Coastal Lunar Lanterns
Etan Pavavaljung
Paiwan, Taiwan
Etan Pavavaljung
Paiwan, Taiwan
Etan Pavavalung is a Paiwanese artist born in Davalan Village, Pingtung County, Taiwan. Etan’s artworks are multi-dimensional, including poetry, prose, graphic design, painting, illustration for children books, engraving, installation and video work. He is also a documentary film director. By way of documentaries such as “She with the Patterned Hands”, “Hands that Tell Tales of the Mountains”, “Brothers Who Sing of Love and Longing”, “The Fragrant Mountain Winds”, “Mountain Tribe and Sea Tribe”, Etan tries to create an alternative aboriginal visual aesthetic juxtaposed with a literary poetic perspective.
In his visual artwork, Etan excels at detailed and expressive painting to deliver his literary views and contemporariness. The innovative visual art form he developed, “Trace Layer Carve Paint”, has been exhibited in art spaces in France, Hong Kong, Guam, China, Singapore ,Japan, Norway, Thailand and Australia. He takes for inspiration the sustainable ‘trace’ that is hidden in the land, mountains, and nature and the repetitive ‘layers’ of slate houses that constitute the texture of civilization. He then ‘carves’ out patterns and lines with chisels, and ‘paints’ with the colors that change with the seasons. His artwork connects with ancient aboriginal wisdom and converses with Christian ecotheology while searching for internal harmony and artistic thinking in rebirth.
Memories are invaluable treasures for humans. They can help people pass on memorable things, meanwhile reminding us to seek principles that will be forgotten. Etan remembers that when he was little, he always listened to Grandma telling stories. Some were funny, some were scary, and some were just repetitive. Though he thought listening to stories was just a pleasure before sleeping, he came to realize meanings behind those legends and stories when Grandma passed away. For years, they have been inscribed in his memory.
This work is derived from the illustration book “Children of the Land and the Sun”. He tried to represent this illustration book through wood engravings to tell the myth of the origin of the Paiwan people that he heard from Grandma. For him, the myth has two important meanings: Reconfirming the origin of the creation of Taiwanese Indigenous people. Also the story gave us enlightenment that human-beings indeed need mutual help and sharing.
Etan will forever remember the amiable face Grandma had when telling stories, and will keep passing on those interesting, exciting myths that lie in his memory.
Contact Artist
Etan Pavavalung is a Paiwanese artist born in Davalan Village, Pingtung County, Taiwan. Etan’s artworks are multi-dimensional, including poetry, prose, graphic design, painting, illustration for children books, engraving, installation and video work. He is also a documentary film director. By way of documentaries such as “She with the Patterned Hands”, “Hands that Tell Tales of the Mountains”, “Brothers Who Sing of Love and Longing”, “The Fragrant Mountain Winds”, “Mountain Tribe and Sea Tribe”, Etan tries to create an alternative aboriginal visual aesthetic juxtaposed with a literary poetic perspective.
In his visual artwork, Etan excels at detailed and expressive painting to deliver his literary views and contemporariness. The innovative visual art form he developed, “Trace Layer Carve Paint”, has been exhibited in art spaces in France, Hong Kong, Guam, China, Singapore ,Japan, Norway, Thailand and Australia. He takes for inspiration the sustainable ‘trace’ that is hidden in the land, mountains, and nature and the repetitive ‘layers’ of slate houses that constitute the texture of civilization. He then ‘carves’ out patterns and lines with chisels, and ‘paints’ with the colors that change with the seasons. His artwork connects with ancient aboriginal wisdom and converses with Christian ecotheology while searching for internal harmony and artistic thinking in rebirth.
Memories are invaluable treasures for humans. They can help people pass on memorable things, meanwhile reminding us to seek principles that will be forgotten. Etan remembers that when he was little, he always listened to Grandma telling stories. Some were funny, some were scary, and some were just repetitive. Though he thought listening to stories was just a pleasure before sleeping, he came to realize meanings behind those legends and stories when Grandma passed away. For years, they have been inscribed in his memory.
This work is derived from the illustration book “Children of the Land and the Sun”. He tried to represent this illustration book through wood engravings to tell the myth of the origin of the Paiwan people that he heard from Grandma. For him, the myth has two important meanings: Reconfirming the origin of the creation of Taiwanese Indigenous people. Also the story gave us enlightenment that human-beings indeed need mutual help and sharing.
Etan will forever remember the amiable face Grandma had when telling stories, and will keep passing on those interesting, exciting myths that lie in his memory.
Contact Artist
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