Opim Eye, Papua New Guinean Contemporary Art Exhibtion in Port Moresby

‘Opim Eye’ Art Exhibition
5 - 8 May 2009, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Venue: Deloite Tower, ground floor, Port Moresby
Date: 5th - 8th May 2009
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Phone: 726 70912
Email: opimeye@gmail.com

Exhibition featuring artworks by contemporary artists Mairi & Jeffry Feeger, Gazellah Bruder and Laben Sakale John. 'Opim eye' is a combination of Melanesian Tok pisin and English, translated it means 'to open your eyes'. The concept behind 'Opim eye' is the idea that art can provide a lens through which we see the world.

“The Papua New Guinean artists in this exhibition share their dreams and visions. These are times of revolutionary changes and Gazellah, Mairi, Laben and Jeffry venture out to try something new and different.  Whether they represent their culture and tradition or provide opportunities for ideas and images that are a complete contrast, their images and creations provide a new category of growing up in PNG context. Caught between being called ‘savages’ and ‘primitives’ and being accommodated by those of the ‘civilizing’ regime, our artists provide a jouissance that comes out of the violence of colonialism and post colonialism- a new kind of aestheticism. In the brave new world being created out of a conglomerate of cultures the new artists are among a pantheon of warriors with in an emerging nation along time ago. Gazellah, Mairi, Laben and Jeffry, as artists, have been observant and in their own way have picked up an idead and created their own language of being new, different, and even become a little more risqué in being Papua New Guinean!”

-Dr Michael A. Mel, The University of Goroka

General viewing
Venue: Public Information Centre, Ground Floor, Deloitte Tower
Open to the general public from the 6th-8th May between 9am-4pm

Opening
If you would like to come to the opening night please purchase a ticket. Entry to opening night by invitation or ticket only.
Date: 5th May • Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm • Cost: K40 per ticket
ONLY 40 tickets available at ‘Expresso Cafe’, Ground Floor Deloitte Tower.
For further enquires please contact us on ph: 726 70912 or email: opimeye@gmail.com.

To download a PDF version of the exhibition flyer and artist bios click below.