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 The white bird-of paradise sitting in the Mango tree at Sidonejo village (with mango fruits). [14-228] (Pencil and Ink on Paper) Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) of Omie Artists. The title is The white bird-of paradise sitting in the Mango tree at Sidonejo village (with mango fruits). [14-228] (Pencil and Ink on Paper)
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FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) (dec)

The white bird-of paradise sitting in the Mango tree at Sidonejo village (with mango fruits)
The white bird-of paradise sitting in the Mango tree at Sidonejo village...

14-228
Pencil and Ink on Paper
 The white bird-of paradise sit… | 14-228
Pencil and Ink on Paper
 30.5 x 22cm | 12.01 x 8.66in (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.

A white bird-of paradise was sitting in the mango tree at old Sidonejo village (near Savodobehi). Fruits of the mango tree. The tree actually existed and people say the white bird-of-paradise lived there in the tree. This is the song that the bird-of-paradise sung in the tree:

“Kwaru, kwaru
na bogo jeve, na bogo jeve
na nigorumo ejeve, na nigorumo ejeve
fifu rumo ejeve”

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
“I am telling you [in Managalasi language]
I have nothing, I have nothing
I have no feathers, I have no feathers
I don’t have beautiful coloured feathers like the ineje (bird-of-paradise).”

The borders are orriseegé or ‘pathways’ through the gardens and provide a compositional framework for the designs. The chevron (arrow-tip) design is buborianö ’e, beaks of the Papuan Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus).

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...