The bark of the Khombouw tree is dried and stretched in the sun.
Local people call it Khombouw painting, while visitors call it Kombo or Ombo painting. Khombouw is the name of a rare tree that grows only on Asei Island, in Lake Sentani, Papua.
Many natives of Asei Island are highly skilled in the art of painting, particularly on the inner bark of Khombouw trees. Their artwork often features symbols resembling hieroglyphic drawings from ancient Egypt.
Previously, Khombouw paintings served as a means to maintain historical records. Later it became an artistic expression of local culture.
To make a Khombouw paintings, Asei people cut down a Khombouw tree before removing its bark. Once, people would spend 10 hours on a boat to find trees for this purpose.
Generally, these paintings have only three colors. The white color is derived from powdered clam shells, a reddish brown is made from clay and black from coal.
The paintings are more valuable if they were made by ondofolo (a tribe leader or respected figure in the community).
Today, these paintings are often available at souvenir shops. With reasonable prices, Khombouw paintings are popular among tourists.
- Text by R. Berto Wedhatama
