Larry Santana [shown at work, left] is one of PNG’s best known painters and he has has a great talent for blending traditional with contemporary art. The traditions of PNG may be changing, but they live on in Larry’s imagination. His work is vivid and evocative but, despite his manifest talent, he struggles to make sales in a struggling PNG. But Larry has another reason to paint. His daughter Maureen, a journalism student at university, is finding it difficult to continue because she can’t afford the fees. So Larry has given Maureen three paintings to sell to anyone interested in helping her continue her studies.

“Larry Santana is my father and my inspiration for my journey in education,” Maureen says. “Over the years I have seen him paint magnificent pictures with powerful interpretations of PNG going through change. But the style of his art changed for my father because he wanted my brothers and me to get an education and the only way to do that was to stop painting pictures that depict the negative implications of modern influence. His paintings now show the traditional life and landscapes with more of a friendly approach.”

If you’re interested in Larry’s art you can contact Maureen by email here.