Three Fine Old New Guinea Asmat Ancestor Figures West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

Three Fine Old New Guinea Asmat Ancestor Figures West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia

These Three Early Asmat Ancestor Figures Kawe are from the Coastal Asmat Area on the South Coast of West Papua Irian Jaya Indonesia.  All three of these sculptures are from different important Australian Collections.  In the 1980’s I spent a lot of time with the Asmat People in their villages probably about 3 years.  I would usually go for 2-3 months at a time and I traveled to almost every remote village in all of the Asmat areas and districts.  There were many villages where I stayed multiple times & had a very close relationship with families that took me into their home.  I  had so many happy experiences staying with the Asmat people, they were kind, generous, and funny and it felt like home for me.  There were some unpleasant times of having Malaria & Dengue Fever, Skin infections ect but I never felt anything except grateful for those amazing experiences.

The Asmat have a very special relationship with the forest & trees where they live. The main Asmat creation myth is about the creator Fumeripitjs who was lonely so he carved figures from wood and then he made a drum when he played the drum the carved wood figures slowly came to life and that is how the first Asmat people were created.

Provenance:  The Todd Barlin Collection of  New Guinea Oceanic Art  

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

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