islaRae at Isla Center for the Arts, FestPac 2016

Isla Center Collaboration hosted the Maori Sculptors,

and welcomed all who visited to get hands-on with all different types of clay. Some clay they even brought with them ​​from New Zealand. It was a special treat to watch their building and carving techniques, and join in with the public to feel the healing and grounding of working with earth.

A Hotnu, or clay oven, grew before our eyes as we learned how to mix the silica, water and twigs, and then hand build. There was a firing at the end of the event, where the beautiful pieces created were made into lasting works of art.

islaRae Isla Center Collection Contributor when invited to create a bust with Maori Sculptress Stevei Houkamau. To learn the significance of her symbols, many akin to Guam's ancient language, and to represent the Creative Sainas' Story here at home, was a great honor. See more of Stevei's work here.

At Isla Center islaRae also gave a lecture on indigenous signs, symbols & patterns as seen on pottery & petroglyphs. Sharing the forms indigenous visual language here on Guam opens bridges of knowledge between island nations outside of indoctrinated systems. It opens our humanity to the memory of the arts as people's first language, and perpetuates it with the creation of new works.

Many Thanks to the folks at Isla Center, UOG Head Sculptor Lewis Rifkowitz, and Super Delegate Monaeka Flores for making this such a strong and memorable FestPac2016 Venue.