Panel Discussion: Laos Today and Laos Yesterday
Presentation by Ambassador Charles Salmon
Where: East-West Center Gallery, Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Rd., HonoluluWhen: August 30, 2009
What:
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Exhibition: Cosmic Creatures: Textiles from Northeast Lao Communities
Weaving residency: June 28-July 8, 2009
Guest Curator: Patricia Cheesman
Installation: Michael Schuster & Lynne Najita
Featured weaver: Dalounny Phonsouny "Aire" Carroll
Laos P.D.R. is a land-locked country in Southeast Asia with a small population of 7 million. The textiles in this exhibition come from the provinces of Houa Phan and Xiang Khoang, previously known as Muang Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan respectively. This northeast region is mountainous and borders Vietnam. In Laos there are over sixty different Lao-Tai and other language groups.
In the past a Lao-Tai woman wove all the textiles needed for her family and a good weaver was the pride of her community. She processed plants into dyes and wove silk and cotton which she grew or collected from the forest. Today women continue to weave their traditional masterpieces for the tourist trade, many still using natural materials and dyes. Usual weaving techniques are continuous and discontinuous supplementary weft and weft ikat but supplementary warp and warp ikat are still made in the northeast. The textile motifs of the Lao-Tai people in various countries can be recognized, although many have changed their names.Two motifs stand out, that of the serpent and the bird.
Xam Nuea people were shamanic,
worshipping their ancestors in the form of cosmic Visiting Curator and Artist In 1988
Patricia Cheesman was invited by Chiang
Mai University
to lecture in the Thai
Art Department.
Since then she has made Thailand
her home building relationships with weavers, lecturing worldwide and
contributing to international exhibitions. Her relationship with weavers
inspired her to form Weavers For the
Environment. This women's group aims to improve the well being of
the weavers and their environment. Members of the WFE weave in their
homes throughout Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. In 1985 Cheesman, founded
Studio Naenna to bring the products of WFE to an international market. Accompanying
Ms. Cheesman is traditional Lao weaver, Dalounny Phonsouny "Aire" Carroll. 
creatures whereas the
neighboring Phuan became Buddhist, but maintained many shamanic rituals. The
strange creatures of the shamanic tradition reinterpreted well as the hybrid
heavenly beings in the Buddhist mythical forest of Himmaphan.
These two great belief systems expressed themselves most profusely in their
textiles. This exhibition gives us a glimpse into the heavens of the peoples of
northeast Laos
where serpents are powerful allies and can become human; birds can turn into
elephants, serpents or boats, through an art-form created by women.
This exhibition is made in cooperation with Patricia Cheesman and Studio Naena. Also thanks to Hawaii Pacific Rim Society, Friends of Hawaii Charities, and contributors to the EWC Foundation, for their generous support. Educational outreach was arranged in cooperation with TEMARI.
East-West
Center Gallery, John
A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road (corner
Dole St. & East-West Rd.)
Gallery
hours: Weekdays: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sundays:
Noon-4:00 p.m.
Closed
Saturdays and holidays
For further information: 944-7584
http://arts.EastWestCenter.org
Primary Contact Info:
Name: Michael Schuster, Curator
Email: schustem@EastWestCenter.org
Phone: 944-7584
