Dr. Holger Braun

Although Dr. Holger Braun (b 1973) originally qualified as an architect, he has been fascinated by the art of New Guinea ever since he was introduced to it by a teacher when he was only 8 years old. This fascination eventually resulted in a doctorate in cultural anthropology and art history at Heidelberg University and the publication of his first book, Zwischensphären (‘Interspheres: The Structure of Cult and Art in South New Guinea‘, 2013), an in-depth examination of mythology, cult and art in South New Guinea.

In his second book The Secret Signs in South New Guinea Art he applies this innovative theoretical framework to enable readers to see the definitive icons of South New Guinea art in a new light by revealing the symbolic meaning of their design in accordance to their use in the great secret cults that dominated pre-contact societies and still exercise considerable power today.