Amitabh Sharma | Preservation of indigenous art forms

Artists create. That’s what they do best – the proverbial right brain churning out ideas that get transformed into works of art that adorn walls, enhance spaces, are worn, shown off, and savoured. Mankind, as far as our civilisation goes, has been creating art, which is the personification of each region’s cultural identity and its unique traditions.

Some of those traditions have stood the test of time and so has the lineage of artists.

At the World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum in September in Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC) shone the spotlight on indigenous peoples’ contributions to trade, which brought together artists from New Zealand, Vanatu, and Burkina Faso to Benin and the Amazon. It was a rich tapestry of handmade traditions, which gave insight into their countries’ rich history.

The focus, according to the ITC, was to enable ethical and fair use of traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) in a fashion that is essential to ensuring inclusive trade opportunities for indigenous peoples. As a complement to the Public Forum Traditional Knowledge Experience Space, The ITC and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) introduced mutually beneficial collaboration models that create new economic, trade, and other opportunities for indigenous communities and fashion companies.

Flora Lankoandé was setting up her loom, arranging the threads in order to weave fabric, which are made from rain-fed organic cotton with certified dyes. The textiles produced are entirely handwoven.

Though verbal communication was a bit of a barrier, it didn’t stop the admiration of the handmade processes – a breath of fresh air, with most there walking around, glued to their smartphones or working on their laptops.

The Indigenous Trade Experience Space, co-hosted by the ITC, the WTO, and the WIPO, showcased the work of participating artists.

OUT OF THE BOX

Déhanatou Taïrou, from Burkina Faso, like Lankoandé, was weaving – in a loom which looked like a stationary bicycle. Talk about thinking out of the box. Well, there were none of those proverbial barriers there.

Vandria Borari from Brazil was working with clay to make figurines. The craft is from indigenous people from the Tapajós region in the Amazon. The history with clay there goes back more than 8,000 years. Using indigenous territorial knowledge, they developed clay technology that resulted in one of the most ancient and refined artistic expressions.

The duo of Linda Munn, artist and the surviving creator of the Mãori Tino Rangatiratanga flag, a symbol of Mãori resistance and resilience, which is now mandated as the national Mãori flag, and Tangimoe Clay, weaver and global spokesperson for Mãori taonga (treasured Mãori art forms), gave insight into the indigenous culture of New Zealand.

Munn, apart from being an artist, is an advocate for indigenous/Mãori rights, and particularly an advocate for the rights of Mãori women. It is well known that art and artists have changed the course of history, leaving indomitable marks that are visible across the world – the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Pyramids in Egypt, and the Taj Mahal in India are some monuments to stand testimonials to their respective country’s past.

One of the objectives of the WTO Public Forum was to reiterate that traditional art forms and art on the whole have their place in the global trade. Assisting indigenous peoples not only ensures their relevance and sustainability, but creates global markets for their artwork and products.

“We are so grateful to ITC for helping us make our 100 per cent cotton handmade fabrics even better!” said Taïrou. “Our customers love what we do and keep buying. The money we make allows us to support our husbands and take care of our children.”

Lankoandé is president of ‘Grace de Gulumu’ and co-founder of CABES GIE, which was launched by ITC-EFI in Burkina Faso in 2014 by four women-owned weaving businesses. Today, it includes 90 individual cooperatives/businesses, totalling 2,500 women producers from very marginalised backgrounds.

The Faso danfani fabric they produce is exported to international brands

STRONG STATEMENTS

These are strong statements of empowerment, enabling traditional crafts to find their place among a global audience.

One got the opportunity to taste kava from Vanuatu. Kava is a plant from the pepper family and is consumed in various ways throughout Vanuatu.

The UK Trade Partnerships Programme (UKTP) showcased their project, which organised a songwriting camp for Caribbean artistes participating in UKTP CARIFORUM activities to generate content to be promoted and sold to record companies based in the United Kingdom. Yakuanoi World transported one to the world of virtual reality to learn about protection and promotion of traditional knowledge and cultural expressions and to explore the role of intellectual property in protecting traditional knowledge.

It was enriching to experience and get acquainted with the diverse cultural expressions from all parts of the world. “This is so intricate and beautiful,” one remarked to Lankoandé, who looked up from behind the glasses, smiled as she continued setting up her handloom, and said. “Je parle juste Français.” (I only speak French).

To which we say: “Pas de problème … parce que nous parlons la langue du cœur.” (Not a problem because we speak the language of the heart)

Though we speak different languages, follow diverse traditions, some deep rooted in time, others more contemporary, art is a language that binds us all.

Amitabh Sharma is the opinion editor and editor of Arts and Education at The Gleaner. The visit to WTO Public Forum, Geneva ,was facilitated by the World Trade Organization. Send feedback to amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com.