I’m going to be honest, visiting Papua New Guinea has never been on my bucket list. Sure, in overarching dreams of visiting every country in the world, but be it the stories of cannibalism or astronomical statistics of gender violence and sex crimes committed there, PNG has long been a “no rush.” However, when seeing Danish-born friend, graphic designer and incredible visual story teller Rune’s photos from a trip to Papua New Guinea researching malaria, I knew I had to share it with you. I’ve definitely viewed the island through Western eyes and the media does portray it as either, backwards or sinister — at the most positive, “exotic.” Rune’s beautiful images of PNG is definitely changing that for me.
All photos and captions by Rune Noël
PAPUA NEW GUINEA ’16
Pearls, pirates, preachers and people-eating people. Paradise is a peculiar place.
Gates to Heaven
Unusual airport decoration
highway
breakfast
work work
them woods
epic shower
desaturated for believability
dinghy parking
aquabatics
shade
island hospital
hell
the congregation was in the warehouse
large scale mosquito fighting
Still burning a bit.
Q&A
Moon palms
House of the Drunk
Grandma hideout
hands
Pearl surgeon at work
The Chinese prefer the golden ones.
Balloon animal
Dinner view
busy boat life
One family island
Smokey
Special weapons and tactics
1944-out of the box-thinking “Driving fear into the hearts of ones enemies is good warring”; the Australian colonists reminded themselves. “Let’s encouraged the natives to predate on the invading Japanese forces. Its a perfectly good win win solution.” Consequentialistic logic I guess.