OCEANIA: Rituals & Traditions of the Pacific Islands and Australia

OCEANIA: Rituals & Traditions of the Pacific Islands and Australia

NOW ON VIEW THROUGH JULY at CASSERA GALLERY

Hours By Appointment Tuesday - Friday

CASSERA GALLERY SOUTH

26915 102nd Dr NW 

Stanwood WA

The Pacific Ocean could be called a "continent of water:" It covers more than one third of the Earth's surface and is a realm of thousands of islands—from Indonesia and New Guinea to Easter Island off the coast of South America; from Hawaii in the north to New Zealand in the south. Reflecting some of the central artistic traditions of Pacific Islanders, the works on view attest to the diverse and expressive use of many materials and forms: sculpted wood and stone, feathers, shell, delicate weavings of fibers and natural pigments.

Oceanic Art comprises the creative works made by the native people of the Pacific Islands and Australia. The artistic creations of these people varies greatly throughout the cultures and regions. The subject matter typically carries themes of fertility or the supernatural. Art such as masks were used in religious ceremonies or social rituals. Wood carving, stone carving, painting, weaponry and textile work are other common art forms.

South Pacific art history is generally organized into three geographic regions: Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. While the regions have interacted, traded, and exchanged culturally for centuries, there are defining aesthetic, political, linguistic, and cultural traits within each region.

The works in this gallery hail from the Pacific’s four main cultural spheres: the islands in and around Indonesia, Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia.