Artist Statement

Being born and raised in Papua New Guinea, the physical environment that surrounds me is my inspiration. As a contemporary Indigenous man, I have used modern technology to map my home’s traditional landscape. Bougainville has a distinct environment ― mountains, volcanoes, craters, ocean and marine life ― all motifs I have included to convey the harsh but beautiful landscape of my island home.

Artwork Process

I was inspired to map elements of my home’s landscape in a contemporary manner using digital art because I am a contemporary Indigenous man and I wanted to fuse the old with the new. Using photos of the beautiful Caldera Lake and Mount Billy Mitchell, I digitally drew the landscape using the illustration app Procreate.

About the Artist

Name: Laiveni Osikore
School: Townsville Grammar School (North Ward)
Artwork: Mount Billy Mitchell
Media: Digital drawing printed on paper

I come from the autonomous region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. I have a passion for architectural drawing. After graduating from high school, I want to pursue my dream of becoming an architect, majoring in Design and Landscape Architecture at university. My country is rich with extraordinary cultural diversity and this has been the ultimate inspiration for all my drawings. As an aspiring architect and artist, my goal is to use my knowledge to develop to express my culture through my artwork. I am beyond grateful to be awarded the 2020 Creative Generation Excellence Award in Visual Art.