Transmutation: Our Origin Stories

Curated by Papua New Guinea born multidisciplinary artist Weniki, the exhibition explores alchemy through movement, textiles and painting, from intergenerational storytelling to the transformative nature of the female body as a vessel for ancestral knowledge.
 
At its heart is Weniki’s choreographed video work, which reflects on her experience of diaspora and adoption, tracing a connection from the first Ancestors to her own daughter. Inspired by the life cycle of the Queen Alexandra Birdwing Butterfly, the piece follows themes of  transmission of ancestral knowledge, traditions and spiritual or magical capabilities.
 
Alongside the video, traditional Ömie tapa textiles honour women’s tattoo designs passed down through generations, while Lesley Wengembo’s diptych, Neon explores how cultural traditions evolve in the contemporary world.
 
Journey into stories of origin, transformation and cultural inheritance.