Native 🖼
“Hand-made artworks will reach the level of the mind, and it will follow the eternal nature of human beings.” 「 手作或手創，會進到心靈層次，是跟著人的永恆性在前進的。」 - Etan Pavavalung
The artist for this week is a Taiwanese indigenous artist - Etan Pavavalung. Etan was born in Davalan Tribe, Sandimen, Pingtung County and has created various types of artworks, including poetry, prose, reportage, painting, print, carving, advertisement design, installation, and documentation. Like many contemporary indigenous artists, Etan hopes their traditional cultures can be seen, and he also concerns about how to make their culture visible to connect with contemporary society.
Etan Pavavalung 伊誕．巴瓦瓦隆 The Feathers are floating 羽毛在飄 2017 200x55x5cm Woods, Print Pigment, Acrylic Paint
“Trace, Layer, Carve, Paint” is an art style created by Etan. This art style integrates the Paiwan culture into the contemporary context. In Paiwan language, “vecik” is their term similar to the meaning of “writing.” It refers to symbols, embroidery, and engraving, and it traditionally would be used on the daily-used ornaments, utensils, and clothing. Etan created this style after witnessing the reconstruction of many indigenous communities after a natural disaster by Typhoon Morakot in 2009. He felt that these communities would need to create a form of “modern writing” to rebuild everyday tribal aesthetics. Since then, Etan has been integrating his Paiwan background into the visual art form of “trace, layer, carve, paint.”
2017 the opening of XXIX Summer Universiade in Taipei Etan’s artworks were projected on the floor and people dancing on them
The following shows the creative process when Etan is carving on wood. I felt pretty relaxed by seeing him carving and coloring the wood. After experiencing the natural disaster, Etan has delivered his awareness of reconstructing the broken connection between the environment and human beings through his artworks.
Maybe it is because I’m an anthropology student and am always curious about different cosmologies of understanding this world, every time looking at an artwork, especially an indigenous and contemporary indigenous artwork, I am learning a new perspective to see and understand the world. Do you also love indigenous artworks? What makes you interested in it? Share your thoughts with us!!
References
TICA Art Gallery http://tica.com.tw/exhibition.php?gid=1d05a20b-8092-11e8-9bf0-f01fafdd2992
https://drive.google.com/file/d/195kPSgXLyWgie0QZdqEkol3H8YFp2M3v/view