The title of the exhibition refers to the Ömie creation story, which explains how Suja (the first Ömie woman and ‘mother of the world’) was instructed by Mina (the first Ömie man) to create the very first barkcloth.
Created primarily by senior Ömie tribeswomen, these barkcloths are the outcome of a long period of apprenticeship. Ömie art is distinguished by the richness and complexity of the abstract symbols it uses to depict the natural world and ancestral tattoo designs. Painted in colours made from vegetable and mineral pigments, the barkcloths and string-bags are a contemporary expression of age-old customary designs.
Andrew Baker Art Dealer
Until 13 July, 2013
Brisbane
Fate Savari (Isawdi), Amami Nioge, 2012, natural pigments on barkcloth, 202 x 74cm
Courtesy the artist and Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
