Sarah_Ugibari_Ujawé_Mamu_(Mother_of Initiation_Rites)_Sans.fm

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SARAH UGIBARI
UJAWÉ MAMU (MOTHER OF INITIATION RITES)
Words sung while tattooing during the Ujawé (initiation ceremony):
“Baki torire rijun'e sajari munoti
(Do not move, be patient, remain still).”
A D U V A H E N I O G E — G E M S I H O T I ' E T A L I O B A M Ë ' E ( C H I E F ’S ‘ P R E S T I G E ’ C L O T H — T H E F I R S T
APPLIQUED MUD-DYED BARKCLOTH DESIGN) 2014
Sihoti'e taliobamë'e (appliquéd mud-dyed barkcloth)
63 × 126 cm
TA M A J A I O H U ’ O D E B ’ É ( A N C E S T R A L TA T T O O D E S I G N O F T H E N E C K L A C E W I T H PA N D A N U S F I B R E
STRING) 2014
Natural pigments on barkcloth
156 × 100 cm
U J A W É S O R U ’ E [ VI N O H U ’ E ] ( M E N ’S C E R E M O N I A L I N I T I A T I O N TA T T O O S [ D E S I G N O F T H E
BELLYBUTTON]) 2014
171 × 80 cm
M O R O W U T O T O I [ A I S O R U ’ E ] ( VI N E S O F T H E F I G T R E E [ T H E F I R S T TA T T O O D E S I G N O F T H E M A N ’S
CHEST]) 2015
116 × 86 cm
M O K O J E J Ö ' E O H U ' O U J A W É S O R U ’ E [ T A I G U T A I G U ' E ] ( B E A K S O F T H E PA R R O T A N D M E N ’S
C E R E M O N I A L I N I T I A T I O N T A T T O O S [ P A T T E R N O F A L E A F ] ) 2 0 11
131 × 85 cm
U J A W É S O R U ’ E [ J Ö ’ O S O R ’ E O H U ’ O T A I G U T A I G U ' E ] O H U ’ O M O K O J ’ E A N ’ E ( M E N ’S C E R E M O N I A L
I N I TI A T I O N TA T TO O S [ U N C U R LI N G F E R N F R O N D S A N D PA T T E R N O F A L E A F ] ) 2 0 1 5
128 × 67 cm
I NITIATION TATTOOS [UNCU RLING FERN FRON DS AN D PATTERN OF A LEAF] A ND BEAKS OF THE
P A R R O T 2 0 11
107 × 85 cm
VI O J O J E D E H E O H U ’ O M O K O J O J Ö ’ E ( B U T T E R F L Y W I N G S W I T H D I F F E R E N T PA T T E R N S , A N D B E A K S
OF THE PARROT) 2015
137 × 69 cm
I NITIATION TATTOOS [UNCU RLING FERN FRON DS AN D PATTERN OF A LEAF] A ND BEAKS OF THE
PA R R O T ) 2 0 1 4
105 × 81 cm
GA RORÉ OMI'E OHU 'O SIH A'E (NEW ROOTS EMERGING FROM THE TR UNK OF THE B LACK FER N
TREE AND FRUIT OF THE SIHE TREE) 2010
165 × 70 cm
U J A W É S O R U ’ E [ VI N O H U ’ E ] O H U ’ O M O K O J ’ E A N ’ E ( M E N ’S C E R E M O N I A L I N I T I A T I O N TA T T O O S
[DESIGN OF THE BELLYBUTTON] AND BEAKS OF THE PARROT) 2014
143 × 48 cm
U J A W É S O R U ’ E [ J Ö ’ O S O R ’ E O H U ’ O T A I G U T A I G U ' E ] ( M E N ’S C E R E M O N I A L I N I T I A T I O N TA T T O O S
[ U N C U R L I N G F E R N F R O N D S A N D PA T T E R N O F A L E A F ] ) 2 0 1 5
108 × 53 cm
M O D O D A ’ E D I B U R I ’ E B I O J Ë ’ O H O ( TA I L - F E A T H E R S O F T H E S W I F T W H E N S I T T I N G I N T H E T R E E )
2014
Sihoti'e taliobamë'e (appliquéd mud-dyed barkcloth)
65 × 60 cm
MOKOJAI JO’O VOSOÉ, SIHA’U’E SOR ’E, JÖ’O SOR ’E OHU’O TAIGU TAIGU’E (BEAKS OF THE RED
PA R R O T , B E L L YB U T T O N TA T T O O D E S I G N O F T H E S I H E F R U I T , U N C U R L I N G F ER N F R O N D S A N D T H E
PATTERN OF A LEAF)
2014
136 × 53 cm
TA M A J A I O H U ’ O D E B ’ É ( A N C E S T R A L TA T T O O D E S I G N O F T H E N E C K L A C E W I T H PA N D A N U S F I B R E
STRING) 2013
82 × 76 cm
MOKOJAI JO’O VOSOÉ, SIHA’U’E SOR ’E, JÖ’O SOR ’E OHU’O TAIGU TAIGU’E (BEAKS OF THE RED
PA R R O T , B E L L YB U T T O N TA T T O O D E S I G N O F T H E S I H E F R U I T , U N C U R L I N G F ER N F R O N D S A N D T H E
PATTERN OF A LEAF)
2014
117 × 58 cm
G ARORÉ OMI'E OHU'O GORORO IN’E (NEW ROOTS EMERGING FROM THE TR UNK OF TH E BLACK
F E R N T R EE A N D F L O WE R S OF T H E B L A C K PA L M ) 2 0 1 5
93 × 51 cm
U J A W É S O R U ’ E [ J Ö ’ O S O R ’ E ] ( M E N ’S C E R E M O N I A L I N I T I A T I O N TA T T O O S [ U N C U R L I N G F E R N
FRONDS] 2015
106 × 44 cm
W É H I R I V E ’ O H O ( YO U N G W O M A N ’ S H A I R B I N D S ) 2 0 1 2
Sihoti'e (mud-dyed barkcloth), river reeds, sticks
74 × 1 × 1 cm (tallest)
SIH OTI’E ERR ’I (AR M- AN D WAI ST-BAN D D ANCE OR NAMENTS) 2009
Sihoti'e (mud-dyed barkcloth)
Dimensions variable
Dimensions variable
Dimensions variable
SISIRA ESÖE (ANCESTRAL BILUM [STRING-BAG]) 2014
Paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia papyrifera) bark-fibre, natural pigments
33 × 33 × 1 cm
SISIRA ESÖE (ANCESTRAL BILUM [STRING-BAG]) 2014
Paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia papyrifera) bark-fibre, natural pigments
26 × 27 × 1 cm
SARAH UGIBARI
Born
Birth name
Lives/works
Languages
Clan
c.1919, Kiara village, Managalasi Plateau, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea
Solloborro [Samwejé (Managalasi/Ese language group)]
Ömie territory, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea
Samwejé and Ömie
Dahorurajé (also known as Sidorajé)
BIOGRAPHY
Venerated Ömie elder Sarah Ugibari (the oldest living Ömie, at approximately ninety-seven years
of age) is the pre-eminent Ömie artist. Born into the Managalasi language group, Sarah’s mother
Maranabara was from Koruwo village and her father Suevini was from Kiara village, both high on
Hydrographer’s Range above Managalasi Plateau. As a young woman, Sarah married Abraham
Ugibari, an Ömie man of the Sidorajé clan from Gora village.
In recent years, Sarah has begun the crucial task of imparting her store of ancient wisdom to
daughter Ilma. Among other things, this has involved Sarah teaching Ilma to paint and sew a
number of enduring Ömie and Managalasi barkcloth designs. Both mother and daughter began
working with Ömie Artists Inc. in 2009.
At the dawn of time, Managalasi and Ömie ancestors emerged from the underground cave
Vavago as a single people. Over time, these first people migrated across the greater Huvaimo
region and into Hydrographer’s Range. Subsequently this group split into separate tribes which
both still celebrate ‘Mina and Suja’, the shared ancestral creation story about the first man and
woman. They also have many customs and barkcloth designs in common.
Sarah creates works originating from both tribes because she was born Managalasi but as a
young woman married an Ömie man. It was she who brought knowledge of Managalasi culture
into the Ömie realm. Sarah’s painted Ömie designs depict traditional Sidorajé clan tattoo
markings, while her painted Managalasi designs originate from Koruwo and Kiara villages. Her
sihoti’e nioge (appliquéd mud-dyed barkcloth) designs, in the form of Chiefs’ ‘prestige’ barkcloths,
are derived from both tribes. These barkcloths are the most sacred Ömie artefacts in existence
because they relate directly to the ancestral creation story of ‘Mina and Suja’.
Ömie creation tells how the very first sihoti’e nioge was created by Suja, the first Ömie woman and
mother of the world, under instruction from Mina, the first Ömie man, after she experienced her
first menstruation. Suja dyed the plain barkcloth in volcanic clay at River Uhojo at the base of
sacred Mount Obo. She wore the mud-dyed barkcloth during her menstruation and lived in
seclusion in a small hut known as jé’o jarwé for its duration.
Sarah Ugibari is one of the few master painters of ancient sor’e (tattoo) designs. Her knowledge
of these age-old markings was attained by examining the tattoos covering her husband’s body;
these he had earned during adolescence as a part of his Ujawé (ceremonial initiation). The
multiplicity of Sarah's Ujawé sor'e (initiation rite tattoos), as demonstrated on her painted
barkcloths, attests to her depth of knowledge of this sacred ceremony. This affirms her place as
the ‘Mother’ of Ujawé wisdom among the Ömie and Managalasi tribes. Sarah is also the foremost
authority on customary dress and adornment, particularly wéhirive’oho (hair binding) which
indicates a young woman’s readiness for marriage. She spends days preparing the hair of young
women for initiation, bride-price and marriage ceremonies.
Sarah’s eyesight began to deteriorate in mid-2015 and she no longer produces barkcloth herself.
By passing these skills and knowledge on to her daughter Ilma, Sarah has ensured that her noble
legacy will continue.
2016
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Ujawé Mamu (Mother of Initiation Rites), Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
Sarah Ugibari, Raft Artspace, Hobart, Tasmania
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Ömie Artists of Papua New Guinea, Aboriginal Signature-Estrangin Fine Art, Brussels, Belgium
The Barn Project 3: Seeing the Unseen, Harvey Art Projects, Sun Valley, ID, USA
Shifting Patterns: Pacific Barkcloth Painting, British Museum, London, United Kingdom
Hijominöe Modéjadé (Guided by Ancestors): Ömie Artists 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Andrew
Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
Mein Freund Der Baum (My Friend, The Tree), ArtKelch, Schorndorf, Germany
Duvahe Nioge: Barkcloths by the Senior Ömie Artists of Papua New Guinea, Vivien Anderson
Gallery, Melbourne
An Exploration of Bark (in association with Ömie Artists and Maningrida Arts & Culture), Outstation
Gallery, Darwin
Art Karlsruhe 2015 (Ömie Artists presented by ArtKelch), Karslruhe, Germany
Under the Volcano: Art of Ömie from Papua New Guinea, Museum Fünf Kontinente, Munich,
Germany
Das soll Kunst sein Vol. 12 (Ömie Artists presented by ArtKelch), Kunstverein, Freiburg, Germany
Luminous Mountain, Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
Ömie Artists: Contemporary Tapa Art from Papua New Guinea, ArtKelch, Freiburg & Stuttgart,
Germany
New Paintings by Ömie Chiefs and Senior Artists, Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney
Made in Oceania: Tapa – Art and Social Landscapes, Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, Cologne,
Germany
Volcanic Visions: Barkcloth Art of the Ömie, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York, NY, USA
Suja’s Daughters, Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
Of Spirit and Splendour: Barkcloth Art of the Ömie, ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore
Art of the Ömie: Barkcloth Paintings from Papua New Guinea, Harvey Art Projects, Sun Valley,
ID, USA
2011
2010
Second Skins: Painted Barkcloth from New Guinea and Central Africa, Fowler Museum at UCLA,
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Nohi niogero aru’aho ma’ene munomehi jajuho (Our barkcloth holds the spirit of our culture), Raft
Artspace, Alice Springs
Barkcloth Paintings by Ömie Chiefs and Elders, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne
Nosi hijomiono’o jabesi sor’e jajivo (We are painting the designs of our Ancestors), ReDot Fine Art
Gallery, Singapore
Rweromo garé niogehu mamabahe ajivé (Come and see the beauty and brightness of our
barkcloths), Chapman Gallery, Canberra
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Appel, Michaela; Kelch, Robyn; and King, Brennan. Ömie Artists [ex. cat.], ArtKelch, Freiburg &
Staatliches Museum Für Völkerkunde München, Germany, 2014
King, Brennan. ‘Hijominöe Modéjadé (Guided by Ancestors): Celebrating Ömie Artists’ 10th
Anniversary ’, Hijominöe Modéjadé (Guided by Ancestors) [ex. cat.], Andrew Baker Art Dealer,
Brisbane, 2015
Luminous Mountain [ex. cat.], Andrew Baker Art Dealer, 2014
Modjeska, Drusilla. Suja’s Daughters [ex. cat.], Andrew Baker Art Dealer, 2013
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
British Museum, London, UK
Museum of New Zealand | Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Museum Victoria, Melbourne
Museum Fünf Kontinente, Munich, Germany
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, UK
Andrew Baker Art Dealer
26 Brookes Street • Bowen Hills Qld 4006
07 3252 2292 • 0412 990 356
info@andrew-baker.com • www.andrew-baker.com

Sarah_Ugibari_Ujawé_Mamu_(Mother_of Initiation_Rites)_Sans.fm

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