Artwork Appreciation
Iyo Kacaw, from Hualien Makuta'ay, conveys the situation of aborigines in contemporary society and the reflection on environmental issues through creating. In the work, The Land Eaten by the Sea, the warm wood is orderly arranged in a concentric circle, symbolizing the magnificent power of the sea. A plant is planted in the center and is rooting toward the gradually reducing land. Iyo Kacaw utilizes this as a metaphor for environmental destruction. The coast was once the source of life for the people as well as the boundary between the sea and the land. Originally, the sea and the land were in a symbiotic relationship, but somehow, the land slowly disappeared. This is not only a loss of soil, but also a loss of cultural history, identity, ceremonies and memories.