Breaking Free from Silence, Voicing Resilience

Supported by the Ministry of Culture’s Kuroshio Project, the showcase features a diverse lineup of Indigenous talents. Participating artists include Mayaw Biho (Amis), Chang En-man (Paiwan), Labay Eyong (Truku), Rngrang Hungul (Truku), Ali Istanda (Bunun), Iyo Kacaw (Amis), Aluaiy Kaumakan (Paiwan), Idas Losin (Truku and Atayal), Ciwas Tahos (Atayal), and creators from the Makotaay Eco Art Village.

Ali Istanda, After the Flood, There Are Islands, 2023. Woodcut print, 88 × 434 × 4 cm.

Chang En-man and Jazmin Novak, Snail Paradise Trilogy: Setting Sail or Final Chapter, 2021–2025. Embroidery and text on paper mulberry bark; hull made of aluminum and safflower wood, 50 × 100 × 400 cm.

Indigenous Art and Activism

Co-curated by IAIA MoCNA Chief Curator Manuela Well-Off-Man, independent curator Nakaw Putun, and NTMoFA curator Jay Chun-chieh Lai, the exhibition centers on Indigenous art and activism in Taiwan. The diverse artworks serve as a poignant response to pressing contemporary issues, including ethnic history, land memory, language revitalization, and environmental stewardship.

“These issues are also shared by Native American and First Nations communities in North America,” Manuela Well-Off-Man has noted. “Furthermore, this exhibition explores contemporary Indigenous identity, self-representation, survival, and resistance.”

Idas Losin’s A Tribute to Gauguin? series comprises four magazine-style portrait pieces: Poton, Si Jiazgat, Bakan, and Labay. Using layered brushstrokes and rich, vivid colors, Losin clearly intends to engage in a dialogue with the legacy of French Post-Impressionist Paul Gauguin. However, she deliberately strips away the exotic tropical landscapes often associated with his work, shifting the visual focus entirely onto her Indigenous subjects. Despite its title, the work is far from a “tribute.” As Well-Off-Man explains, “Her portraits are not born from the fantasies of an outsider, but from her authentic lived experience as a Truku woman. By emphasizing the dignity and contemporary status of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples, she transforms an artistic approach tainted by colonial history into a powerful medium for Indigenous self-affirmation and storytelling.”

In a similar vein of reflection, Ali Istanda presents After the Flood, There Are Islands. Having grown up in the Luanshan (Sazasa) Indigenous community, the artist draws profound sustenance from the oral histories passed down by tribal elders. Through her depiction of a great deluge, Ali reimagines the intricate relationships connecting human beings with each other, the island, and the marine environment. According to curator Nakaw Putun, the artwork “highlights how a new generation of Indigenous youth looks back on their own culture, the underlying meanings of their myths, and the aesthetics of post-disaster survival with an agile and unburdened perspective.”

This exhibition also features compelling pieces by three resident artists from the Makotaay Eco Art Village: Tanivu Tapari’s Makotaay’s Spinning Top, Raito Low’s Tanatanetek, and Tsai Jia-hong’s Hala Fruit as an Indication. These are complemented by a screening of the acclaimed film Wawa No Cidal (2015), co-directed by Cheng Yu-chieh and Lekal Sumi Cilangasan. The physical location of the Makotaay Eco Art Village is deeply significant. Situated on ancestral farming lands in Shitiping, Fengbin Township, Hualien County, the territory was finally reclaimed in 2020 following a protracted “Return Our Land” movement. Through diverse perspectives, these artworks vividly illustrate how the harsh realities of land rights struggles intertwine with artistic activism to shape the contemporary habitats of Indigenous communities.

Idas Losin, A Tribute to Gauguin? series, 2025. Oil on canvas and mixed media.

Rooted in traditional weaving techniques, Labay Eyong’s creations feature fiber lines that sprawl organically, symbolizing growth and reconnection.

Breaking Ground: Art and Activism in Indigenous Taiwan—Taipei Edition Dates: Now through August 21, Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00 (Closed on weekends and national holidays)

Venue: Ministry of Culture Gallery (1F, South Building)

Address: No. 439, Zhongping Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City

An exhibition panel details the history of the Makotaay Eco Art Village. Located on ancestral farming lands in Shitiping, Hualien County, the territory was officially reclaimed in 2020 following a “Return Our Land” movement.

Centered on Indigenous art and activism in Taiwan, the Breaking Ground exhibition serves as a powerful response to contemporary issues including ethnic history, land memory, language revitalization, and environmental stewardship.