Art Movement

Not many people are aware of the existence of Oceanic Art. So what is Oceanic Art? Is it an art which looks like Pop art? Or maybe Street Art? Wait no, it's an art which has a relation to the sea or ocean? No, no and no. Now let's get back to the main question again. What is Oceanic Art?

OCEANIC STATUE ART

Oceanic Art is an art creation that has been made by the natives people of the Pacific Islands, Hawai'i and Australia. In these places there are various kinds of tribes which has their own tribal culture and many more. These places are broken into four separate regions which comprises of Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia and Australia. All four regions have created an art called as the Oceanic Art which was highly affected by the western influence and colonization. Their arts undergo many changes from time to time as their artistic creation began to expand greatly throughout the cultures and regions.

OCEANIC STATUES ART

Every art form has their own meaning and most of them symbolized fertility or something related to supernatural. Painting, wood and stone carving, textile work, petroglyphs and tattooing are a few of the Oceanic Art creations. 

CANVAS ART

Do you know that one of creations is very famous among people around us today? Well, there's only two words to describe it and it is "Maori Tattoo". Yes, Maori Tattoo or also know as the Polynesian Tattoo is one of the famous design that most people would like go as a tattoo as it has a strong meaning behind each's design. 

SPEAR HEADS WITH ENATAS

For instance, the spear heads which can be found in every Maori Tatto design represent a brave warrior. The design of that particular spear head is to express the courage and dare to fight. Spear heads are normally combined with other symbols to express a different meaning. For example, when a line of spear head is shown together with a line of enatas upside down along it's side, it will express the meaning of defeating enemies. 

To me, Oceanic Art is a very unique art form as it is completely different from other art in terms of both designs and the formation of it. It was back in 2009 in Honolulu, Hawai'i when I first saw a real Oceanic Art. It was a statue of a man wearing a big mask which represents the tribe's leader. Starting from that onwards, Oceanic Art quickly became a part of my soul and that was the reason why I always love Maori design until now.

Maori Tattoo

REFERENCES: http://www.apolynesiantattoo.com/