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

74 №1 NEIGHBOUR STORIES The art of Ruki Fame has played an important role in the development of contemporary sculpture in Papua New Guinea. Trained as a welder in Port Moresby, Fame began experimenting with the creation of decorative frames and windows under the direction of artist Georgina Beier. He then undertook formal art training at Goroka Teachers College and at the National Arts School in Port Moresby, under the tutelage of Tom Craig, in the early 1970s. At the National Arts School, Fame launched into an energetic program of experimentation by collecting and transforming scrap metal from 44-gallon drums and chrome bumper bars from wrecked cars into whimsical sculptural forms. His subjects range from local animals and the human figure to portraits of cowboys inspired by Hollywood movies, and his work has been created for both domestic and public realms. In 1975, he created the large-scale, multi-storey steel sculpture Woman for the Papua New Guinea Development Bank building in Waigani, a suburb of Port Moresby and home to many government buildings and foreign embassies. Fame’s work and versatility inspired a group of younger artists working in Papua New Guinea in the 1980s and 1990s, securing his reputation as one of the country’s foremost practitioners. The diversity of works installed around Port Moresby, ranging from ornamental gates to public monuments, is testament to his widespread appeal. Fame has also influenced the celebrated artists Gickmai Kundun, Tom Deko and Georgina Beier, who were all taught to weld by the sculptor. Like Fame, these artists transform the apparent detritus of urban life into articulate and lively forms evoking ephemeral events and fleeting sensations, such as a music concert or the movement of birds in the sky. The sculpture Pukpuk (crocodile) 2016 in ‘No.1 Neighbour’ is inspired by the sculpture Fame produced of this subject in 1975. Although originating from the Eastern Highlands where crocodiles are not part of everyday or ceremonial life, Fame imparts a profound sensitivity and understanding of the animal to his sculpture. Fashioned from hard, rigid steel, the work captures the silent strength and latent swiftness of the reptile as it patiently waits to drag prey into its watery realm. The pukpuk’s nail-like teeth, ready to tear through soft flesh, appear to belong to a rogue industrial machine as much as to a wild creature. Known for their longevity and capacity to adapt and survive, the pukpuk would appear to be an apt subject for Fame’s inspired and contemporary sculptural interpretation. Ruki Fame, like many artists working today, struggles to make a living from his art in the urban environment of Port Moresby, yet he continues to create work where opportunities arise. RUKI FAME RUTH M c DOUGALL Ruki Fame pictured with the head of his sculpture Woman 1975 (left) and the work in situ at the Papua New Guinea Development Bank building (right) in Waigani, Port Moresby / Images courtesy: Martin Fowler