Theatre, Art, Life in Papua New Guinea
The arts of Papua New Guinea are the embodiment of Theatre, Art and Life. The dancing, painting, sculpting and weaving are all an essential part of life of these creative people. Canoeing down the Sepik River in PNG fifteen years ago and meeting the villagers was an inspiring experience. Then, there was no other way to travel along this wild ribbon that weaves through the middle of the world’s third largest island. Now, you can take a small cruise boat up the Sepik. The interest in PNG arts has grown dramatically, and no wonder. The more complex, electronic and unwild our world, the greater the appeal of the opposite world. We like the boldness of the sculptures, the wild designs on the spirit boards and the fierce expressions on the masks. We love that each artefact has significance to the creator, representing the heritage of millennia, identifying a specific tribe and place. As we get tamer we want more raw wildness, and we will pay for it. Papuans have been selling their arts since the 1850s. Papuans are the creators, and businesspeople. They have a very pragmatic approach to the objects they chisel, paint and sculpt. The money the creators earn from selling their art is their sole income in many remote villages, usually paying for school fees and medicines.
