Solomon Islands Treasures Solomon Islands was host to the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts in July 2012 and to continue promoting their unique heritage, the Artists’ Association of Solomon Islands is presenting some of their best artists and their craft reflecting the country’s diversity of culture and tradition across its nine provinces. Amongst the artwork represented there are paintings on canvas and tapa cloth (tapa is made from tree bark), wood and stone carvings, beautifully designed crafts such as woven bags (from dry pandanas leaves), shell and coconut ornaments (shell jewelry, known as shell money used for trading), and printed fabric known as lava lava. The artworks are mainly traditional in style but many also mixed with a contemporary flare. Some of the most notable traditional motifs represented are the Nguzu Nguzu, used on the prow of a canoe (the Tomoko) symbolizing head hunting when holding a skull and peace when holding a bird, many Sea Spirits such as Manuwake Wake, from Makira province, spirits like Tangangoa, the sky devil from Renbel province, Duka the shark God from Temotu province, and war canoes like the Tomoko from Western Province, Bina Bina from Central Province, and the Roko from Guadalcanal province.

Leave a comment

(Maximum 500 characters)

Notify me of followup comments via email please.

0 Comments

Media Archive