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60 Earth and Elsewhere | Contemporary Works from the Collection
Earth and Elsewhere | Contemporary Works from the Collection 61
Mansak Family
/ Vanuatu b. unknown
/
Temar ne ari (ancestor spirit)
c.1995
/ Natural fibres, clay, synthetic polymer paint, coconut shells, bamboo and sticks
/ 120 x 48 x 24cm
/
Acc. 2008.331
/ Purchased 2008. The Queensland Government’s Gallery of Modern Art Acquisitions Fund
Mansak Fami ly
Temar ne ari (ancestor spirit)
c.1995
Temar come from the northern part of Ambrym — one of the
group of islands of Vanuatu, famous for its volcanic activity,
distinctive sculptural practice and the maintenance of
kastom
.
The
Temar de ari
(ancestor spirits) were created by members of
the Mansak family as part of the rites accompanying a secretive
ancestor cult society called Temar. Taboos regarding naming
individuals, specifically in relation to these figures, preclude
further identification of the artists or the exact operations of
Temar. However, what has been revealed about the Temar rites
is that they involve the creation of memorials to ancestor spirits,
a category of both benevolent and harmful beings that follow
people around to different places. The rites are also marked by
the control of knowledge: by participating, individuals gain greater
access to magical knowledge relating to the world of the dead as
well as the creation of the figures.