Mathias Kauage (Mingu Village, Kundiawa-Gembogl District, Chimbu [Simbu] Province, now in the independent country of Papua New Guinea, ca. 1944–2003). Kauage Flies to Scotland for Opening of New Museum of Contemporary Art (detail), 1999. Acrylic on canvas, 47 1/4 x 72 1/16 in. (120 x 183 cm). Museum purchase, Phyllis C. Wattis Fund for Major Accessions, 2023.71. Courtesy of Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, London
de Young Museum
Contemporary Painting in Papua New Guinea: Mathias Kauage and His Family
Discover how acclaimed painter Mathias Kauage and his artistic family captured the profound transformations of Papua New Guinea during independence and modernization. This groundbreaking exhibition presents four paintings—including works by his wife Elizabeth and adopted son Apa Hugo—that blend vibrant color with unflinching social commentary, addressing everything from personal achievement and cultural pride to pressing issues like AIDS and environmental destruction. Witness how this pioneering artistic circle continues to shape contemporary art while honoring their patriarch's legacy of bold, politically engaged painting.