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Tall ancestor poles arranged in a curve in the center of a bright white gallery space.
Special Installation

Arts of Oceania

OverviewExhibition ObjectsAudio GuideRelated ContentInside the Exhibition
Map of Oceania

The Arts of Oceania Map | Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

This dynamic animated map visually traces the early migration of the ancestors of Papuan-speaking peoples and the later migrations of Austronesian-speaking voyagers.

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Articles, Audio, and Video

Woman painting yellow dots across a black canvas laid on the ground
Video
Artist Profile: Angelina Pwerle
Join artist Angelina Pwerle as she describes the significance of the bush plum, the subject of her painting, Bush Plum Dreaming.
May 28
Man standing, surrounded by artwork with swirling, geometric designs
Video
Artist Profile: Guynbi Ganambarr
Meet Yolŋu artists Gunybi Ganambarr and Wukun Wanambi as they explore the relationship and tension between medium and landscape.
May 28
Woman painting pink and white designs on a large piece of bark
Video
Artist Profile: Noŋgirrŋa Marawili
Watch this intimate interview with artist Noŋgirrŋa Marawili (c. 1939–2023), filmed at her home in Yirrkala, Arnhem Land.
May 28
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Essays

Detail of a carved human figure finial with hands clasped at its chest, with designs traced in white against the black surface.
Mutuaga Oitau – The Carved Man
Mutuaga’s spatula at The Met is a product of innovation and adaptation in the face of sweeping colonial and missionary incursions into the Territory of Papua.
January 28
Wood puppet head with a face carved in.
Spiritual Power in the Arts of the Toba Batak
The rich sculptural, architectural, and textile traditions of the Toba Batak in northern Sumatra have served, for generations, as potent tools for harnessing spiritual power.
July 1, 2023