The Birds-Of-Paradise / Kumuls Signature Tee -
(A Personal Essay)
The Birds-of-Paradise Signature Tee is our little piece of "Home".
So much love and thought has gone into the creation of this memento. The Kumul has always been a symbol of Papua New Guinea that has brought us alot of comfort. Like other Papua New Guinean diaspora, we crave connection to the motherland. Creating this tee has been a way for us to uphold that connection.
We chose Upcycled t-shirts as the canvas for which to print our designs on because it was the most sustainable and ecologically friendly option of all the textiles. Plus, a T-shirt is a garment that can be worn by everyone. We wanted our pieces to be accessible to all. We also chose the variation in colours of our shirts to typify the colourful plumage adorned by these very special birds.
More than just a Tee...
The subject of the 'Birds of Paradise' has been a concept that has been brewing for many years. What started as a personal love and appreciation for these birds, has grown into a deep reverence and understanding of what they mean within the context of our motherland / culture & heritage.
These birds represent Papua New Guinea and its people in more ways than than one.
The unprecedented beauty and diversity of the birds of paradise is a signficant point of conversation for naturalists and bird admirers around the world. This family of birds are unique in their remarkable differences in appearance. The rugged topography of Papua New Guinea, its ecological complexity, and tropical climate have enabled the birds of paradise to evolve in pockets of isolation, thus resulting in their marked differences.
It's easy to draw parrallels between the diversity of the Birds of Paradise and the rich diversity of Papua New Guinea's peoples, cultures and languages. Nature does not like monocultures. It builds resilence through diversity. Papua New Guinea, which hosts 7% of the worlds bio-diversity and is home to 7000 different cultural groups, each with their own unique customs & language, is the perfect example of nature's inate abundance and ability to thrive.
The importance of these birds or kumuls to the average Papua New Guinean goes without saying. The Birds of Paradise feathers are a prized possesion of many,
used as crowns to adorn
used in warfare or courtship
symbolising forest spirits, mythologies or
dead ancestors
and used in other rituals
Just like the birds, our people are vibrant and charismatic. They dance and sing and adorn themselves.
For contemporary purposes...
Not only is the Ragianna our national emblem, but the images of these birds are inscribed on our stamps, jewelry, art, coffee cups, wood carvings, pendants and even tattoos. The symbol of the Bird of Paradise keeps us united and connected as a people despite all our differences.
The final details lie in the art style we have chosen for this piece.
Have you ever seen those souvenir vintage tees you buy when you're traveling?
We wanted a pieces that could bridge the gap between something that was exclusively Papua New Guinean, and something that could be enjoyed by all. We want to put Papua New Guinea and its ecology on the map, to draw awareness to the need for conservation, and also to celebrate its beauty.
And so, it only felt right that they would be the focus of the very first thing we created to share with all of you. Through this shirt, we share our love for our culture & community, values that never left us and will always stay with us wherever we go.
The Ragianna Tee -
'Strongim Pasin Bilong Yumi'
'Promote/ Make Our Culture Stronger!'
'Strongim Pasin Bilong Yumi'
Promote/ Encourage Our Culture.
The Ragianna Bird of Paradise is a symbol of pride, heritage and home. It’s the bird that graces our flag, an image we’ve recognised throughout our lives as one of freedom, its striking feathers & form standing out like a beacon.
Stylistically, we chose Poster Art as our visual tool to communicate a message of empowerment. "strongim pasin bilong yumi' // 'Promote our culture."
It was no doubt that the first singular bird we wanted to spotlight would be the Ragianna, the most recognisable of all the Birds of Paradise, no matter what specific province or village you may be from, whether you grew up in PNG or moved away to big cities in the UAE, it always signaled home.