Indigenous Art Exhibition Area

Asia Art Center is honored to participate in the Indigenous Art Exhibition Area’s curatorial collaboration, working alongside the Taiwan Art Gallery Association and Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center, at Booth S01. Curated by Manray Hsu under the theme Survivance Art, the section features five artists: Milay Mavaliw (Puyuma, 1962-), Laluyu Pavelav (Paiwan, 1964-), Siki Sufin (Amis, 1966-), Eleng Luluan (Rukai, 1968-), and Idas Losin (Atayal and Truku, 1976-). Spanning woodcarving, weaving, and painting, their works present the diverse forms and innovative practices of contemporary Indigenous art, embodying the vitality and cultural continuity that “survivance” represents.

At Booth S01, the Indigenous Art Exhibition Area highlights how contemporary Indigenous artists, situated at the intersection of history and culture, channel resilience and creativity in the face of colonial trauma, cultural loss, and modern challenges. Milay Mavaliw develops a distinctive “weaving painting” style that reconstructs totemic imagery, conveying the power of cultural endurance and the living connection among myth, humanity, and nature. Laluyu Pavelav presents finely crafted ceremonial knives and ritual vessels rooted in Paiwan traditions, transforming sacred cultural symbols and totems into expressions of contemporary vitality. Siki Sufin uses woodcarving to convey tribal myths and historical memories, reflecting on the Amis experience of colonialism and war while expressing a deep contemplation of homeland and identity. Eleng Luluan employs weaving and installation to explore cultural memory, ecological imbalance, and female identity, interlacing personal experience with collective history. Idas Losin, of Truku and Atayal descent, draws on the visual language of weaving, facial tattooing, and tribal laws to explore the relationship between self and culture. Through her ongoing “Island-Hopping” project, she extends her practice to Pacific Austronesian communities, initiating cross-cultural dialogues that bridge local identity and global perspective. The theme Survivance Art signifies not only the emergence of new life from the painful histories endured by Indigenous peoples but also the enduring power of their art to narrate these intricate and poignant stories.