2019 NAP Artwork

"Stop Sorcery Killings"

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Stop Sorcery Killings is a portrait of a woman because most victims are women. They can't stand up or fight back, especially the old or widows. The white blouse & the cloak represents innocence. The victims are forced to confess or admit & they eventually do because they have no choice & death is right before them.  The barb wire, the rope & the colours shows the intensity of how horrific the tortures are..

Sorcery killings in the highlands are considered normal, a part of life or justified.
1 out of ten who survive or escape horrific inhumane tortures & beatings are very courageous & brave to tell their stories to the media & the world. They're doomed, they can't go back to their villages or communities so they seek protection from law. They get refuge in safe houses & others who are like to get help or have the means, move to other areas or provinces to start over. In Most cases the easy preys are older folks, widows & the disabled. They can't fight back...

Jane Wena

Artist. Illustrator. Graphic Designer.

My father's death was blamed on sorcery. A good man, always humble, always kind & a big heart to help everyone & anyone around him, eve ryone loved him.

He was the first from our area during colonial times to join the Australian Defence so he was respected & a leader in our tribe. People wouldn't accept his death by natural cause. They all believed he should only die of old age & not half way.

So when died of a heart failure on one of his trip to Port Moresby, many people including my uncle & his father were rounded up, strung up in the trees & beat  up to confess being responsible for his death & how & why he had to die.

After a some days of torture, my uncle was then tied up, bonded & the rope tied to the back of truck which drove up & down the road through villages several times. He died that night succumbing to his injuries.

​Even after his death , no one dared mourn him. I was the only one to mourn openly, with his silent family. To this day, his widow & children still remain victims whenever there is a death was in the village....​

Some of Jane's other work

Q & A with Jane Wena

We asked Jane to share a little bit about herself and her life as an artist.
​Here's what she had to say.

Does your art reflect your life at all?

Yes, absolutely. This piece is very personal to me. My father's death was blamed on sorcery and his family were persecuted for it. My uncle was tortured and killed and his family were not able to mourn for him. Usually it's women who are the victims. We had two burials.

What has been the highlight of your life as an artist to date?

In 2000 I received an invitation from the government of Brueni to participate in the APEC Young Artists program. PNG did not attend that year so I went by myself. Before we attended, we created pieces for an exhibition for the world leader. I was one of only 5 artists who had the opportunity to meet American President Bill Clinton. My piece was a painting of our parliament house called "House of a Thousand Tribes" that later became a part of the Sultan's Royal Regalia Museum.

What other subject matter inspires your art?

Our mothers & women in general are champions of their families, villages and communities.