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 Suhine (seed necklace), bisijai (fighting club) and jaig’e (armlets). [12-217] (Ink on Schoolbook Paper) Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) of Omie Artists. The title is Suhine (seed necklace), bisijai (fighting club) and jaig’e (armlets). [12-217] (Ink on Schoolbook Paper)
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FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) (dec)

Suhine (seed necklace), bisijai (fighting club) and jaig’e (armlets)
12-217
Ink on Schoolbook Paper
 Suhine (seed necklace), bisija… | 12-217
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.

Here, Fate has drawn different cultural objects associated with the Ömie creation story Mina, the first man, and his daughter. The face shown is of Mina from Mount Obo, the first man. He had a daughter and she got her period so Mina told her to go and stay in the bush and when her period finishes she has to wear the barkcloth and come back to the house. The barkcloth had designs on it. She wore suhine seed necklaces (these are grey in colour). There was a garden. Mina’s footprints can be seen in the garden when he was looking for food in the afternoon.

Fate has also drawn Mina’s bisijai, fighting club and jaig’e, armlets. The armlets are usually yellow, black and brown in colour and woven from orchid fibres. The yellow orchid fibre is called numise. The black orchid fibre is called jukire. And the brown orchid fibre is called ninube.

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...