raised in Madang with a strong sense of community. Her mother Sayah Karukaru, the first Miss PNG after independence, was also a spokeswoman for the Red Cross, a role she continued beyond her pageant years. Lani recalls how her family would bring soup to Madang Hospital each week – a simple act that instilled in her the values of compassion and service from an early age. Her father’s efforts to unite communities in Cooktown (Queensland), where he created a local football competition that eventually became a feeder for the NRL, further demonstrated the power of community work. “Art is a powerful force in preserving stories, recording cultural evolution, building identity and fostering social cohesion,” Lani said. “We were touched by the participation and engagement we saw with the competition this year. This spirit, which saw so many people wanting to take part and express their creative visions for the future of our great nation, was reflected in the incredible breadth of work we saw – each submission a representation of our unique perspectives as well as our hopes and dreams.” • You can view all 30 of the 2024 Akis Art Prize finalists online through Arts Society Papua New Guinea’s Facebook and Instagram @artssocietypng Youth category finalist, “Port Moresby: A vision of the future”, Acrylic on Paper, by Relvie Bue, 13
Junior category finalist, Untitled, Acrylic on Paper, by Jarvis Druken, 10
were numerous development programs, few incorporated the arts. Yet she sensed a strong interest among international agencies and local businesses for arts initiatives. Later in 2019 she established the society, and by November the new ASPNG had organised the largest group show of PNG artists in the country’s history, “Contemporary PNG 50,” in partnership with the Tumbuna Visual Arts Association and hosted by the incredible muralist Clement Koys, one of our most prolific artists and a tireless advocate for visual arts. This exhibition brought together over 100 artists from across PNG, celebrating the 50th anniversary of renowned artist Mathias Kauage’s first exhibition and filling City Hall with two
weeks of artistic expression and cultural pride. The COVID-19 pandemic put ASPNG on hold, as the world shifted its focus to health and safety. “But the irony of that,” says Lani, ‘is that when the virus limited our freedom, it was the arts that saved us. In PNG the arts don’t just distinguish us, they define us. We live our culture in real time, we know who we are by our bilas, our dances, our songs, we are a people deeply connected to our heart.” Today, ASPNG is managed by a volunteer committee of 12 professionals from diverse fields, all brought together by a shared love for the arts. With a background in creative work herself, Lani sees ASPNG as her way of giving back, having been
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