First explored by artists like Mathias Kauage and Timothy Akis, the tension between an adherence to tradition and the pursuit of modern ways continues to be an important theme for artists based in urban centres, such as Port Moresby. The figures of Papua New Guinean women have become popular for exploring these concerns. ‘Disco meri’ paintings – where women are depicted split into two sides with one half dressed in traditional bilas (ornamentation) worn in sing-sing (performance), and the other half skimpily clad, wearing heels, with whitened skin – lament the loss of traditional ways of life, symbolised by women perceived to be attracted to the ways of the colonising white man. John Siune’s vibrant evocation of a young couple in Port Moresby documents the struggle that both genders face in negotiating new urban lifestyles and the influence of popular culture and cash economies.