We caught up with Ruth McDougall, Curator of Pacific Art and the curator behind the 2016 exhibition ‘No.1 Neighbour: Art from Papua New Guinea 1966–2016’ The exhibition focused on the vibrancy of contemporary artistic expression within Papua New Guinea, and considered Australia’s strong historical ties to its closest neighbour through some of the earliest works…
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For centuries, the bilum bag has been made from natural fibres native to Papua New Guinea. Strips of leaves, grasses or tree bark are battered and scraped until the plant matter becomes fibrous then dried in the sun. Once dried, fibres are twisted between the hand and thigh into a single strong yarn. This is…
The Sisters of Mercy — a not-for-profit, faith-based organisation in Australia and Papua New Guinea — teaches textile-making skills to the disadvantaged, including prisoners in Bihute, in the Eastern Highlands Province. The Gallery recently acquired a group of six colourful bilums from Bihute, extending its Pacific textile holdings and engaging with this cultural tradition. The…
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.