THE SUNDAY POST SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2016

Traditions remembered,disputed

Story & photos by Amanda Pampuro

“The Festival of Pacific Arts has come and gone, but the Guam Museum, a concrete wonder of sling stone and steel, will stand for many years to come. Nestled strategically
between Chamorro Village and Dulce Nombre
de Maria Cathedral-Basilica, the building bridges
the shoreline and innards of the capital city, and
gives a great excuse to park far and walk.
In its first week of life, the museum has hosted
dozen of films and dances from local and visit-
ing festival delegates. Inside, three exhibition
halls packed in paintings, carvings, weav-
ings, sculptures, videos, and photos reflecting
commonalities – the beauty of our beaches and
our fear of being forgotten – and our distinct
differences for the tide that forms tradition.
beats a little differently against each shore.
From the Solomon Islands Nelson Horipua
brought to Guam a dozen paintings depict-
ing the complexity of legends, old and new.
In “Mind of Determination,” he recalls how
the laziest boy in the village entered a fish-
ing contest to win the marriage of the chief’s
daughter. With determina-
tion and the help of the gods,
he proves to be much more
than useless. The charac-
ters of this story are woven
together into a surrealistic
and symbolic wave. Try to
figure out the riddle before
you read the artist’s key. In
“Food Security,” Horipua
brings to the foreground one
of the greatest issues threat-
ening life in the Pacific –
climate change. With a keen
aesthetic balanced between
old and new, Horipua’s fables
I will ring true throughout the
blue continent.
How often does Guam
I have a renaissance-trained
artist turn his eye on her
history? Guam transplant
and Japanese painter, Yasu-
nori Sakakibara, returned
to Guam with his “Warrior
of Guam” finally complete.
“Warrior of Guam,” acrylic
by Yasumori Sakakibara
Both a love letter to Guam and a tapestry of
her history, this painting is worthy of a museum
and must be explored in person.
In a single sculpture, Rebecca Rae Davis
confronts the reality of Apra Harbor’s marine
life. “Bondage of Guam” depicts a small reef,
wrapped in a chain with a gift tag: Prop-
erty of U.S. Government. A minimalist artist,
with impact in every stroke, Davis reflects in
“Contact” the somewhat miraculous, almost
heavenly way history books depict the moment
the military entered Guam: like a golden anchor
descending from the sky. On
brown parchment paper,
with a package of colored
pencils Davis confronts the
reality others would rather
hide behind their palm trees.
It’s easy to fall in love with
an island for its tropical
beauty, and the museum has
no shortage of breathtaking
beach scenes. Lindsay Kane,
on the other hand, followed a
strange vision and drew her
own “Jungle” as if made from
hands. Instead of breadfruit,
palm leaves, and sword
grass, she drew fingers and
fists holding those shapes –
from far away you couldn’t
tell the difference.

Up closethe scene springs into a
strange and frightening
daydream. But hey, if you
thought the banana leaves
were that sensitive, wouldn’t
you watch your step?