By Samiha Uddin
I am ethnically Bengali and Japanese. Being the product of various ethnic groups has been fulfilling as I can pick and choose my communities whenever I wanted. Despite that, no cultures fully saw me as their own, and it was challenging to fit into the mold each culture wanted me to be. I found myself looking for minuscule things to change about myself–to escape the denials and make-believes. Years of attempting to sculpt my identity based on the two cultures and their norms have only led to the buildup of a disfigured clay. I did not know my identity.
After years of reflection, I have realized that I don’t owe either culture anything. Lastly, while Bengali and Japanese cultures may seem very different, it is through the arts that we see different identities echo off one another. I found solace in learning about Arts across Asia and their messages because, despite their region, they share a lot. The essences of the arts are more similar than different.
Capturing Cultural Identity in Japanese Art
18th Century
Fujin Sōgaku Jittai (“Ten physiognomies of women”) and Fujo Ninsō Juppin (“Ten classes of women’s physiognomy”) by Japanese artist Utamaro were published during 1792-1793. Collectively these artworks are called Ukiyo-e art, and its primary subjects consisted of courtesans, prostitutes, geisha, and overall beautiful Japanese women. Japan is a conservative nation that values tradition and constructs a lot of its identity or an individual’s ideal characteristics based on social group and assimilation. Thus, these artwork constructed by Utamaro surprised many as it challenged the notion that women were compliant and feminine, especially during the 17th century. Furthermore, Shogunates (military dictators) in Japan tried to restrain his creative expressions multiple times. Despite this, he continued to create his art. While the subjects weren’t portrayed provocatively anymore, his later paintings entwined a lot of the themes from his previous work inconspicuously. While it cannot be ignored that geishas, courtesans, and prostitutes were common in Japan and comprised a large part of Japan’s cultural identity, it is still quite subversive to depict this aspect of the Japanese culture during his time. While his artwork wasn’t representative of a woman’s identity in a holistic manner as the art is from a man’s perspective, his attention to detail and unique yet realistic compositions are a part of what made them so relevant.
Amongst the numerous artwork within the series, Uwaki no Sō is most popular. It portrays a young woman with a seductive look to her eyes, careless yet graceful positioning of her clothing, and open breasts. While the physical beauty of the woman hasn’t been reduced–staying true to Japanese art about women during the 17th century, it is diverging away from the stereotypical beauty everyone was accustomed to in Japanese art with a female subject. In a way, it empowers women because it is displaying a woman who, according to Japan, is at the bottom of the social class, beautifully. Culture and identity are connected; however, one shouldn’t dictate the other. In this case, the subject’s identity as courtesans, prostitutes, or geisha, is showcased despite it being “preposterous” in Japanese culture. Lastly, challenging the depictions of women in Japanese painting was how these cultural values changed. In other words, artwork such as this sparked a movement where artists began to take the reality of their culture and depict them in a new way–slowly changing how things have been in the culture by disseminating a new idea or an old idea in a newer form.
21st Century
Japanese culture emphasizes the values of respect. When Chiharu Shiota was nine years old, she witnessed her neighbor’s house burn down. The charred piano immediately caught her attention. Later, when she wanted to play her piano again, her mother did not allow it as a way of respecting their neighbors. For Shiota, the silence of the charred piano lingered in her heart, making her feel as if her voice had died with the house. While she isn’t able to express every aspect of her emotions relating to that event, the silence imposed on her due to her culture has influenced this artwork.
Shiota has also lived in Berlin where she met people from different cultures. Her experiences impacted how she viewed her own cultural identity. In Berlin, her perception regarding culture and identity became clearer—leading her to integrate pieces of her cultural identity within the abstract structures. Being silent in Japan is the norm, and therefore it became a part of her identity. However, she utilized her experiences being silent to express herself. Creating various structures was a way for her to convey that although something may lose its function, it doesn’t lose its beauty.
“In Silence” is a recreation of the event artist Chiharu Shiota experienced, with the burning of her neighbor’s house and the scorched piano amidst it. The piano is entangled and sunken within black wool, creating a sketch-like image. It creates an eerie and despondent aura as we feel trapped, being snarled up within the eternal darkness. However, we cannot help but acknowledge that while this creation may connote a negative aura, it is quite beautiful because it enhances the impact of the piano. The discordant weaving of the charcoal wool allows us to visualize the powerful music it once produced—the music that disseminates with so much impact that it becomes difficult to decipher and understand it all like the tangled wool that is engulfing us. She makes things that are inexpressible with words feel real and present.
Lastly, the piano gets clearer once we put ourselves within the web and get closer. Once we try to understand something, delve deeper, we see the complexity of something in detail. After, we see it getting clearer. The more Shiota delved into her culture, the clearer her artistic vision got—facilitating the creation of these arts. Similarly, the more Shiota delved into the event that once silenced her, the more she sought to understand it through art.
Capturing Cultural Identity in Bengali Art
20th Century
In Bangladesh, Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan is heavily integrated within every aspect of the culture, whether that be in the education system, the workplace, and or media. Something that is less discussed is the years of colonialism Bangladesh endured. During the 18th and 19th centuries, when Bangladesh was still a part of India and later Pakistan, the British East India Company established various trading posts in Bangladesh due to its resources. As trading posts increased, so did the integration of British norms. Currently, students can enroll in either the British or the national curriculum for the school. Furthermore, a lot of Bengalis seek to integrate western standards within their culture. The ability to be more western indicates one’s social status. For example, if one behaves or looks like the west, they are seen as someone from a higher social class.
Artist Shahabuddin Ahmed integrated the traditional oil on canvas style common in Europe. Western art had a large influence on his work. However, his artwork is distinct in that it’s quite minimalist and the subjects or location he chooses are things or people found in Bangladesh. While colonialism is terrible, it did bring with it various arts which when combined with the talent of other artists, created something beautiful.
“Freedom Fighter” by Ahmed showcases a hero-like subject with defined muscles, slowly blurring into the background. The subject seems to be speeding through the canvas only to have exploded near the end. There are ruptured flesh and blood. Shahabuddin is against violence, and this art conveys that point by showcasing the ugliness of war. However, the light and occasional vibrant colors channel a sense of inner beauty—the courage and resilience of those that fought. So, while Bangladesh was built through violence and has suffered from colonialism, he is not only taking a stance against that, he is also showing that it doesn’t mean we need to detest the beautiful parts of that culture. Cultural appreciation through the arts can be the bridge to understanding and empathy on both ends.
18th Century
The plains of Bengal offer a lot of rich alluvial soil that can be used to create art. Sculptures utilize clay to craft detailed art with intricate shapes and textures. While the use of clay to create art is not specific to Bangladesh, the way it was used is unique to the culture of Bangladesh.
This clay art is a part of the Kantajew Temple in Bangladesh. It was built by Maharaja (king) Pran Nath in 1704. The designer of this temple is unknown. It depicts the history of the Gods and Goddesses within the Hindu scriptures. Every panel tells stories of wars, love, and natural disasters.
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