Sculptures and paintings by some of Taiwan’s top indigenous artists are the focus of a new exhibition running through March 17, 2019, at National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei City.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, “Malang—Aboriginal Contemporary Art Exhibition” showcases works by eight artists from five of the nation’s 16 officially recognized indigenous tribes: Atayal, Bunun, Paiwan, Pinuyumayan and Sediq. The show is split into three themed areas covering migration history, spiritual beliefs and cultural identity.
MOC Deputy Minister Hsiao Tsung-huang said indigenous cultures are a rich and diverse resource that is inspiring and energizing Taiwan’s contemporary art scene. This is the memorial hall’s first large-scale exhibition focusing on modern aboriginal art, he added.
One of the featured artists, Yuma Taru from the Atayal tribe, was selected by the ministry in 2016 as a preserver of traditional crafts for her dyeing and weaving techniques. Her giant wool sculptures of rivers are on display at the exhibition.
Also appearing in the show are works by two Grand Prize winners of the biennial Pulima Art Award, Taiwan’s most prestigious indigenous arts award organized by the Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples. Pinuyumayan sculptor Iming Mavaliw carved pieces of driftwood to represent human-wrought environmental damage, while Paiwan weaver Aruwai Kaumakan intertwined colored cotton threads into concentric circles to symbolize how her community bonded together following a devastating typhoon.
The remaining five participants are Bunun illustrator Eval Malinjinnan; Pinuyumayan interdisciplinary artist Chien-wei Bali; and Sediq digital artist Walis Labai and father and daughter pair Meika Walis and Yawai Meika, both oil painters. (CPY-E)
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