a visual journal of maldives

2006-02-25T02:11:00.000-08:00

Ablow Arif, untitled, digital painting, circa 2000

2006-02-25T01:57:00.000-08:00

Ablow Arif, untitled, Pen on Paper, dimensions unknown, circa 2000

2006-02-25T01:53:00.000-08:00

Ablow Arif, untitled, digital painting made with Painter, circa 2000, dimensions unknown

2006-02-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

Mariyam Omar, untitled 7, 34" 26", acrylic and oil pastel, 2005

2006-02-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

Blindspot 1 by Mariyam Omar. Mariyam Omar is a trianed graphic designer who has been working in Male' for some years now. She also produces abstract imagery, sometimes using non-conventional media like coffee and shaving foam.

2006-02-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

This is a screen shot of one of the pages of the National Art Gallery website, inaugurated in October 2005. This could be a very positive step in institutionalising the visual arts in the country. I am also employed at the gallery since July 2004. You can view the site at www.artgallery.gov.mv The site was designed by Shahee Ilyas for Bolhe (www.bolhe.com)

2006-02-15T22:19:00.000-08:00

Maldivian Carver Participates in the Commonwealth Games

Cultural Programme 2006

An A2 poster promoting the Common Goods exhibition and residency program will be available from Craft Victoria and the Melbourne Museum from 6 February 2006. The poster features a photograph of coir fibre from Maldives taken by Kevin Murray, Director of Craft Victoria during his visit to the Maldives in 2005 to look for a possible participant in the programme.

Maldivian craftsman Ahmed Nimad is currently in Melbourne Australia taking part in Common Goods: Cultures Meet Through Craft. The program is organised by Melbourne based Craft Victoria and is a residency program, exhibition and publication. Comongoods will also coincide with the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

More info at: http://www.craftvic.asn.au/commongoods/index.htm

2006-02-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Mamduh Waheed, Tropical Junkie Part 1 (work in progress), 20cm x 30cm acrylic on paper, 2006 Photo: MW, 2006

2006-02-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Mamduh Waheed, Cuttle Fish, Pen on Paper, 15 x 20 cm, 2004

2006-02-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Maizan Adam Maniku, The Beginning, Pastel on Paper, 10 x 14 inches, circa 1994 These images made by Maizan Adam Maniku are some of the very rare of its kind that can be found in the Maldives by an individual of Adam Maniku's generation. Of course there are others of his generation who have produced abstract imagery using western techniques and vocabularies. But I find his work containing an intensely personal quality which I have come across in very few other works except for in artists of a much later time. In this sense he was quite ahead of his time in his vision. And with hindsight, this is very clearly manifest in the thinking behind his pioneering cultural projects to counter the negative consequences of globalisation on the indeginous ways of life in the Maldives, especially on Maldivian crafts traditions. As far as I know, Adam Maniku is the only individual, and the organisation he found the only of its kind in the country that is making attempts to address issues of identity that has come about in the wake of globalisation. MW Photos by Maizan Adam Maniku (Images copyright Maizan Adam Maniku) Maizan Adam Maniku, Spiral Connection, Pastel on Paper, 10 x 14 inches, circa 1994 Maizan Adam Maniku, Gossip, Pen on Paper, 8 x 5 inches, circa 1994 Maizan Adam Maniku, Water World, Pastel on Paper, 10 x 14 inches, circa 1994 Adam Maniku has sustained a strong interest in the arts throughout his life. Although formally trained as an economist, and given the fact that he spent nearly 3 decades working in the not particularly creative environment of the Maldives Finance Ministry (including several years as the Deputy Minister), Adam Maniku is perhaps equally well-known,if not more, for his creative work. Most recently he has established Creative Arts and Crafts Training Centre (CACTC) in the Maldives. The centre trains Maldivian youth in the fast disappearing traditions of Maldivian craft practices. (You can see some of their works here: www.creativitymaldives.org). CACTC also has a showroom in Male' where products made by CACTC students are on display/sale. The showroom, Heritage, is on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, near Nasandhura Palace Hotel. MW

2006-01-27T23:10:00.000-08:00

Nina Manik, Placebo, 2005 (detail) Photo: mw Nina Manik, Placebo, 2005 (detail) Photo: mw Nina Manik, Placebo, 2005 (detail) Photo: mw Nina Manik, Placebo, 2005 (section, panel two) Photo: mw

2006-01-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

Nina Manik, Placebo (detail), 2006 Photo: MW Nina’s new triptych Placebo (ink on paper mounted on plywood, 2005) is a riveting work that transfixes with a confrontation of what seems to be a cross section of present day Maldivian society – especially life in congested, densely urbanised Male’. The work, completed in various stages spread over months consists of small drawings tiled together to make three different panels. Some of the images are of details of some one screaming, two mouths kissing, a modified shape of a leg or arm, groups of figures conversing (or congregating?) and other images that seem to convey a sense of urban alienation, human interaction as well as manipulation of humans by various exterior forces. Another very interesting feature of the work is the dialogue balloons Nina has used near the heads of some of the conversing/congregating figures. The text on these balloons are in Arabic; hence giving a clue to the work’s title – Placebo. An example of a placebo is a ‘sugar pill etc. given to an unsuspecting patient instead of an active drug’. Metaphorically speaking, anything could be considered as having a ‘placebo effect’ if it makes us feel good towards a certain thing/condition without actually removing the original cause that made us feel bad in the first place. Perhaps a good example of this might be religion. Many people believe that if you are steadfast in holding onto a religion’s tenets and pray regularly to one’s god, the prayers will come true. And even if the prayers are not answered they feel good in the knowledge that their prayers will one day be listened to. So, in a way that is a placebo effect in that it provides comfort and solace where there was insecurity and anxiety before even if the prayers have not physically removed the cause/s for the anxiety and insecurities. In a Maldivian context, to be religious means to be a good Muslim and our prayers are in Arabic, a language most Maldivian including children can recite but cannot understand (the meanings of). And yet the prayers seem to work for us if it is any indication that Maldivians have chosen to remain a predominantly practicing Muslim community for centuries. Or is it that Islam just has a great placebo effect on us?

2006-01-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

Nina Manik, Placebo (detail) 2006 photo: mw

2006-01-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

New work by Nina Manik; 'Placebo'(ink on paper mounted on plywood/panel one of tryptich, 2006) Photo mw

2006-01-20T00:35:00.000-08:00

The Fountain by Marcel Duchamp, 1917 (original lost) The Saatchi Gallery website (UK) is now featuring my undergraduate dissertation looking at the dynamics between art and writing, and how they feed into and feed-off each other. You can read it here: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/contemporary-art/sensationalisation-of-art-and-dialogue.htm The dissertation does not have any direct relevance to Maldivian visual art, but it gives clues into the prism through which I look at art (including art in the Maldives). One could say this is my methodology in writing about images on this blog. The featured dissertation is an extensive look at the nature of how art gets sensationalised by the dynamics of the structures that surround and envelop it, and the effect of language on visual experience, in the form of written or spoken criticism, discussion and discourse, in informing and transforming this experience. Charles Saatchi has been variously described as a 'supercollector' and as 'the most successful art dealer of our times'. You can read a Q & A with him here: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/charlesqa/qa.htm

2006-01-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

'Viha Lagondi' by Eagan Badeeu, 2001 photo: mw, 2005

2006-01-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

Recent works in progress by Eagan Badeeu. The flower known locally (in Dhivehi) as the 'Viha Lagondi' is a recurring theme in Eagan's works. The local name of the flower literally means 'viha' = poison or poisionous, 'lagondi' = Adam's apple. My understanding as to why the flower is named so is that it becomes poisonous at a certain time of the day. But there is also the association of beauty and poison.This notion is echoed in some Maldivian proverbs as well. It is also echoed in other cultures, for instance, 'do not judge a book by its cover' in culutres where English is the main language. Eagan has also painted the flower in a much earlier painting. It could be that he is exploring its metaphorical associations, i.e. that side by side with beauty might also exist poison (and death and decay, etc.), or that beauty may contain within it its own hidden elements of dangour and risk. photos: mw 2005

2006-01-18T02:18:00.000-08:00

These are two works on paper by Eagan Badeeu (done earlier than his recent impressionist style paintings in acrylic). There is something about these works that has a strong resonance to contemporary Maldivian life; an uprootedness, and a search for something that was not there earlier. Or it might be something that is there, but we have lost sens of, along the way to where we are right now. Below are excerpts of a write up I did before I came across these works by Eagan. I am reproducing them here for their relevancy to these two images. "Time will not come after you; you will have to keep up with the times. Old Maldivian saying Present-day Maldivians are a people in flux. The ‘modernity’ we experienced in the last decades has turned out to be largely economic and material, vesting us with a deep sense of unease about our own cultural and spiritual roots. Partly, this is due to the new dynamics of identity formation, generated by forces resulting from globalization and increased exposure to the outside world. Through this process, an entire reference system has been replaced and modified and a new paradigm has emerged for us to follow in order to live coherent and meaningful lives. However, this paradigm has not come readymade. Each of us in the community is putting bits and pieces together in a way that makes most sense to us—and then find common ground among our fellow Maldivians. A daunting task sometimes, but nevertheless fulfilling. "The moorings of the traditional reference systems are being eroded with new influences. Both western cultural influences as well as more than a whiff of the air of fundamentalist tendencies that are blowing in various parts of the world today have reached Maldivian shores. With the introduction of the multiparty system in June 2005 the various groups jostling to promote their worldviews and ideologies have clashed on occasion, resulting in harsh exchanges in the media. And more disturbingly, there have also been clashes between the police and members of the public. Street muggings, petty crimes and the abuse of hard drugs also have strikingly increased over the last few years. "Rapid urbanization, globalization and other cultural and economic influences had changed the mindscapes and the imagination of the society without parallel developments in the country’s legislation and social norms, leaving the Maldivian community in a seemingly rootless void. The most unpleasant consequence of this state is the loss of feeling for the fellow man, members of the Maldivian community. For centuries, Maldivians have viewed themselves as members of an extended family. This mindset has come about, and reinforced over the years, from the closely-knit community of Maldivians where families were literally related to each other. The island geography of the nation and the close proximity of our living spaces have also contributed to this. A philosophy of ‘each unto their own’ seems to prevail in the Maldives today, in the domain of politics, society and community values. Hence, social and cultural incoherence is not only a looming threat, but already, and to a large extent, a living reality that Maldivians are having to face, even if somewhat reluctantly. Hence, the need to invoke concepts such as oagatherikan is crucial if we are to make the transition into a twenty-first century multiparty democracy without sustaining lasting damage to our cultural identity and social unity. We need to relearn to see ourselves again as members of the same extended family. But our view of the family has to transcend the traditional family of blood relatives and encompass the universal family in which different worldviews and ideologies coexist with each other. We need to rise above the communal mindset fostered by the realities of living in an island community. We need to see ourselves as different, and differing, individuals navigating through the new political dynamics of globalisation and the still unfolding information revolution. Identities and lifestyles are not restricted to geographic regions any more. The most crucial values and relationships unfold through interaction and contact with forces previously perceived as ‘outside’." From: Change and Humaneness as a Context for Oagatherikanby Mamduh Waheed, Catalogue Essay, Common Goods Exhibtion and Residencies, 2005, Melbourne, Australia. Photos: mw 2005

2006-01-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

These are two recent paintings by Eagan Badeeu. Eagan has been painting for several years now. Eagan has worked in the production of souvenir art as well as book illustration. But he has also been painting throughout these other activites. Some of his recent works are based on his memories of scenes he had studies and painted before. He now recreates them from his imagination. Also he has nearly mastered the Impressionist technique Photos: MW 2005

2006-01-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

This is a digital print made from a line drawing. The series was inspired by various marine fauna and fish. This one is aa study of a cuttle fish in black marker pen. Later I manipulated it with Photoshop. Image: mw 2005

2006-01-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

New work by Nina Manik. Photo: mw 2005

2006-01-16T06:22:00.000-08:00

Two small drawings by Maldivian artist Mohamed Madheehu. Madheehu has been making visual images and art works for a number of years now. Right after completing his schooling, Madheehu was employed by the government as an illustrator at the Educational Development Centre, Male'. While there he also undertook some training, incuding life drawing classes, from Australian. After leaving his job as an illustrator, together with another artist, Madheehu estabished his own business producting hand-printed t-shirts to the tourist souvenir market. The outlet was known as Nice Guys. Later Madheehu also ran another t-shirt printing studio called Fifo Design, and now he runs Mistik Design. Over the years, Madheehu has produced some of the most memorable t-shirt designs in the country. photos mw 2005

2006-01-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

This is a signboard for a lingerie shop in Male'. I think it is both clever and subtle in avoiding the censors in a country where nudist or semi-nude imagery is banned. Of course it is easy to see that this is a silouette of a woman wearing only her bra and underwear. But being so abstract, it appeals to the imagination, and everyone is left with the added layer of interpretation that will be different to each person.

Nude images or suggestive imagery are banned in the Maldives by law which is based in large part on Islamic Shariah. When I first saw this image I was slightly surprised that it had been allowed in the public. And yet, there is no way to claim that this is a nude image, only a suggestion of it.

This could also be a sign of the changing times, signalling an expansion of our tolerance for the variety of imagery we are prepared to permit in society .

Photo: mw 2005

2005-12-30T00:15:00.000-08:00

From a recent exhibtion in Male' by children affected by teh December 2006 Tsunami. Photo MW, 2005

2005-12-30T00:13:00.000-08:00

From a recent exhibtion in Male' by children affected by the December 2006 Tsunami. Photo: MW 2005

2005-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

A sculptural fish near the entrance along the way to Skippy's, at Majeedhiyaa Golden Jubile Carnival. Photo MW, 2005

2005-12-29T23:56:00.000-08:00

Wataniya billboard near the entrance to the Majeedhiya Golden Jubilee carnival. 29, December 2005, Photo: MW

2005-10-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

A wall with graffiti. This is the wall of the house opposite where I live in Male'. It is not the sky in the background but a four-storey residential building painted sky blue. photo: mw 2005

2005-10-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Shop window: a child mannequin advertising children's clothing, Male' 2005. photo: mw

2005-10-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

Campaign logo for Ibrahim Ismail (Ibra), present MP for Male', representing the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party. Photo: mw, 2005

2005-10-08T01:47:00.000-07:00

Billboard advertising Maldivian tuna products, Male. Photo: mw 2005

2005-10-07T04:10:00.000-07:00

Characters from the Hollywood animated film Shark Tale painted on the wall of a house on the street where I presently live in Male'. It is quite likely that this image was painted as part of the decorations during the circumcision of a young boy in the house. Sometimes, similar imagery is also painted on the walls of houses, both on the outside wall as well as part of the interior decoration for birthday parties of children.

Since TV came in the late 1970s, and later VHS, VCDs and now DVD players and satellite/cable TV, most Maldivian children grow up with various international children's characters such as Nemo, Tom and Jerry, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, etc. as their favourite sources of entertainment Photo: mw 2005

2005-10-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

An oil painting by Nina Manik. Nina is a self-taught artist and has been painting now for a number of years. Painting is not an indeginous art form to the Maldives, nor was it introduced by a colonial power like in India or Sri Lanka where the British introduced the art form together with the gallery system. In the Maldives, a gallery was first opened in the 1980s by a group of private individuals whose objectives were to revive the local crafts and arts culture that was being eroded at a rapid speed due to globalisation and the country opening up to outside influences through tourism. Photo: mw, 2005

2005-10-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

An acrylic painting of a lagoon and beach for sale, outside a souvenir shop in Himmafushi, Male' Atoll, October 2005. Since the onset of tourism in the early 1970s, several painters have emerged in the country whose primary production includes paintings, on canvas, t-shirts, fabric, mugs, tiles, etc. Almost all these works depict natural scenaries of the Maldives. Sometimes they are of underwater scenes. Photo: mw

2005-10-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

'Maldives Sarongs' on display outside a souvenir shop in Himmafushi, Male' Atoll, 01 October 2005. Sarongs are a popular souvenir item in Maldives. These sarongs are almost always printed abroad - in Thailand, India, etc. But some souvenir artists do screen print similar items in Male'. And even if they are printed abroad, often teh designs are produced by Maldivian artists. Photo mw 2005

2005-10-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

A painted wall on the island of Himmafushi, Male' Atoll, advertising an artist/souvenir maker's studio. 01 October 2005 photo: mw

2005-07-11T22:33:00.000-07:00

Maldives history, a background There is evidence of a 'visual culture' in the Maldives dating back to 2000AD and to the first inhabitants of the country. And from the various traditions of craft making which have survived till today, including stone and wood carving, weaving and boat building, it is very likely that Maldivians have been fluent in using various visual codes.

2005-07-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Male' from the air (view from seaplane), mw, 05

2005-06-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Role of Visual Culture in our lives Ours is a visual culture. Our workplaces are visually saturated environments and our dominant pastimes (films, television, video games, and the Internet) are visual media. Moreover, we communicate visually when we are trying to cross over cultural boundaries. Think, for example, of graphics devised for international signage. Knowledge is often communicated visually – scientists chart brain activity, economists graph fiscal trends, geographers map territory and detectives photograph evidence. We all participate in Visual Culture. We are ‘informed’ by Visual Culture in the sense that our behavior is affected by, and Visual Culture affects our behavior: think of various signs we encounter in our daily life – road signs, various signs giving directions inside buildings such as hospitals banks, supermarkets, etc.

2005-06-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

a head carved from line stone, pre-Islamic period (before 1153 AD), possible used as Buddhist or Hindhu icon, now kept at the National Museum of Maldives. Photo: M Hilmy, 2005

2005-06-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

A view of an island in the Maldives (from the air: from a seaplane), 2005

2005-06-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

Visual Culture: Basics What is Visual Culture? Visual Culture is concerned with everything we see, have seen, or may visualize. These include: paintings, sculptures, utensils, gardens, dance, buildings, artifacts, landscape, toys, advertising, jewelry, apparel, light, graphs, maps, websites, and dreams. In short, all aspects of culture that communicate through visual means. Methodologies are drawn from the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences in studying Visual Culture. Focus is on production and deception, and on intention and deployment. And institutional, economic, political, social ideological and market factors are considered. The visual is studied as a reflection of culture and as something that has cultural efficacy in its own right, contributing to the production, reproduction, and mutation of culture. Rather than locate the significance of visual objects in their inherent properties, most Visual Culture scholarship looks at the uses to which people put the visual – the practice of Visual Culture, or how Visual Culture is practiced/ manifest in practice.