‘Kuman (shields)’ series 2024
Enamel paint on plywood
Courtesy of the artists and Milani Gallery, Meanjin/Brisbane

The kuman (shields) of the Yuri tribe are customarily painted with designs that mark an individual’s connection to their tribal lineage. When brought together en masse and at close range, such as in times of battle, the shields’ bold colours and geometric patterning would dazzle opponents. While inter-tribal warfare remains an ongoing fact of life in the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea, decorated timber shields no longer function as protective weapons. Undergoing a similar process of loss are the structures of knowledge transfer and cultural value that guide the collective practices of men who create the shields, limiting the opportunities they provided to young men to positively express a sense of collective identity.

Haus Yuriyal’s ‘Kuman (shields)’ series 2024 reimagines a new role for Simbu Waghi shields of the PNG Highlands. Made by a new generation of men – with not only strong ties to spiritual beliefs and tribal affiliation, but a passion for popular culture, sports and politics — each image asserts the importance of an individual’s creative signature.