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Sustainability is a much-discussed subject, including when it comes to art. The material aspect of the works in the show 'Eye of the Sun' calls for special attention. Ilma Uglobari, formerly known as Ilma Savari, presents works which are made of mulberry or fig tree bark in her first solo exhibition outside of Papua New Guinea at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery. The artist uses the skillfully hand-beaten barkcloth as a base for appliqué and painting.
We can admire two types of barkcloth art at the London Gallery until 30th November 2022: firstly, those works with broad black lines, and secondly, those works with detailed paintings in an appealing natural red, yellow, white and black. In both cases an uneven light brown barkcloth serves as an attractive “canvas” and sparks our desire to touch it, even more so as barkcloth is an unusual material for us to come across in London galleries.
We can read on the gallery’s website that “[h]er restrained palette – of ivory whites, charcoal greys, cinnamon reds, and brilliant golds – derives from her immediate rainforest environment. Pigments are made variously from pounded and chewed leaves, roots, volcanic ash and fruit pulp.” Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery describes itself as being “committed to championing indigenous women artists from around the globe” – Uglobari’s exhibition is a testament to this promise.