MARILYN TALEO HAVINI | 'Kokapau, Buka Passage' | Oil on canvas

"Deep, with crystal clear fast flowing waters and strong currents, the narrow stretch of water that separates Buka from Bougainville once had ferries that enabled easy passage and the maintenance of relationships between families, individuals and clans on both sides. This freedom was taken away after a confrontation in 1990 at the Buka Passage between the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDP) and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), after which the PNGDF forces controlled Buka Island keeping the passage as a barrier. Today, the passage remains a natural boundry between the two islands, crossed only by small banana boats."

MARILYN TALEO HAVINI | 'Kokapau, Buka Passage' | 2023 | Oil on canvas | H 64 x W 94 mm