Craft festival highlights indigenous resilience

2015/11/20

An indigenous craft art festival is to kick off Nov. 21 at an industrial development center in Pingtung County’s Rinari community, showcasing the burgeoning artistic talent of people forced to relocate after Typhoon Morakot in 2009.

Situated near Beidawu Mountain in the Central Mountain Range, Rinari was established in December 2010 to accommodate displaced victims, mostly of the Paiwan and Rukai groups originally from Pingtung’s Dashe, Haocha and Majia Villages in Sandimen, Wutai and Majia Townships, respectively.

“We hope the event will boost the spirits of those who have suffered, further enhancing collaboration with them to create greater prosperity for all,” an official of the county government’s Department of Indigenous Peoples said. “Art is an effective outlet through which we can strengthen our resolve toward realizing this goal.”

Themed Kacalisian, meaning the people living on hill slopes in the Paiwan language, the first-ever festival features 10 art forms including embroidery, painting, sculpture, stone and iron carving, as well as house murals by artists from the Paiwan and Rukai groups.

One highlight is a colored house tentatively titled “Goats Go Downhill” by Cemelesai Takivalet of the Dashe Paiwan Village. With goats signifying his tribesmen and women, the artist has depicted a serene scene of people’s daily lives with animals and plants in the mountains, spotlighting his cherished memories and remorse over the loss of so many creatures in the storm.

Equally impressive is “Silent Protest” by Pacake Taugadhu of the Haocha Rukai Village. Through ironworks and paint on the side of a home, the artist illustrates an old tribesman’s mouthless face, expressing his discontent over the disrespectful behavior of some tourists.

On the bottom right of the piece is the image of a Formosan clouded leopard’s face. This feature is regularly seen in Pacake’s works, representing his sorrow for the probably extinct species.

Running through Nov. 29, the event also includes a collective installation produced by every artist involved in the project, which is set to be unveiled at the closing ceremony. The participants will employ different materials to create a part of the circle-like artwork during the festival.

In addition, more events aimed at invigorating indigenous arts and culture, as well as attracting more talents to return their hometowns, are certain to build upon the festival’s momentum to preserve and boost the local artistic landscape, according to Magistrate Pan Meng-an.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=239118&ctNode=2194&mp=9)