VISUALIZING HISTORY - KUAM NEWS



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SINAHI

On November 21 I gave a talk for the MARC Seminar Series at the University of Guam.   This talk was meant to encourage a continuing discussion of the crescent-shaped, carved body ornament called Sinahi by contemporary Chamorros.   My interest in this object is due to the fact that it has become a major icon of Chamorro identity, yet its ancient origins and usage is a mystery.   To summarize my talk: ·       The name Sinahi was given by contemporary Chamorros because it looks like a crescent moon.   This is confusing because Sinahi actually means New Moon, meaning the dark moon.   According to my sources, ancient Chamorro language described the waxing moon as Sinahi---( i.e One, Two) , using ancient terminology for the   enlarging size of the crescent over the month’s cycle.   Contemporaries shortened these terms to just Sinahi .   In the northern Mariana Islands, it has been called Kalang , meaning pen...
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Guam PDN: Batik Painting with Judy Flores

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 Article by Therese Padua Howe Guam PDN. Photo also by Therese. Correction and clarification: This story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Heather Beaman's last name in photo captions. If you haven’t taken advantage of Judy Flores’ batik painting workshops yet, you need to go online now and grab a slot in one of her monthly sessions — they sell out fast. The workshops are a unique opportunity to learn firsthand from one of Guam’s cultural icons, and it’s a master class in the ancient Indonesian art form of painting based on a wax-resist dyeing technique. The three-hour workshops take place at her garden studio in Inalåhan, where she has tables set up in her covered patio areas for her small groups of students. I was lucky enough to spend Saturday afternoon at her July workshop, and was pleased to discover that despite my lack of artistic talent, I was able to create some colorful silk scarves that I would actually wear or could give away as gifts. Flo...
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Shirley's Special Batik

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  SHIRLEY’S       Batik on silk, 20”x 16”  May 2020      I rarely do commissions for portraits unless I know the subject personally.  Her daughter-in-law, Debbie, asked me to paint Shirley's portrait as a birthday gift to her husband, George.  I have frequented several of the Shirley's restaurants over the years, enjoying her excellent shrimp fried rice among other delicious dishes for which she was well-known. I had met her a few times but didn't know her personally. Portraits are so subjective, I feel I have to know the person in order to portray a bit of their personality.  Debbie shared many photos of Shirley and talked about her life and aspects of her personality that she felt were important.  Through our conversations, I was impressed with the accomplishments of this woman.  After making a few sketches based on photographs, Debbie agreed that I had captured her look and personality, so I proceeded wi...
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