![Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by BRENDA KESI (ARIRÉ) of Omie Artists. The title is Wo’ohohe - Ground-Burrowing Spider. [16-041] (Sihoti’e Taliobamë’e - Appliquéd Mud-Dyed Nioge (Barkcloth))](https://media.redotgallery.com/stockroom/gallery/w/woohohe-ground-burrowing-spider-5522.png)
BRENDA KESI (ARIRÉ)
Wo’ohohe - Ground-Burrowing Spider16-041 (2016)
Sihoti’e Taliobamë’e - Appliquéd Mud-Dyed Nioge (Barkcloth)
Wo’ohohe - Ground-Burrowing Sp… | 16-041
Sihoti’e Taliobamë’e - Appliquéd Mu…
71.5 x 74cm | 28.1 x 29.1in (irregular)
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Brenda Kesi (Ariré) has created an ancestral sihoti’e taliobamë’e (design of the mud) known as wo’ohohe representing the burrow of the ground-burrowing spider as well as thetracks the spider makes in the earth around its burrow. Brenda creates this design just as she was taught by her mother, Go’ovino. This design can be traced to the the old Ematé clan village of Enopé which was abandoned due to the 1951 eruption of Huvaimo (Mount Lamington). Brenda recalls how, before that, her mother was taught this design by her mother, Munne. She explains how in the old days of making barkcloths the women had no paints so they would soak the barkcloth in mud, cut the desired pieces and then sew them onto the plain barkcloth. The contrasting effects would result in various bold visual designs. The design was sewn with a bat-wing bone needle and a river reed was shredded to create the sewing thread.
The Ömie creation story tells of how the very first sihoti’e nioge (mud-dyed barkcloth) was created by Suja, the first Ömie woman and mother of the world, under instruction from Mina, the first Ömie man, after she experienced her first menstruation. Suja dyed the plain barkcloth in the volcanic clay at the River Uhojo at the base of the sacred Mount Obo. Suja wore the mud-dyed barkcloth during her menstruation and lived in seclusion in a small hut known as jé’o jarwé (also called ivi’ino’ové’tové) for its duration.