The First Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Mathias Kauage (usually known as Kauage) was born in 1944 near Kundiawa in the Simbu Province of Papua NewGuineabut has spent most of his adult life in Port Moresby. The patronage of Georgina and Ulli Beier throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s was influential in establishing the reputations of Papua New Guinea's first contemporary artists Akis, Kauage and Jakupa. Inspired by Timothy Akis's exhibition in 1969, and encouraged by Georgina Beier, Kauage began his art career at the Centre for New Guinea Cultures at the University of Papua New Guinea. Within nine months of seeing Akis's work, Kauage held his own exhibition of woodcuts. Between 1969 and 1971 he worked in the supportive environment of the University exploring variousmedia and painting styles. The impetus and encouragement for the artists toexhibit and sell their work came from Georgina Beier. A London-trained artist with experience in organising art workshops in Nigeria, she encouraged local artists by providing them with materials and a work­ space as they developed'their talents. Kauage went on to establish his own studio in suburban Port Moresbyandbecame a member of the Creative Arts Centre. In1976 he was awarded one of the first fellowships to the newly established National Arts School and continued his links with the art school, both formally and informally, until the late 1980s when it was transferred to the University of Papua New Guinea. Kauage is bestrecognised for his colourful and vigorous works on paper and in synthetic polymer paint. His themes are those of an urban world and encapsulate the problems of declining traditional values and the impact of Western culture and technology. Kauage's choice to live an urban lifestyle on theoutskirts of Port Moresbyhas provided a strong motivation to concentrate on the im­ ages around him, such as the early drawings and paintings of trucks and helicopters and the series of works which recorded his impressions of town life- the fringe dwellers such as his cowboy images, and the appar­ ently misogynous meri wantok (prostitute) paintings. Kauage tends towork ingroups and series based on childhood associations and rec­ ollections. He drew on his memories of a less stressful life in the village for a series of mythologically inspired paintings of sacred birds which have associations with initiation PAPUA NEW GUINEA MATHIAS KAUAGE Captain Cook 1993 Synthetic polymer paint on board 120x 176cm Collection: The artist rites and magic. Many of these works reflect the traditional concerns of the Highlander - the accumulation of wealth, ceremonial practices and the phenomenon of the Big­ man system. The reverence shown to village leaders and politicians had its most visible expression in the series of eleven works in 1987 on the life and death of Sir lambakey Okuk, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea who died in 1986. Kauage's approach to his career is highly pragmatic in the way that he appears to work in two apparentlydifferent modes-one quite commercial where he encourages his wife and family to contribute to his work, and the other which is characterised by a more considered attention to the use of his materials and finish. This conscious strategy to produce both tourist art as well as more finished exhibition pieces results no doubt from his need to make a living from his work. Since being denied access to National Arts School resources and theencouragement of the Beiers and other influential expatriates this feature of his work has become more apparent. Ross Searle 99