Artist
Hana · Keliw
/Amis Taiwan
Artwork
The Most Powerful Gentleness
Materials: Rattan, Bamboo, Steel Bar, Stone
In the beautiful “People’s Island” (Lanyu, or Orchid Island), locals have incorporated “level 17 high speed strong winds as part of the basics on the small island.” Living within such a powerful and frequent natural force, yet showing such a gentle and tough survival attitude, the subtle and elegant symbiotic relationships, on an interpersonal level and between people and nature, have formed. And, this deeply shocked an artist from Dulan Village of the East Coast, hence she designed this work based on the inspiration of the Tao women’s hair dance, which is the ceremonial dance as part of the boat launching ceremony. As the dancers throw their long hair back and forth into the air as their bodies move, they pray for the safe return of their fishermen with an abundant catch. The flying hair in the wind symbolizes the most gentle and powerful strength of the small island, as this work pays tribute to women’s tough and gentle power, it also reconsiders how this living culture is birthed against challenges presented by such a mighty natural force as typhoons.
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