Big display of Solomons’

handicrafts for Sydney

A major exhibition and export promotion devoted to handicrafts of the Solomon Islands will be staged in Sydney in January, 1983. The exhibition, at the

ANZ Bank Exhibition Centre, 20 Martin Place, will run from January 5 to 21.

Chief driving force behind the promotion is Australian-born

Bruce Saunders, of the Honiara based BJS Agencies Ltd.

Mr Saunders has lived in the Solomons since 1968. He first became interested in promotion of local handicrafts exports in 1972, following recommenda tions contained in a report pre pared by a visiting mission from the International Labor

Organisation.

He has already staged exhibi tions in the United Kingdom,

Holland, Germany and Japan.

More recently he took part in the South Pacific Trade Exhibition at the International Trade Centre in

Sydney (PIM Sept p5B).

Largely as a result of Mr Saun ders’ efforts, export markets for the remarkable handicrafts of the Solomons have already been es tablished in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Guam, Fiji and Hawaii.

Expected to be present at the January exhibition is one of the Solomons’ finest young carvers, Charlie Lamondy Pinau. Mr Pinau, 33, was never formally taught carving, but through watching his carver father, Baru, at work, he mastered the art. He is now proficient in many of the varied types of carving done in the Solomons, and has fulfilled a number of local and overseas orders for his work.

Mr Pinau comes from Cheke Village, Marovo Lagoon, in the Solomons’ Western Province.

People in the Marovo Lagoon

The 20th Overseas Import Fair was held in Berlin, Federal Re public of Germany, in Septem ber and for the first time since the annual fairs were establish ed a display was mounted by Solomon Islands. The display attracted wide interest, particu larly in polished wooden carv ings based on traditional Sol omons art. The Solomons dis play will be seen in Australia in January. At left is the entrance to the Solomons display in Ber lin, and below, the director of the Solomons display, Bruce Saunders (in white jacket) shows the carvings to Dr Karl Carstens, President of the Ger man Republic.

area have long been prominent exponents of the art of carving, which is traditionally one of their main income-earners.

Mr Pinau plans to demonstrate his skills to visitors at the

January exhibition in Sydney.

The exhibition is receiving the active support of a number of companies, and of the Sydney based South Pacific Trade Com missioner, Mr Bill McCabe.

Trade Commissioner McCabe