CRAFT AND NATIONHOOD |
Objects play an important role in the construction of national identity. Flags, souvenirs and ornamentation provide material evidence for a sense of place. A common national identity can be sought after in Australian craft collections. Today, national identity is being transformed through debates about republicanism and multiculturalism. Can contemporary craft offer a distinctive voice to these discussions of national identity? Do those with second-generation experience have something special to say through their craft? |
| Noris Ioannou warned of the dangers of globalisation and the need to
maintain cultural distinctions. He praised ethnic folk traditions that reflected their
local context. Noris' paper attracted much debate about the need to limit craft along ethnic lines. |
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Hanh Ngo spoke of the difficulty in returning the Vietnam and being
considered a foreigner. She presented her work as a means of dealing with the
incommensurate nature of Australian and Vietnamese life. Hanh was questioned about her sense of disappointment in her work not being accepted by Vietnamese at home or abroad. |