
Curiosity about the Pacific
OAS Journal | Volume 27 Issue 4
The latest OAS Journal stories.
The latest stories, reviews and more from the Oceanic Art Society Journal – published quarterly.
Stolen God in Museum
Page five of the News (Adelaide, SA) on Saturday 3rd March 1934 featured the headline ‘Stolen God in Museum’ and this account of how and when the carved figure arrived at the South Australian Museum.
David Said (1945 – 2022)
Founding Newsletter editor for the Oceanic Art Society, David Said was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1945, the start of a long and interesting life enriched by his love of tribal people, their cultures and their artworks
Pacific Arts Association 2022 Conference ‘Gendered objects in Oceania’ – Paris, France
By Krisztina Turza. Gender was central to this conference commencing with Yuki Kihara’s ‘Paradise Camp’, New Zealand’s offering at the 59th Venice Biennale. This focuses on Fa’afafine (Sāmoa’s third gender) utopia – …
Oceans, Reflections, Collections
George Nuku’s presentation at the Pacific Arts Association 2022 Conference Review by Pierre Laffont George Nuku has become one of the best-known Māori artists due to his creation of a …
Magic Masks and Figures from Oceania
Leif Birger Holmstedt, Torso Publishing, 2021, 158 pages. Review by Jim Elmslie The strength of this book is in its excellent images, many previously unpublished. The images are mostly of …
OAS Tour 8 – 9 September 2022 – The museums in Rochefort and La Rochelle
By Pierre Laffont & Bill Rathmell. It is easy to fall for the peaceful charm of Rochefort and La Rochelle, two ports on the Atlantic Coast of France only a …
Segar Passi, meriba ged a gur (our land and sea)
Cairns Art Gallery, 8 October-11 December 2022. Review by Margaret Cassidy This comprehensive retrospective of Torres Strait Islander artist Segar Passi was an unexpected discovery on a recent visit to the …
Latest News
Season’s Greetings from the Oceanic Art Society President & Committee
The OAS ended the year with a bang at a wonderful tenth Forum held in Adelaide’s South Australian Museum at the end of November.
Chau Chak Wing Museum in Sydney.
Ömie nioge (barkcloth). The next exhibition opening on 9 January 2023 in our Ian Potter Gallery celebrates the unique and dynamic barkcloth art movement of the Ömie people of Papua …

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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.