![Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) of Omie Artists. The title is Gori han’e ohu’o ije biwej’e - Clan emblem of the fern, new shoots of the fern and boys chopping tree branches. [12-213] (Ink on Schoolbook Paper)](https://media.redotgallery.com/stockroom/gallery/g/gori-hane-ohuo-ije-biweje-clan-emblem-of-the-fern-new-shoots-of-the-fern-and-boys-chopping-tree-5537.png)
FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) (dec)
12-213
Ink on Schoolbook Paper
Gori han’e ohu’o ije biwej’e -… | 12-213
Ink on Schoolbook Paper
17 x 22.5cm | 6.69 x 8.86in (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 Ömie 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. This is one of the special drawings from that first presentation of drawings.
Gori han’e is a Dahorurajé clan emblem of the fern and also the new shoots of the fern. Gori (fern) designs are associated with old Sidonejo village where Fate was born, an area near present day Savodobehi village, and the sacred Mount Obo and volcano Huvaimo.
The two circles with slanting lines are a different design known as ije biweje, representing boys cutting the leaves of a tree. Fate explains: “The mother was cleaning the bush to make a garden with her two young sons. The boys climbed a tree to cut all of the branches and leaves down. The branches fell down and the mother took all of the leaves and threw them away. Then the mother got plenty of bananas, taro and yam to plant in their newly cleared garden. When they finished planting all of the plants, they ate all of the food from the garden and lived a long life.” Fate seems to use this design as her artist’s signature sometimes.