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 Yams of Godibehi, Savodobehi, Tonobehi, Gora, Gorabuna, Enjoro, Jiapa, Duharenu, Asapa, and ije biwej’e (Boys chopping tree branches). [14-201] (Pencil and Ink on Paper) Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) of Omie Artists. The title is Yams of Godibehi, Savodobehi, Tonobehi, Gora, Gorabuna, Enjoro, Jiapa, Duharenu, Asapa, and ije biwej’e (Boys chopping tree branches). [14-201] (Pencil and Ink on Paper)
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FATE SAVARI (ISAWDI) (dec)

Yams of Godibehi, Savodobehi, Tonobehi, Gora, Gorabuna, Enjoro, Jiapa, Duharenu, Asapa, and ije biwej’e (Boys chopping tree branches)
Yams of Godibehi, Savodobehi, Tonobehi, Gora, Gorabuna, Enjoro, Jiapa,...

14-201
Pencil and Ink on Paper
 Yams of Godibehi, Savodobehi, … | 14-201
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 all of the different yams from all of the Ömie villages—Godibehi, Savodobehi, Tonobehi, Gora, Gorabuna, Enjoro, Jiapa, Duharenu and Asapa. Yams are a very important food source for all Ömie people.

The border is known as orriseegé or ‘pathways’ through the gardens and provide a compositional framework for the designs.

The lines that run diagonally are ije bi’weje, 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.”

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...