TOGO: ART AND LITERATURE

The art of Togo is similar to that of its neighbors, Ghana and Benin. In Togo, animism is practiced by nearly a third of the population (perhaps more if you count the people who practice animism and another religion in tandem), and it’s worked itself into the fabric of their culture. Small carved statues and sculptures are extremely common and have a variety of meanings and different areas of worship. For example, the ibéji statue is in honor of the worship of twins. And two characters with interlocking rings carved from one piece of wood represents the bond of marriage. Wooden masks are also carved and worn for different occasions.

Fabric dying is also a common art in Togo. Dyed batik-style fabric comes in many different colors and patterns, each signifying different aspects of life. Today, these clothes are used in formal or ceremonial events. Batik fabric is also used to make pictures out of and hang them as prints.

There are a few modern-style artists from Togo who have made a name for themselves. The painter Sokey Edorh is known for his prints of the people and animals of Togo and how they change with the environment. Paul Ahyi is another artist who mainly works in zota, a style of pyro engraving. His works are not only showcased in Lomé, but they’re also internationally known.

Work by Paul Ahyi, almost reminds me a little of Gustav Klimt meets African style art.

I couldn’t find much on early literature in Togo, but I’m imagining that it’s probably the same thing that I’ve seen in much of this part of the world. Storytelling of epic poetry and local histories that may also serve as parables have been passed down from generation to generation. However, written literature as we know it didn’t really start to become a thing until the early part of the 20th century. As Togo had shifted through colonial powers and was eventually run by the French, a lot of their literature during this time reflected this period where day-to-day life seemed precarious. Félix Couchoro was one such author who wrote during this time, making him among Africa’s first authors to be published during this time. Choosing to write in French, I think it gave him a larger audience (and especially one who probably needed to hear what he had to say).

Félix Couchoro

As Togo geared up toward independence during the 1950s, many other writers emerged. David Ananou first published his novel Le Fils du fétiche in 1955 which is often considered one of the first Togolese novels. A few other authors from this transitional period include Victor Aladji, Julien Atsou Guenou, Gnoussira Analla, and Tété Michel Kpomassié (who wrote about his time he spent with the Inuit).

There were also quite a few playwrights from Togo. Anoumou Pedro Santos got them started with his play Fasi that he published in 1956. If you’re interested in the theatre, you should check out the works of Henri Ajavon, Modest d’Almeida, and Gilbert Laclé.

Christiane Akoua Ekua

I’m glad to see there are quite a few women getting books published in Togo as well, including Pyabelo Kouly Chaold (famous for her book Memories of Twelve Years Spent in Germany), Christiane Akoua Ekue, Gad Ami, and Emilie Anifrani Ehah (known for her short stories).

Up next: music and dance

TANZANIA: ART AND LITERATURE

Tanzania lies in the midst of the Great Rift Valley, or East African Rift as it’s called now. This refers to the great geographic feat that created the great mountain ranges and peaks we see throughout this region as well as the lakes the people here so depend on. And with these structural changes, created plenty of natural canvas for rock drawings. Many different tribes of people moved into this area and had their own style of rock drawings, some of which are nearly 7000 years old! The Kondoa province has quite a bit of rock art that has been preserved, covering different styles across different time periods. The Sandawe drawings are distinctive for their fine red lines, while other styles (here and elsewhere in Tanzania) include the geometric styles of the Twa peoples as well as paintings from the Maasai and Bukoba.

Quite a few handicrafts are also produced in Tanzania. Batik cloth making is a common trade among women. Batik is made by stamping hot wax onto cloth in patterns and then dipping the cloth into a dye, which will adhere to all the places not covered in wax. Many of these batik designs use tribal or animal patterns. Woven mats and bowls are another common handicraft. Some use bright colors and incorporate designs into these. A lot of these items are sold at open air or roadside markets.

One of the more well-known styles of painting to emerge in the 20th century is Tingatinga painting, named after its creator, Edward Said Tingatinga. It typically uses bicycle paint since it holds up better and has brighter colors; masonite board seems to be the prefered material to paint on since it’s light but durable. Flowers, animals, and geometric designs seem to be the main themes. Many of these paintings have become known as “airport paintings” because of its appeal to tourists and its small size being easier to transport through airports. George Lilanga is quite known for his paintings using the tingatinga style, even though he never specifically studied it. He just hung around a bunch of these particular artists and picked it up from them (see why it’s good to pick good friends!).

George Lilanga with one of his tingatinga paintings

However, George Lilanga originally studied sculpture, which has long been a focal point of Tanzanian artists. Many of these sculptures represent an abstract version of people, animals, and mythological characters. Wood carving, using several different kinds of natural woods found locally (like ebony, for instance), are often used, but other materials, like stones and shells, may also be used, depending on the region.

George Lilanga is known for his shetani sculptures. Shetani are mythological spirits, mostly malevolent, and typically depicted as distorted animal or human figures.

During the latter part of the 20th century, cartoon artists began to emerge as its own field. And they were widely popular. Some published their works in newspapers, and even political cartoons became a thing. Other artists created comic books and published them as a series.

Cartoon by Salum Matata

For the vast majority of Tanzania’s history, its literature has been primarily in oral traditions. Not only would they tell and pass along stories and folktales, but they also told poems, proverbs, and riddles. In recent years, the art of oral storytelling has fallen to the wayside a bit as family structure and modern society has impacted these traditions. However, written literature is still on the up and coming and still fairly undeveloped. A few writers have emerged in the field though, producing works in both Swahili and in English.

Some of the writers who write in Swahili include Shaaban Robert (novelist, essayist, poet; probably one of the most prominent Tanzanian writers), Muhammed Said Abdulla (known for his detective stories), Ebrahim Hussein (playwright, poet), and Fadhy Mtanga (creative writer, blogger).

There are also quite a few authors who write in English as well. Some of the top names include Peter Palangyo (novelist), Gabriel Ruhumbika (novelist, short story writer, translator), Marti Mollel (short story writer), and Abdulrazak Gurnah (novelist, nominated for the Booker Prize and Commonwealth Writers Prize).

Up next: music and dance

MALAYSIA: ART AND LITERATURE

While Malaysian art is similar to the art of other nearby countries and cultures, it has its own distinct styles. And even within Malaysia, each region has its own distinct variations. In the rural areas, handcrafted woven baskets are common. Because many people practice Islam, and it’s forbidden to depict prophets and deities in Islam, most of the baskets and tapestries are decorated with colorful patterns and geometric shapes rather than people. It’s also common to find elements of nature like flowers and grasses. 

 

Malaysia is known for its textiles, namely in the practice of songket, pua kumbu, tekat, and other traditional patterned batik fabric. Each style is a variety of dying threads and weaving them. For example, batik is generally based on dying techniques with different strands of thread, and songket uses various metallic threads. Jewelry is also popular and often uses gold or silver, adorned with gems, beads, or pieces of leather, depending on the region. 

Clay pottery is an art dating back to antiquity. The shape of each piece depends on its purpose. Woodcarving is also an old art in Malaysia and one surrounded in superstitions and rituals. Although some areas of eastern Malaysia are known for wooden ceremonial masks, woodcarving is far more used as ornamentation. Woodcarvers spend years learning to have a special bond with the wood. The buyer also has to have a special bond with the wood as well, so there are several rituals that carvers and buyers go through just to get started on a project. It’s like dating or something. 

Because Malaysia is so multicultural, you can also see its diversity come out through its arts and especially its architecture. Chinese and European architectural styles certainly had its effects on its buildings, and there are many Indonesian styles utilized for the purposes of simply being a tropical country. One example of this is the houses on stilts with large windows that can be opened and tall roofs to allow for air flow. Indian and Middle Eastern influences are seen in colorful tiles and large courtyards. 

Literature in Malaysia is mainly written in the Malay language. Before written language was introduced in the form of Jawi (the Arabic-based script used for Malay), stories were told orally. But afterwards, they began to write down these stories that were mainly based on Hindu and Buddhist moral stories. 

Poetry is an art practiced in Malaysia. There are three main types of Malay poetry: mantera (like a mantra), the syair (4-line stanzas rhymed a-a-a-a), and the pantun (quatrains with 8-12 syllable lines).

 

Sejarah Melayu

The earliest known works include Sejarah Melayu and Hikaya Rajit Pasai, both written during the 15^th century. Up until the 19^th and 20^th centuries, literary topics tended to involve religion or stories from the courts. The 20^th century brought about some significant changes in Malaysian literature. The government classified Malaysian literature into three categories: literature written by Malays in the Malay language (called “national literature”), literature written by Malays but in Chinese, Tamil or another regional language of the country (called “regional literature”), and literature written in any other language (called “sectional literature”). 

A. Samad Said, considred Malaysia's national poet

The latter part of the 20^th century brought about a change in topics. Race, the economic state, and everyday life were becoming an important part of Malaysian plot lines. Female authors were starting to emerge as well as the expansion of literature in other languages like Chinese and English. Some names of writers to look for if you’re interested are A. Samad Said, Abdullah Munshi, Abdul Rahim Kajai, Harun Aminurrashid, Abdullah Sidek, Ishak Haji Muhammad, Usman Awang, Poesy Liang, Khoo Kheng-Hor, Khasnor Johan, Huzir Sulaiman, Fatimah Busu, Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir, Ee Tiang Hong, and Abdullah Hussain.

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INDONESIA: ART AND LITERATURE

Early art in Indonesia was pretty much relegated to being religious in nature. Generally speaking, it was more or less centered around Hindu deities and important stories; however, there are also plenty of Buddhist-centered art as well.  There were also decorative motifs as well, mostly with natural themes that include leaves, flowers, and local animals.

When the Dutch arrived, they introduced European art techniques to the native Indonesians. However, when the Dutch used the term “Indonesian painting,” it didn’t solely refer to paintings by Indonesians, but also for Dutch and other foreign artists who were living in Indonesia (called Dutch East Indies at that time) as well.  The late 1800s into the early 1900s saw a period of popularity in Balinese art. It was often considered one of the most vibrant styles of art in this area. 

by Inombong Sayad Ubud

During the latter part of the 20^th century, Indonesian art began to become influenced by several styles of art, namely European-inspired abstract expressionism and Islamic-based art. As Indonesia began the search for a national identity among its multi-ethnic cultures, much of the frustration and self-finding sentiments were reflected through the artist’s paintbrush. 

Sculpture was also an important medium of art in Indonesia. There are many examples of sculptures dating back to the earliest of days. Each island essentially has its own culture and language and indigenous belief systems, so the styles can vary greatly from island to island, ranging from wooden sculptures to masks to sculptures similar to totem poles. With the introduction of Hinduism and Buddhism, artistic sculptures began to reflect this new reign of thought. Temples and shrines were the main sites for these religious-based sculptures of deities and other religious objects and symbols. The Temple of Borobudur in central Java is famous for its frescos of hundreds of stone buddhas. Other sites show a strong Hindu influence. Today, the majority of carvings and sculptures are in the form of souvenirs for tourists as well as elaborate folding screens.

Indonesia has some very unique architecture as well. Although much of it was influenced from India, there were also other notable influences as well. Probably the most well known style can be seen in the stilt houses.  Used in areas of Sumatra, Borneo, Minangkabau, Sulawesi, these stilt houses were elevated on poles for a number of reasons: to guard against flooding, to keep certain rodents out, and to give a cool place to work or store items. Many of these houses had highly peaked roofs called saddle roofs; it has points protruding upwards that looked as if someone pulled the roof toward the sky like taffy. Some of these houses (usually those belonging to a higher social status) are surrounded by highly decorated walls. 

Example of songket

And of course, there were a number of handicraft-like items. Indonesia is famous for its cloth, and there are a few different types of traditional cloth that are produced here. The first one is batik, which utilizes a technique of using wax to create patterns on the cloth before adding the dye. Ikat is another type of dying process where either the warp fibers (lengthwise fibers) or the weft fibers (the ones that are being wove into the warp fibers) are dyed prior to weaving. Songket is a type of weaving that is commonly found in Indonesia but also in Malaysia and Brunei. This beautiful cloth is usually silver or gold threads wove into silk or cotton. The islands of Java and Bali are also well known for their making of the kris, a curvy-bladed dagger. Some people have a religious ritual that accompanies the making and use of this weapon, and the hilt (the handle) and sheath are often highly decorated. It’s also surrounded by special superstitions that it holds magical powers or that some kris are have good auras while others have bad ones. 

The literature of Indonesia is somewhat of a confusing term.  In general, it refers to literature not only in Indonesia but also includes Malaysia and Brunei.  And Indonesian literature is written in a multitude of languages: early literature was almost entirely written in Malay, but it also includes works written in Indonesian, Javanese, Sundanese, Batak, Balinese, Madurese, or even Dutch or English. Malay and Indonesian are very similar languages and different dialects of both languages are fairly intelligible to many speakers.

There were a lot of different periods of Indonesian literature.  Traditional literature was normally marked as being after the introduction of Islam, but before the modern period of the 20^th century. Prior to this period, stories and histories were pretty much oral at that point. Then you also have older Malay literature, which was generally from around 1870 to 1942. During this time, many popular American and European novels were being translated as well as syair poetry and highly romanticized stories called hikayat.

The early 20^th century brought about a lot of changes. First, the Indonesian language was introduced as a lingua franca, unifying all of the islands. Although Malay had commonly been used as a lingua franca, it was by no means a national language. The Balai Pustaka was formed; it was this government-sponsored agency that was responsible for promoting and publishing literature. It was in response against the Dutch; however, it came at the cost of much censorship. The first Indonesian novels were published during this time with the help of the Balai Pustaka.

From about 1933, an era called the New Literates emerged. Many of the young intellectuals began to sense a change in what was acceptable as literature. They knew a change needed to happen but distrusted the Balai Pustaka because it was run by the government. The answer came in the form of Indonesia’s first literary magazine, lasting into the early 1950s. By the end of WWII, Indonesian writers were focused more on their own independence and writing about the pressing political matters of the day; literature was far more realistic in style. 

author Remy Sylado

 

Short stories and poetry dominated through the 1950s, and by the mid-1960s, writers who were associated with leftist groups left Indonesia and began to write from abroad. The romance novel was the hot genre during the 1980s and 1990s, and previously quasi-taboo subjects such as femininity and gender identity became common themes in short stories and novels. 

Although there have been many foreign authors using Indonesia as the setting for their novels (such as The Twenty-One Balloons by William du Bois), there have been a plethora of authors that people on the Internets seem to mention.  I did find a nice list with comments from The Guardian dated in 2011, and it’s worth taking a look at here.  It’ll at least point you in the right direction for finding something to read.  As if you have that problem.

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