Traditional and contemporary arts and artisans.
A systematic migration to and settlement of the Mariana Islands, about 3,500 years ago, would not have been possible without some degree of sophistication regarding the ancient CHamoru settlers’ construction of seaworthy craft and their ability to navigate such vessels to and from these islands and their place of origin.
Many private print collections on Guam center around authentic Japanese woodblocks including a sizable patronage of French artist Paul Jacoulet. Jacoulet worked out of Japan with master woodblock carver, Kazuo Yamagishi, in the early 1930s and created a body of work based on Pacific cultures, Korea and Japan. Some of his subject matters were Pacific island natives of Micronesia, which provided an affinity with many local collectors on Guam.
Photography as an art form is relatively new on Guam. There have been visiting photographers on Guam since the early 1900s. However, the evolution of photography as a form of artistic expression of the island residents has only happened within the last half a century.
The work of some of Guam’s contemporary painters can be found right off the tarmac as travelers arriving or departing through the AB Won Pat International Airport will discover what is probably one of the largest collections of paintings produced by some of the island’s most established artists.
Although a relatively new form of art, graphic arts on Guam became a common medium for cultural and artistic expression as modern technology became more accessible to the general public. Ancient Chamorro paintings, or pictographs, found in caves depict their lives and offer a glimpse of how the ancient island people viewed and interpreted the world around them.
Though it is still relatively small, filmmaking is growing on Guam as both an art form and an industry. On an island that values story-telling, community, and preserving history and traditions, film is a natural fit as an arts medium and technology is only expected to help it continue to flourish.
Tattooing is an art with more visible modern roots than other practices on Guam. Although tattooing is well-documented in other Micronesian cultures including Yap, Palau and the Marshall Islands there is little to no evidence that Chamorros of the Marianas adorned themselves with this type of permanent body art.
Contemporary Tattoo Read Post »
Marianas archaeological studies indicate that, as a craft, an indigenous form of ceramics dates back to more than 3,000 years. Ancient Chamorros produced a variety of ceramic containers for practical domestic purposes such as serving and storing food and water, and for cooking.
Motifs rooted in pottery, tattoo, and legends Monica D. Baza discovered art at an early age, choosing to work with lino-block printing in high school when it was offered. She
Kie Susuico is a graphic artist with an interest in art that began in childhood. Susuico credits his mother for the origins of his artistic ability as she is an artist in her own right.
