I have been thinking over the last few years about the conflicts in so many of the regions in the world. Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Darfur; and now Syria, are just a few of the places where we have little understanding of their culture, and people. I find myself thinking that these people in countries with funny names like Darfur are different than us.

Somehow by making them different in my mind, I don’t have to feel their suffering quite so intensely.

Of course, I really want to feel the plight of these people, and see them as a member of our extended human family. I thought that maybe I could learn more about their lives, and their countries. And me being an artist, maybe I could study their art, making a connection that might tie us together in some slight way.

I propose that we all do a little research on non-western art.

As an example :

I found an unbelievable website devoted to the Indian Ocean Cultures, cataclysmic wave that hit there. Maybe we could add to these websites, and build a library of sites that have to do with arts in these far off lands.

The links below are a start, the countries of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Indian Island culture are three of the most impacted lands.

General Introduction to Indian Ocean Culture, The Art of Polynesia :

Articles                                https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-oceania/polynesia

The Art of Melanesia          https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-oceania/melanesia

The world of Micronesia    https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-oceania/micronesia

The Arts of Asia          https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia

Japanese Art   https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/art-japan

Art of Southeast Asia              https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/southeast-asia

Art of the Americas before WWI      https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-americas

Peruvian Textile and Crafts, The Paracas Textile

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-americas/south-america-early/paracas-nasca/a/the-paracas-textile

Native American Art     https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-americas/native-north-america

Transformation Mask    https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/indigenous-americas/a/transformation-masks