Jerry Kiang

Country/Region: Papua New Guinea (view other artists)

Tribe: Sawos (sub group Mevembit)

Village: Yamok Village, Middle Sepik River

Jerry Kiang was born in the isolated jungle village of Yamok. He does not know his age but he has been carving for 29 years. The Kiang family is one of the leading artistic families on the Sepik River. He and his brothers learned traditional carving techniques from their father. Jerry is the eldest of the family and he is well known for his innovative style. Referring to the bird totemic figures in much of his work, he also creates remarkable carvings depicting family life. He carved a number of the posts for the recently built Haus Tambaran. He is represented in several major galleries in Australia, Canada and Europe. His carvings are also sought by many private collectors world wide.

Exhibitions:

Ancestral Spirits, The Ceremonial Art of
Papua New Guinea. 1989,Gallery of Tribal
Art, Vancouver,B.C.Canada

Saltwater Crocodile,Memory and Myth:1989, Fran Willis Gallery,Victoria,B.C.

Pieces From Paradise :1992, cohosted by Fran Willis Gallery/Alcheringa Gallery, Victoria,B.C.

Ceremony and Passage :1996, Alcheringa Gallery, Victoria, B.C.

Ancestral Flights: 1999, Mastercarvers of Yamok Village Alcheringa Gallery,
Victoria, B.C.

New Voices of the Tambaran: 2004,
Alcheringa Gallery, Victoria, B.C.

Spirits of the Forest: 2009, Alcheringa Gallery, Victoria, B.C.

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