collected them from the beach. Seashells were a foreign, rare and beautiful material from the faraway coast so they were highly valued in the Ömie mountains and would be displayed as a form of wealth on both men and women’s jewelry. Fate’s father Lokirro told her about his travels to find and trade for seashells on the coast.

In 2012 at Gora Art Centre, Fate Savari presented a schoolbook she had obtained from her granddaughter. It was filled from front to back with drawings about her ancestral Ömie stories (including the creation story), histories, culture and clan designs. There were also some loose pages in the front and back of the schoolbook and more drawings on paper wrapped up in a larger drawing on paper. Fate created the book and drawings because she felt a great urgency to record her profound knowledge...