No.1 Neighbour: Art in Papua New Guinea 1956-2016

99 STRONG WOMEN №1 NEIGHBOUR WENDI CHOULAI Tattoo with Motu bible text 1996 with members of her clan, Choulai sought opportunities to develop new forms of expression that incorporated tradition and which were mindful of laws, identity and history, but still expressive of present-day experience. The back of 105 Skirt , for example, brings together black raffia and white plastic, colours traditionally referencing the sky and the sea. On the front, sago fibres and pieces of yellow plastic are interspersed with strips of recycled ‘Sportsgirl’ shopping bags. Choulai’s exploration of new and readily available materials was part of her desire to develop more creative expression and independence for women via their costumes. The 105 Skirt also alludes to changes within Motu Koita society. When read upside down, 105 forms the acronym ‘GOI’, a reference to the Papuan Goilala people, who once travelled from their mountain villages to the coast in search of work. The Goilala women adopted their employer’s dance rituals, but with the substitution of plastic for the natural fibres they did not have the necessary permissions to use. Through the ritual of dance and the incorporation of modern materials into her skirts, Wendi Choulai created subtle layers acknowledging her own heritage and reflecting on the social and cultural transformations occurring in the Central Province: In all rituals, translations are layered and so too are the skirts that I have designed. 3 1 Wendi Choulai, quoted in David Tenenbaum, Wendi Choulai , Melbourne Books, Melbourne, 2008, p.2. 2 Wendi Choulai, Indigenous Oceanic design in today’s market: A personal perspective, Masters thesis, RMIT University, 1997, p.19. 3 Choulai, quoted in Tenenbaum, p.103.