Bringing light to the countryside
Located in Chaozhou’s Sangong Community, the old Wu family home had stood unoccupied for half a century. After Art Rumah moved into the residence, Wayan used bamboo provided by local residents and a wooden door from an old house to skillfully create a one-of-a-kind bar. The ceiling was draped with swaths of colorful dyed cloths, giving the inside a warm and cozy feeling.
The residents slowly learned more about the two artists through their continued interactions, and Le Le heard many of the stories of the Sangong Community. Then she invited local residents to put on a play called Sangong Drama. Wayan created masks and puppets with vivid expressions, while Le Le led the rehearsals for the mostly elderly residents. Le Le says that in the beginning when they were assigning roles, everyone was a little demure and unwilling to choose a role. But by the end of the first rehearsal, the residents became quite spirited, and rushed to inquire about any available roles.
Le Le also says that the old house used to be a place of recreation for neighborhood kids, and local residents had been raised on the goat milk from the goat farm there. Although the scene of people gathering and chatting in the evenings while the children played can no longer be seen, glimpses into the past can be conveyed through plays. In this way the youth can get to know local stories and memories that connect across generations.
Learning about local stories and how the residents view the community is the first step in Wayan’s creative process. Wayan says, “These works not only give beauty and art to the village, but most importantly, they get young people to understand the value of creativity and the strong ties art has with the community.”
The “Samba Grandma” statue created by Art Rumah for the Xin’er Community in Pingtung’s Yanpu Township is an example. Residents felt that the community’s samba drum team made the community famous. Wayan drew inspiration from Yanpu’s flower industry to design the Samba Grandma’s costume based on the flowers grown locally. When visitors come to Yanpu, they are entranced by the beaming grandma statue, and residents can take pride in introducing their community.
Wayan has enjoyed his time going to various communities to instruct residents in creating art installations. Despite not being fluent in Chinese, his friendly smile bridges the distance between them.