Masters of their art

Art & Culture: Masters of their art

NOTEWORTHY PNG PAINTERS

BY GRACE MARIBU | PHOTOGRAPHS: GRACE MARIBU

ALBERT JOSEPH is the fastest-rising, highest-selling fine artist in Papua New Guinea. His signature portraits are highlighted by his use of strong, vibrant colours that take traditional PNG portraiture to another level. He is often commissioned by business people and politicians to paint portraits and he exhibited at the 2018 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit in Port Moresby.

Joseph has a degree in graphics and multimedia from the University of PNG and a Diploma in Creative Industries from the University of Goroka. He is from Western Highlands Province.

Joseph is pictured next to one of his works, titled The Tribal Warrior ofKaluli.

See more on Facebook at ‘Joseph’s Art’.

LABEN SAKALE has established a balance between his passion of painting and making a living. He almost gave painting away at one stage, but his paintings can now sell for up to PGK12,000, with a clientele that includes collectors, heads of companies, diplomatic missions and expatriates.

He uses a variety of tools, some unconventional, in his painting, including broken glass, kitchen and butter knives. He draws inspiration from Papua New Guinean themes.

Sakale has held exhibitions in Germany, the US, New Zealand and Australia. His pieces are in private and public collections around the world, including the Australian National Museum, Her Majesty’s Collection at Buckingham Palace, and the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC.

He has a Diploma in Fine Art from the University of PNG. He comes from Menyamya in Morobe Province.

See more on Facebook at ‘Laben Sakale’.

LARRY SANTANA is considered a legend in PNG contemporary fine art. He has been practising and teaching painting for almost 40 years and has nearly 50 national and international exhibitions to his name. His work has been sold locally and internationally.

He has been the guest artist at several US universities. Santana recently finished a collaborative work with Divine Word University in Madang, a painting for the cover of the university’s centenary book.

He is also working towards a solo exhibition in Port Moresby. His works connect art and life and record the old and new ways of living in PNG. He is of mixed parentage of Milne Bay and Madang provinces.

See more on Facebook at ‘Larry Santana ART Shop’.

LESLEY WENGEMBO is among the best portrait artists in the Pacific. His story is remarkable. In 2012, as a seventh grader and without any formal training, the then 15-year-old started painting while following his mother around to craft markets in Port Moresby, where she was a vendor. By the time he was in 12th grade, he was painting fullsized, realistic portraits.

His work was so good that he started receiving commissions for his work from high-profile Port Moresby clients, including a series of works depicting PNG prime ministers.

Wengembo has been assisted by generous Australian and PNG-based sponsors to take up a three-year study at the National Arts School in Sydney, Australia.

He has gravitated toward oil painting and loves capturing the stories in the faces of his subjects. The 23-year-old entered the 2020 Archibald Prize with his piece Malachi’s Soul (pictured). Wengembo is of mixed Southern Highlands and Madang parentage.

See more on Facebook at ‘L-Wengembo Art’.

ANDERSON HABIRI bridges the artistic divide between painting and music, with formal training in both. Like his friend Albert Joseph, who influenced his decision to take up fine arts while he was in the middle of his music study, Habiri has a diploma from the University of Goroka and a degree from the University of PNG.

His style comes in three forms – post impressionist, pointillist, and black and white – showing Papua New Guinean cultures and realistic landscapes. While he paints, this artist also plays and engineers music. He hails from Kainantu in Eastern Highlands Province.

See more on Facebook at ‘Anderson Habiri’.

JEFFRY FEEGER (pictured left) is one of PNG’s best portraitists. He began his art career in 2003 and has participated in over 50 exhibitions in the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, US, England, Germany, Italy, China and the Philippines, as well as two art residencies in Auckland and Hawaii.

He has received recognition in several international art competitions and performed live in ‘Feather’, a New York musical theatre festival, in 2013.

Feeger’s work incorporates abstract impressionist techniques and realism, mostly of contemporary Melanesian people and cultures. He is based in Alotau where he runs an artists’ group called 28Kreativ. He is from Gulf Province.

See more on Facebook at ‘Jeffry Feeger Art’.