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

100 №1 NEIGHBOUR STRONG WOMEN Bilum has always been an integral component of Papua New Guinea’s cultural landscape, rather than the exclusive domain of a particular region, and stunning works from around the country are held in international collections. Contemporary urban bilum bag production in post-independent Papua New Guinea is, however, dominated by women from the Highlands. The impact of war on women is well documented in other parts of the world, but there are no records of the effects of tribal warfare on women of the Highlands and their cultural material. Access to traditional networks, raw materials and ritualised learning processes are all vital components in the transfer of knowledge and the expression of material culture, and this also applies to the creation of bilum. Living in settlements surrounding urban Goroka in the Eastern Highlands, Bena Bena bilum weavers have shared personal stories with the author of their alienation from traditional lands due to warfare. They lament the loss of connection to fertile land and planting and harvesting cycles, which has reduced their access to traditional weaving materials. This loss also severely limits their ability to supplement their family diet with fresh organic food and restricts their ability to sell excess garden produce in the local market. They weave with imported fibre because it is readily accessible and cheaper than natural fibre, facilitating faster economic return on their investment and their weaving skills. Bilum weavers are bound in a perpetual cycle of innovation. They express their individual creativity by experimenting with colour combinations, creating new patterns, reviving traditional styles and using new materials — recycled shipping or building materials — as well as creating new shapes and incorporating structural components from neighbouring communities. The traditional technique of twist and weave remains largely unaltered by modern demands, but the increased mobility of the population has stimulated an innovative exchange in techniques; for instance, weaving knots normally used to create fishing nets are now incorporated into the weave of bilum, creating a beautiful and original aesthetic. The Kalibobo pattern has been attributed to the story of a woman who travelled from the cool climate of her Highlands home to the coastal town of Madang. Travelling by bus, she carried her garden produce to sell at the markets. At the end of one of her days selling in the market, she sought the cool shade of a large tree. As she rested, she saw the Kalibobo Lighthouse in the distance. 1 Inspired by the silhouette of the lighthouse, she created the Kalibobo bilum pattern to remind her of her journey to the coast. 2 Kalibobo is a relatively complex design and one that has enjoyed enduring popularity in the domestic market, however, in 2011, the pattern transcended national boundaries. The first ‘Maketi Ples’ (market place) exhibition was established in 2011 in Sydney with Florence Jaukae-Kamel participating. 3 QAGOMA acquired one of Jaukae-Kamel’s bilum dresses at this event and commissioned another. 4 That same year, her Kalibobo dress inspired Happy Talk organisers to commission the Goroka BilumWeavers to produce a large-scale wall hanging featuring the motif. CONTEMPORARY BILUM RUTH CHOULAI