NT student named top art grad

A Charles Darwin University honours student has been named one of Australia’s top visual arts graduates.

Paintings by Visual Arts Honours student Serge Ah-Wong have been selected to feature in the Hatched National Graduate Show 2014 at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Serge said the three paintings were portraits of himself wearing traditional headdresses and face paint from different parts of Papua New Guinea.

He said creating the series of paintings, titled Lauma-Gu (“My Spirit”), helped him bond with his PNG roots as an Australian-born artist.

“I wanted to reconnect with my PNG culture and show my cross-cultural identity, living in Australia,” Serge said.

“My background is important as it reinforces my identity and culture so they are not forgotten. When you lose your identity, you lose your footing.”

Serge said the paintings took three months to complete and each measured more than one metre high and 76.2cm wide.

He said the invitation to feature his works at the exhibition had motivated him to continue his honours coursework.

“I am very honoured to have had my work included and exhibited alongside the other high calibre artists. It is truly an inspirational experience.”