Co-curator: Sana Balai, born 1958, Buka Island, Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB); lives and works in Melbourne, Australia

Artists: Sister Theresita Alona, born 1970, Siwai, AROB; lives in Selau; Adelaide Mekea Aniona, born c.1939, Arawa, AROB; Pauline Kimei Anis, born 1969, Siwai, AROB; Kiria Asike, born 1959, Buka, AROB; Elisa Jane Carmichael, born 1987, Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island); lives in Alice Springs; Gwendalyn Dava Damusoe, born 1975, Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands; Janet Fieldhouse, born 1971, Cairns; Jesmaine Sakoi Gano, born 1990, Buka, AROB; Taloi Havini, born 1981, Arawa, AROB; lives in Sydney; Josephine Manta Kaepaku, born 1993, Buin, AROB; Kay Lawrence am, born 1947, Malaysia; lives in Uraidla, South Australia; Georgianna Maetale Lepping, born 1990, Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands; lives in the Shortland Islands and Guadalcanal; Joy Wongatina Pazabeto Madada, born 1960, Choiseul Province; Emma Hopuhopu Makusu, born 1961, Siwai, AROB; Elizabeth Gawa Marata, born 1968, Selau, AROB; Helen Dusimoi Miriona, born 1966, Arawa, AROB; Aida Hilo Pais, born c.1950, Nukumanu Islands (formerly Tasman Islands), PNG; lives on Buka Island, AROB; Elizabeth Watsi Saman, born c.1939, Selau, AROB; Imelda Vaevavini Teqae, born 1968, Choiseul Province Support: Marilyn Havini, Prisca Suana, Maria Wotsugogha, Milceller Gabu, Lucy Makoro, Maria Hugese, Therese Harohi, Rachael Hakot, Elizabeth Lambert, Lydian Havini, Judith Pena, Nancy Butu, Rose Peter, Papou Pirian, Christie Tohua

Observing art exhibitions over the past two decades, artists from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have been highly represented; however, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and its neighbours in the Solomon Islands — Choiseul and Shortland — have had little or no representation at all. There is also a tendency for Melanesian art to be thought of as ‘art made by men’. Where are the women makers from the islands of the Solomon Sea? Women’s Wealth is one answer, and was born out of conversations involving Ruth McDougall, QAGOMA’s Curator of Pacific Art, artist Taloi Havini and me over the last five years. After 20 years working in the museum sector in Australia, I felt this project offered us an opportunity to draw attention to this largely overlooked region of the Asia Pacific. In effect, the Women’s Wealth project was a blank canvas.

Once the pride of the Pacific with its serene ocean views and picturesque landscapes, Bougainville has been almost completely destroyed by the Bougainville crisis. This recent history has significantly impacted the people in many ways, and they hold unspoken and painful secrets as a result. In this context, galleries and art centres are non-existent. Singing, dancing, carving, weaving and painting are practised, but ‘art’ is a Western word or concept that people are not familiar with; instead, ‘craft’ is the word widely used when referring to aesthetic expression.

Research for Women’s Wealth started on Buka Island in April 2017. We were welcomed by the Hakö Women’s Collective and the Yumi Yet Bamboo Band from Lontis village. With guidance from teacher Marilyn Havini, we visited markets, met with artists and visited communities. We talked about the project, its focus on women, and its presentation in APT9. Our research then took us to the main island of Bougainville. We were visiting communities severely affected by the crisis, and we didn’t know what we would find. Ruth worked with the women, showed them images of artworks, and sat with them weaving, drawing and encouraging them to teach her Tok Pisin. I sat with the men, discussed cultural protocols and the importance of keeping our culture alive through art. Ruth and I emphasised the importance of protecting their cultural knowledge.

A similar trip to Taro Island on Choiseul in the Solomon Islands involved meeting artists both at the markets and through Ruth’s contacts from previous visits to Honiara. As part of this trip, nine artists from Bougainville, four from the Solomon Islands and four artists from Australia were selected to participate in a special workshop in Chabai. The Nazareth Rehabilitation Centre in Chabai plays an important role in Bougainville society, as it protects women and children affected by violence. The first day of the workshop was challenging: women didn’t know one another and language and self-confidence were proving barriers to participation. On the second day, everyone was excited, and by the fifth day, everyone asked: ‘Are we going back next week?’. Women shared materials, taught each other techniques and talked about their art and culture. As one artist shared with me:

We are not looking forward to next week because what we have worked out together is that here we are not wives, we are not mothers or grandmothers, we are just women doing what we love to do.

The Bougainville Women’s Wealth project began as a blank canvas, a canvas that is now filled with stories, both traditional and contemporary. It is proof of a living culture with a wealth of knowledge. The women of Bougainville are the holders of cultural knowledge; it is their wealth — this is their story.