The aim of the Oceanic Art Society is to further the understanding and appreciation of Oceanic art. The focus is on the traditional and contemporary art of the indigenous peoples of Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia and Australasia. We hold regular presentations and seminars, and an annual Forum; we publish a quarterly Journal and send free newsletters to interested subscribers, worldwide.
OAS Journal Stories.
The latest stories, reviews and more from the Oceanic Art Society Journal – published quarterly.
Living Archives: The F.E. Williams Collection and PNG’s 50th Independence Anniversary
September 16, 2024, marked the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence from Australian administration. To commemorate this milestone, the National Archives of Australia embarked on …
Tiki in Architecture
Carved anthropomorphic figures of Pacific Oceania are known by the general term of tiki. Their place in protohistoric architecture was first recorded in the accounts of explorers, scientific observers …
Where Taiwan Meets the World – Contemporary Museology of Oceania
You have to travel to the southeast of the island of Taiwan, to Taitung, to see this remarkably up-to-date Museum of Prehistory. But for Oceanic arts, culture and anthropology buffs, it is very much …
Living Art Papua New Guinea
The title of this book summarises so simply but accurately the contents of this important book that was launched at the Oceanic Art Society’s XIII Forum “Papua New Guinea Art: Past, Present, Future” …
Emeritus Professor Roger Byard AC PSM
Meet Our Members I grew up in Wynyard on the North West coast of Tasmania and spent many happy hours exploring the shoreline at places like Rocky Cape where I …
News Updates
Pacific Currents Speaker Series: Reimagining Arts of Oceania at The Met (May 13)
7 of 31,268 Join us for the next Pacific Currents Speaker Series. A link to the recording will be provided on the OAS website after the event. Reimagining the Arts of Oceania …
Oceanic Art Society Forum XIV
Forum | Saturday 14 November 2026 Burrinja, Victoria, Australia The Oceanic Art Society will be holding its Fourteenth Forum at the Burrinja Cultural Centre on the outskirts of Melbourne on Saturday 14 …
New Free Under 30 OAS Subscription
The Oceanic Art Society has launched a new and free subscription for everyone Under 30!People under 30 years of age can register for free to gain full access to 30 years past editions …
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[Conférence] L’EXPÉRIENCE COLONIALE PHOTOGRAPHIÉE
JEUDI 11 JUIN 2026 À 18H15
Agence de Développement de la Culture Kanak – Centre culturel Tjibaou
Entrée libre et gratuite (dans la limite des places disponibles)
Conférence de Isabelle Merle, Historienne, Directrice de recherche, CNRS, Centre de Recherche et de Documentation sur l’Océanie, Marie Durand , Anthropologue, Maîtresse de conférences, Université de Strasbourg, Institut d’Ethnologie et Christophe Dervieux , Responsable de la Photothèque du Service des Archives de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
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INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM | Oceanic Blazing Forms: Memory, Place-making and Imagination
Tying in with the exhibition Time for Papua, Wereldmuseum Leiden hosts the 14th International Symposium of the Pacific Arts Association on June 23-26.
The symposium is part of a series of gatherings aimed at rethinking global art histories through the expansive and intellectual space of the Wereldmuseum, which challenges the structures and assumptions of both art history and anthropology through new approaches to material culture.
KEYNOTES:
JUNE 23 | Like a Tifa Drum: The Harder You Beat, the Louder We Become by Ronny Kareni.
JUNE 24 | Toi Te Mana: Understanding Māori art by Deidre Brown.
JUNE 25 | Blazing Voices and the Capacity of Song and Dance: Expression and Social Action in Oceania by Brian Diettrich.
JUNE 26 | Carrying the Line: Memory, Land, and Women’s Cultural Practices in Bougainville by Sana Balai.
🎟️ For more information and tickets see: ow.ly/jyQg50Z67Ii
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The latest edition of the Journal of Oceanic Art Society contains important new scholarship.
With a focus on PNG art, Anna Edmundson writes about the projects undertaken by the National Archives of Australia to connect their collections with PNG communities both in Australia and overseas with a focus on the preservation and digitisation of the F.E. Williams photographic collection (www.oceanicartsociety.org.au/living-archives-the-f-e-williams-collection-and-pngs-50th-independen…). Living Art Papua New Guinea is also reviewed (www.oceanicartsociety.org.au/living-art-papua-new-guinea/).
Carved anthropomorphic figures of Pacific Oceania are known by the general term of tiki. Judy Robinson has provided a fascinating account of tiki in architecture. The introduction of Christianity in Oceania made links between tiki and architecture less evident in postcolonial era buildings as tiki carvings were intentionally erased from structures. However, in some places, notably Aotearoa New Zealand, the architectural presence of tiki has prevailed into the modern era (www.oceanicartsociety.org.au/tiki-in-architecture/).
Bill William George Rathmell has provided a review of the permanent Austronesian Hall in the Museum of Prehistory located in Taitung in the south of Taiwan focuses on Taiwan’s indigenous peoples’ own explorer settler history as the birthplace of the Oceanic culture that 4000 or more years ago began to spread over Island South East Asia and the Pacific (www.oceanicartsociety.org.au/where-taiwan-meets-the-world-contemporary-museology-of-oceania/).
Have you checked out back copies of the Journal yet?
While latest Journals are only available online to members, earlier Journals are available online (www.oceanicartsociety.org.au/category/journal-stories/).
We are a small group of volunteers who are supporting the appreciation of Oceanic Art both old and new. We are always looking for new members and new volunteers.
If you are not already a financial member of the Oceanic Art Society (OAS), please consider supporting the ongoing work of the OAS by joining today.
www.oceanicartsociety.org.au/memberships/
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Videos
See the latest videos form the Oceanic Art Society, including lectures, special events and more.
OAS Speaks – Ian McNiven
International Connections: 3000 years of shared object histories between Australia and New Guinea.
Professor Ian McNiven
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The aim of the Oceanic Art Society is to further the understanding and appreciation of Oceanic art. The focus is on traditional tribal art including contemporary art of the indigenous people of Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia and Australasia. Provide your support and become a member for accessing to premium content, event discounts and other benefits.