Artwork Appreciation
Etan Pavavalung is born in the Davalan settlement of the Paiwan tribe in Sandimen, Pingtung County. Etan Pavavalung was heavily influenced since his early ages by fellow artisans and craftsmen in his family, and is extremely familiar with traditional Paiwan arts and its cultural spirit, employing a diverse selection of creative themes and media that include poems, prose, paintings, carvings, and videos. Creative poetic styles inspired by his natural homeland as well as the mythical and historical cultural elements of the Paiwan were used. Growing up on this Land employed grain-whittling panel carving techniques that symbolize the artist’s deep love and appreciation for the land that he grew up in. Etan Pavavalung incorporated simple geometric symbols to represent the origins of life in an artwork that serves as an extension of his people’s aesthetics.