Vanuatu's "Sand Painting" Culture

Vanuatu sand painting is not a "painting" in the general sense, but a special form of "writing"-a subtle complex intertwined by calligraphy and painting, songs and stories, sacred and secular, and combines ritual, meditation and communication.

Due to its multiple functions and high traditional and aesthetic value, Vanuatu sand paintings were successfully selected into the second batch of UNESCO's "Representative Works of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" list in 2003.

Vanuatu sand paintings are a wordless "encyclopedia" that carries Vanuatu's history and culture.

200,000 people speak 115 dialects

On the beaches of Vanuatu, looming sand painting patterns can often be seen, mostly abstract geometric figures and daily objects such as pigs, cattle, turtles and horses, flowers, birds, grass and insects. They extend several meters, with precision and rigour, like masterpieces, or are not wide. Sprinkle it at will, like a child's graffiti. Sand paintings are exposed between heaven and earth and experience erosion by wind and waves. They rarely remain intact for a long time, adding a kind of perishable and dilapidated beauty.

Vanuatu is a republic that gained independence in 1980 and is located in the Southwest Pacific. Its territory is a Y-shaped island chain composed of 13 large islands and 70 small islands, with approximately 850,000 square kilometers of water under its jurisdiction. The land area is about 13,000 square kilometers, mainly mountainous areas covered by dense forests.

According to research, the ancestors of the Vanuatu people migrated from Southeast Asia through Indonesia about 3000 BC, and the current population is about 200,000. Among the ethnic groups in Vanuatu, 98% are Vanuatu and belong to the Melanesian race. The post-independence constitution stipulates that all land in Vanuatu belongs to the indigenous Melanesians and their descendants. Vanuatu has simple folk customs and kind indigenous Melanesians. They usually settle in various islands in families and tribes. They speak 115 different dialects, and each household has a piece of land allocated by their ancestors or chiefs.

Sand painting is a "unique skill" passed down by the indigenous people of Vanuatu for generations, which is superior to the sand painting art in other parts of the world. The so-called sand painting is a variety of shapes directly drawn with one finger on the open-air sandy beach) and the ground scattered with volcanic ash or mud.

There are about 80 tribes who speak different languages living on the islands of central and northern Vanuatu, and sand painting emerged as a communication tool between different tribes.

Sand painting is not only a painting but also a "communication means"

Sand painting is a form of artistic expression that is "in one go". The main feature is that painting and stories advance at the same time and complement each other. The painter uses one or two fingers as a pen and the ground, sand, and volcanic ash as paper. While singing lightly, he draws a curve continuously according to inevitable laws. What the painter tells is a story passed down from mouth to mouth, and what he paints is the corresponding mysterious symbols established by convention. As the painter's fingers moved, the lines continued to expand, the patterns became increasingly plump, and the story became dark and bright. After the story is finished, the painting is also finished. A balanced, consistent, elegant and regular sand painting pattern appears on the "paper". Painting a picture is an artistic performance and a heart-to-heart communication. At present, the folk art display of sand painting performances can be seen at scenic spots such as the Wa National Museum, the "Mysterious Garden" Ecological Museum, and major celebrations such as the National Art Festival.

Sand painting is also an important carrier for remembering things. In Vanuatu, different islands and tribes speak different languages, making information communication and cultural exchanges inevitable difficulties. Nature has given endless sandy beaches, so locals use local materials to record various news through sand paintings. Every line, every rise and fall, and every turn in sand painting has a specific meaning. The different combinations of various lines constitute the meaning of the difference.

Sand paintings are also used to record bequests and convey knowledge of rituals and myths, as well as a large amount of oral information about local history, craftsmanship, and humanities, such as: tribal systems, religious rituals, myths and legends, scientific phenomena, farming seasons, livestock breeding, construction craftsmanship, song singing, dance choreography, etc. Vanuatu sand paintings are not only "pictures", but also a beautiful web of connected songs, stories and knowledge. Sand painting experts in Vanuatu must have a rich knowledge of chart patterns and a deep understanding of the connotation of sand painting. Because he must be able to explain their meaning to the audience.

More importantly, sand painting is a "real" means of communication that is still in use and plays a primitive social function. Vanuatu is composed of more than 80 small islands. People are scattered and settled on each island based on families and tribes, and there are not many opportunities for face-to-face communication with each other. People from different tribes in central Wa and northern islands and speaking different languages still communicate and express their feelings through sand painting, a rich and vibrant image method.

Sand painting has become Vanuatu's national business card

The themes of Vanuatu sand paintings mostly stem from the reverie of some myths and legends, and some are also impromptu depictions of real-life scenery, such as turtles, canoes, human faces, etc. The dazzling geometric shapes they drew with their fingers were not only quite accurate in composition, but all line segments were almost symmetrical. What is even more amazing is that the most skilled indigenous artists can draw an entire sand painting with one stroke from beginning to end.

A good sand painting can be "interpreted" through different methods. It can be a work of art, a source of information, or a trustworthy work of meditation; it can tell a story, sign a signature, or simply leave a message; it can be used as a password to understand certain mysterious groups, as proof of owning a certain piece of land, or as a curse with some kind of magic.

Vanuatu's sand paintings are dominated by some of its northern islands, especially Ambrim Island, Pontecot Island and Malecula Island. For example, on Ambrim Island, 180 types of sand painting patterns were discovered. Sand paintings painted by the fingers of primitive tribal artists there have become a famous world tourist attraction.

At present, sand painting is well passed down among the diverse communities in the northern and central islands of Vanuatu, with Malamba and Penama provinces particularly famous for their sand painting. Sand painters with superb skills are highly respected because they not only must have rich knowledge of patterns and solid painting skills, and be able to draw the entire work with their fingers from beginning to end, but also have a deep understanding of the history, culture and the world, and have a deep understanding of sand painting. Connotation and explain it to the audience.

In order to promote the art of sand painting, popularize the knowledge of sand painting, and enhance the awareness of all walks of life in protecting intangible cultural heritage, primary and secondary schools in Vanuatu often hold sand painting competitions. In the 2008 competition, the organizing committee received more than 2400 sand painting works from nearly 50 primary and secondary schools across the country, some even from Tafia Province in the southernmost part of Wa. Vanuatu Post Company and Vanuatu Air also actively participated and provided sponsorship. Four students from Malecula Island in Malamba Province won the first prize and received a tuition exemption for the entire year of 2009.

The Vanuatu sand painting tradition survives in diverse communities on the central island of Vanuatu, often displayed as a folk custom decoration to foreign tourists and other commercial purposes. At present, sand painting patterns have been widely used in the design of Vanuatu banknotes, stamps, calico, promotional materials and other important occasions, becoming the business card of Vanuatu and the pride of the nation.