Erna Lilje

Erna Lilje pursues the idea that collections can reveal more about the people who made and used the artefacts they hold by bringing to bear an interdisciplinary approach that combines a close examination of these with field-based research. She believes that the most quotidian objects can offer insights into the lives of those people least represented in historical sources, such as women. Erna’s interest in the physicality of artefacts, and the processes used to make them, stems from her art practice and her focus on Papua New Guinea has foundations in her own heritage.