Nina Oberg Humphries New Zealand | Cook Islands, b. 1990
YAWD – You are your Ancestor’s Wildest Dreams, 2024
Mixed media
39 3/8 x 15 3/4 in
100 x 40 cm
100 x 40 cm
Artist Nina Oberg Humphries draws inspiration from the traditional soul traps of Mangaia in the Cook Islands, reimagining them through a contemporary sculptural language. Historically, these discs—crafted from natural materials—were...
Artist Nina Oberg Humphries draws inspiration from the traditional soul traps of Mangaia in the Cook Islands, reimagining them through a contemporary sculptural language. Historically, these discs—crafted from natural materials—were suspended in clusters from trees, believed to ward off malevolent forces and absorb negative energy. They served both a spiritual and protective function, acting as intermediaries between the physical world and unseen realms.
O’Berg’s reinterpretations maintain the circular form of the original objects, but through the use of modern materials and minimalist aesthetics, she transforms them into contemplative symbols of psychological and cultural resilience. Her works evoke a sense of quiet potency, inviting viewers to consider the enduring power of ancestral knowledge systems in shaping present-day understandings of protection, memory, and emotional space.
In translating this tradition into a contemporary context, O’Berg offers a visual meditation on how belief, place, and form intersect—reaffirming the relevance of indigenous cosmologies in today's global visual culture.