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

33 THE EARLY YEARS №1 NEIGHBOUR Joe Nalo I went to the National Arts School to study creative arts. In those days, you were encouraged to express yourself. Before independence, we were taught to use paint to bring more freedom to our expression. We would go around Port Moresby painting the scenery. We studied the history of artists from all around the world. When it turned to the academic side with diplomas and degrees, most of the artists were left out. You needed to graduate grade ten, so most of the naive and traditional artists missed out. It was a really unique time. We experimented with things. Today, they talk about recycling, but we were always recycling, working with metal, finding cardboard to paint murals. Everything was really new. Every two weeks or so, artists like Timothy Akis got to express themselves with an exhibition. 6 THE NATIONAL ARTS SCHOOL APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A VIBRANT HUB. I UNDERSTAND OTHER INSTITUTIONS, SUCH AS SOGERI NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL NEAR PORT MORESBY, KEREVAT NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL NEAR RABAUL AND THE EXPRESSIVE ARTS DEPARTMENT OF GOROKA TEACHERS COLLEGE, ALSO PLAYED IMPORTANT ROLES IN FOSTERING A VIBRANT NATIONAL ARTS SCENE. CAN YOU DISCUSS WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO WORK IN THESE INSTITUTIONS? Nora Vagi Brash Working at the National Arts School during those vibrant years was really fruitful. It brought out the best in me. It was great to see young people come out of themselves and move into areas which were new to the nature of our traditions; for example, the dance and drama company recruited and trained young men and women in the theatre arts. This was a new concept. It was true that the young people had all gone to co-educational schools, however, this was different. We trained together, rubbed shoulders, shared the same changing rooms — it was so far from the ways we’d been used to. I had to adjust to the new circumstances and conform to the directions given. It was an invigorating time trying to adhere to the demands of the program, but it was very difficult to accept in the beginning. We travelled together nationally and internationally and were a tight-knit group. I think the most valuable lessons we learnt were to own the production and to work with each other — respecting and valuing suggestions and accepting criticisms together. Joe Nalo I went to Port Moresby Teachers College and Madang Teachers College and had an interest in painting. Then I went to Goroka Teachers College to study and look at what design means to everyone. I still paint all the time. For me, it’s in my blood, in my family. I love to do it. Even when I was teaching, I did it.