Mathias Kauage O.B.E. (1944 in Miugu, Chimbu Province,

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

– May 2003Niugini Arts
) was a Papua New Guinean artist. In 1998, Kauage was awarded the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for services to the arts by Queen Elizabeth II. The

National Gallery of Australia The National Gallery of Australia (NGA), formerly the Australian National Gallery, is the national art museum of Australia as well as one of the largest art museums in Australia, holding more than 166,000 works of art. Located in Canberra in th ...

has described him as "Papua New Guinea's best-known contemporary artist"."Imagining Papua New Guinea"

He was still holding regular exhibitions abroad shortly before his death,"Imagining Papua New Guinea"
National Gallery of Australia in Australia, Europe and Africa. Kauage's art included drawing, painting and

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas tha ...

s. His career as an artist was reportedly inspired by visiting an exhibition of

Timothy Akis Timothy Akis, born around 1944
on the

He was unrelated to fellow artist Chris Kauage, although the two were friends.

References

Papua New Guinean painters Members of the Order of the British Empire 1944 births 2003 deaths People from Chimbu Province 20th-century Papua New Guinean painters {{PapuaNewGuinea-bio-stub