Pacific island art

Culturally, heritage art was very closely tied to Pacific Islanders’ beliefs and spirituality. Heritage arts are primarily functional in nature and serve a specific ritualistic purpose in ceremony and in cultural practice. Aesthetic concepts created a link between humans and the divine and gave material expression to the phenomena and powers around them. Although the regions are close to each other, Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian artistic styles differ from one another and yet all revolve around the use of natural materials. They include carving and sculpture (wood and stone), mother-of-pearl or bone engravings, weaving, pottery and bark cloth printing. Pacific heritage arts are important repositories and reference points for indigenous knowledge.