PHILIPPINES: ART AND LITERATURE

One of the earliest forms of art found in the Philippines is pottery. Pottery was a key element for advancing a society because it allowed people to store and cook food. Early pottery was made with clay, and they created a variety of pots and containers for a number of purposes from food preparations (cooking, eating, storing food) to ceremonial uses (urns). Over time, the styles and decorations changed on each pot. 

 

Filipino women are also skilled in weaving. Some of the materials they use in traditional weaving are the fibers from pineapple, cotton, bark cloth, and abaca (the same material that also gives us Manila folders). Depending on what they are making, woven baskets, mats, cloth, rugs, hats, and other items were commonly made. 

by Fernando Amorsolo

After the Spanish arrived, they introduced European-style painting. In the beginning, the Spanish brought along quite a few religious paintings and used them to teach the islanders about Christianity. In turn, they also taught them how to paint. At first, the Filipinos painted in the same style that the Spanish taught them: only Christian/religious paintings. But around the 19^th century, certain Filipino artists who were wealthier than others began to branch out and break tradition: they introduced secular paintings like Filipino landscapes and Filipino subject, not European Christian themes. They began to paint themselves, their culture, and their land. And as war hit their country during the 20^th century, they used painting and art as a means of expression to deal with the pain and destruction of their country.

 

by Elito Circa -- because a painting of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao painted in human blood is exactly what the world was missing.

A few artists of note include Elito Circa (folk artist who paints with human hair, blood, and body fluids), Juan Luna (painter, sculptor, political activist during 19^th century Philippine Revolution), Benedicto Cabrera (famous painter, known as BenCab), Fernando Amorsolo (famous painter of portraits and landscapes), David Medalla (sculpture, performance art, installation, kinetic art), Augusto Arbizo (artist, painter, curator), Rey Paz Contreras (sculptor, famous for using recycled materials), Félix Hidalgo (famous painter of 19^th century), Malang (cartoonist, illustrator, painter), Ang Kiukok (painter, worked in cubism, surrealism, expressionism), Lito Mayo (graphic artist, print maker, sculptor, art professor), and Anita Magsaysay-Ho (counted as one of the major painters in the Philippines—and only female included in the “greats” list).

 

by Anita Magsaysay-Ho

Of the earliest forms of literature, epic stories were one of the primary forms of storytelling. Most of these stories were told by word of mouth and passed down from generation to generation. Some of the wealthier families were able to afford to have these stories transcribed down. One of the more famous epic stories is Darangen, a story that originated from the Maranao people of the southern island Mindanao.

Although I imagine there was a certain amount of literature produced during the years the Spanish controlled the country, most of the canon of modern literature was created after the United States took over. As Filipino writers witnessed the transformation to a new colonial period, much of the literature during the first few decades were in response to the Spanish-controlled times. As the 20^th century progressed, the Modernismo genre took a prominent role, steeped in the literary traditions of Latin America.

Notable authors include Estrella Alfon, Francisco Arcellana, Liwayway Arceo, Jose Garcia Villa, Peter Solis Nery, F. Sionil José, Francisco Balagtas,  Lualhati Bautista, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Nick Joaquin, and N.V.M. Gonzáles.

Up next: music and dance

GRENADA: ART AND LITERATURE

Although the earliest people here, the Carib Indians, were driven away or died there to avoid the first option, they left a part of them behind: their art. The Caribs etched important events of their daily lives into the sides of cliffs, in caves, and other areas around the islands.

Painting is huge on the island of Grenada. And who can blame them? They have a wonderful backdrop of some of the most beautiful scenery to paint. Whereas most painters typically use canvas as the main medium to paint on, Grenadian artists don’t stop there. These artists have been known to paint on a variety of mediums: wood, metal, cloth, bamboo, and even the calabash (a type of gourd). St. George’s has several art shows and showcases throughout the year bringing hundreds of visitors to local artists. Some of the most influential painters in Grenada are Canute Caliste, Elinus Cato, and John Benjamin MBE.

by Elinus Cato

Woven crafts are also very popular, especially in the tourist markets. However, items such as hat, purses, placemats, and baskets are also regularly used in the average Grenadian home as well. You’ll find most of these items are made from wicker, straw, or bamboo. 

Woodcarving is also especially popular as well.  Many of these items are also used in the home, like bowls of all sizes, kitchen utensils (wooden spatulas, wooden spoons, etc.), or furniture. Typically, these items are made from mahogany or red cedar but other types may be used.

As with most other Caribbean countries, jewelry is an art form going back centuries. Known for jewelry made from local materials, black coral and turtle shell are common materials from these islands. Actually, shells of all types are used in jewelry, as well as wooden beads and even paper beads. 

Storytelling is at the heart of Grenada’s literary traditions. This tradition is closely tied to the African traditions that were brought over during the Slave Trade.  Today, the vast majority of Grenadian literature is written in English, but some of it is in French Creole. Literary festivals, such as Spice Word Literary Festival and Poetry Slam, are held throughout the year to showcase the best of what this island nation has to offer.

Tobias S. Buckell is a science fiction author who was born in Grenada. He is most known for being the author of the sixth book in the Halo series, Halo: The Cole Protocol. As successful as he is as a writer, he suffers from dyslexia.

Merle Collins was actually born in Aruba, but later moved back to Grenada since her parents were Grenadian. She got her bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish in Jamaica, her master’s degree in Latin American studies in the US, and her Ph.D. in Government in the UK. She has spent many years teaching and was active in the Grenadian Revolution. Collins has published literary and social commentaries, poetry, short stories, and novels.

Gus John is a writer, educator, and social commentator. He was born in Grenada and later moved to the UK where he was instrumental in writing and advising on the problems with the education of minorities. He worked closely with various groups aimed at curbing youth violence and has written many articles and books on the subjects of education, race, violence, the Caribbean, and the inequality persistent in all of these things.

Up next: music and dance

BURUNDI: ART AND LITERATURE

Burundi has a rich heritage in visual arts, namely pottery, wickerwork, sculpture, and painting. It’s characterized by their use of bright colors and geometric shapes. One popular form of painting comes in the form of wall paintings that depict village life. Pottery and concrete block designs (which I think is really cool and want to try to do myself) are a specialty is the Twa peoples. Some of the more common materials used for traditional arts, especially in the rural areas are wood, leather, shell, and horn, and bone.

The Italians and other Europeans in Burundi have brought over many techniques and helped to create art schools in Burundi. Figurative art and mosaics are two examples of this. Plastic art was also very popular at one time.

As far as architecture goes, the rugo is traditional building built using all local materials. Bamboo surrounds the outside which is thought to protect each family member who lives inside of it. Each building has a cone-shaped thatched roof.  The front yard is surrounded by shrubs and is used for daily activities and such. The girls of the family decorate the outside and front of the huts with red soil and kaoline. Every front yard has an igicaniro, used for resisting flies and other stinging insects.  The back yard is where the livestock is kept.

It’s nearly impossible to separate poetry from music in Burundi. They have such a long history of folklore and storytelling and it’s all tied in with music. These stories were a critical part of the Burundian culture because it told the history of their people and stories to teach young people lessons. One style they use when telling these stories is called “whispered singing.”

Some more well-known writers from Burundi are Seraphin Sese, Louis Katamari, Richard Ndayizigamiye (used to be an assistant professor at the University of Burundi in African, African-American and Caribbean literature in the mid-1980s, later received his PhD in comparative literature from Cornell in the early 1990s, and is currently a professor at Brock University in Toronto), and Michel Kakoya (who made a name for himself as a memoirist).

Up next: music and dance

BENIN: ART AND LITERATURE

Early art in Benin was not merely art for art’s sake, but it served a purpose: depicting religious, social, cultural, and historical purposes. Much of Benin’s art spans a variety of styles and a variety of mediums. There are masks and figurines that are very typical of central Africa. They use the materials that are around them, so you’ll find much of their art using wood, ivory, clay, terracotta as well as metals such as bronze and brass.

One thing that is particular to Benin itself is called the Ikegobo. And Ikegobo is a cylindrical votive object used to mark someone’s accomplishments. It’s dedicated to the hand, seeing that the hands are the source of wealth and success.  Based on a person’s hierarchal ranking in their society, it can be made of a variety of materials: brass, wood, terracotta, or clay.

Art was always important to Beninese life. They were really famous for their bronze sculptures. These pieces were traded to Muslim traders who helped introduced Beninese art to the world.

Benin, like much of Africa, has a long history of storytelling. And like much of Africa, this was an oral tradition, that is, passing the stories verbally from one generation to another.

The arrival of the French changed things drastically. First of all, there was the obvious influence from the addition of the French language. The first novel written from a Beninese author, called L'Esclave, was written in 1929 by Felix Couchoro. Since then many authors have carved their niche in Beninese literature.

Most writers are employed in either the education field, in some aspect of government, or in journalism. One name that came up is feminist poet Colette Sénami Agossou Houeto. Not only has she been an educator, but she has written scores of poems. Another female writer is Adelaide Fassinou. She is Benin's Secretary General for UNESCO, yet has still managed to churn out four French-language novels. Paulin Joachim is a journalist and editor who has also published two sets of poetry. He was also the recipient of the W.E.B. Du Bois medal in 2006.

Up next: music and dance

THE BAHAMAS: ART AND LITERATURE

If there’s one word that can describe the cultural arts of The Bahamas, it would be vibrant. They put 110% into everything they do, adding life and color to the world around them.

When it comes to visual arts, there are several types of art you’ll find most common. Straw weaving goes back centuries to when they depended on the baskets and hats they made for day-to-day life. Baskets were necessary to carry fruits and fish and to store other dry goods. There is a particular method of weaving that makes them fairly sturdy. Across the islands, they all use the same methods of plaiting the straw, mostly from the silver palm. These methods have been passed down from generation to generation. Today, these straw goods are made mainly for tourists. I don't care -- this bag is cold!

The gorgeous landscape attracts many artists from all over the world, making it a haven for canvas painting. Some of the more famous painters to come from The Bahamas are Amos Ferguson, Eddie Minnis, Brent Malone, Jackson Burnside, John Beadle, and John Cox. Several of these artists also do sculpting and other mediums/styles.

I love this painting by Brent Malone. If you look close, you see both the conch shell and the person. 

Hand-carved stones and coral are also quite popular in The Bahamas. All of the pieces used are pieces of stone and coral that have broken apart from natural causes (erosion, etc.). These stones and coral are carved into sculptures, figurines, candle holders, jewelry, etc. Shell jewelry is also common, mostly from conch and some others.

Storytelling has been popular in The Bahamas and has its roots in African culture. It was especially popular before television became available in most households. Storytelling, like straw weaving, is passed down to the younger listeners. Many of the stories come from folklore. One common folklore figure is that of around Pretty Molly Bay. There are several stories that surround her, which range from a white woman who turns into a mermaid to a woman who haunts the beaches of Little Exuma Island. Other folklore stories involve “chickcharnies,” a tree-dwelling sprite, described as having three toes and red eyes. It’s said that they will hang upside down and reach down to turn your head backwards. I'm pretty sure I run into one every Monday. It's obviously the only explanation some days. 

There are a few notable Bahamian writers that have marked their way. One notable writer is Paul Albury. He is instrumental in writing about the history of the Bahamas. Dr. Gail Saunders is another historian from the Bahamas.  Susan J. Wallace writes about Bahamian folklore among other topics. Ian Strachan is a professor of English and has shown success as a novelist and playwright. Sidney Poitier not only is an exceptional actor but has also written several books.

Up next: music and dance

Resources:

Wikipedia: “Culture of The Bahamas” "Sidney Poitier"

Straw Weaving: http://www.2dfiberarts.com/bahamas.htm

Artists: http://www.artistsofthebahamas.com/artists.html

Writers: http://www.bahamasissues.com/showthread.php?t=22746

Folklore: http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Afghanistan-to-Bosnia-Herzegovina/Bahamians.html#b

Ian Strachan: http://weneedchangenow.wordpress.com/profile-interview-of-dr-ian-strachan/