Expression in Asian Art

Does religion quite curtail the expression of Asian art? Asia is jam packed with faithful people from different sectors of religions. One country may be a mixture of religions from Christianity to Buddhism yet we know that there is one that dominates each nation. And yes, from this prevailing faith lies the ideology that shaped the culture, tradition, and political history of one’s race.

Wall painting, more than being an ornate to a place is an expression of thoughts and feelings combined. Imagination puts knowledge in the backseat. It can run wild. It is a place in our mind that seems infinite and vast ‘till creativity operates to fill the vastness with visions and powerful emotions. Filling this vastness however is curtailed with factors such as values, inhibition, and moral consideration for others. Given these, in a society where norms and values prevail, with traditions that need to be followed, with culture that asked for warm embrace, expression of art is in no doubt curtailed. Thus, Asian art is expected to blend with all these factors and not these factors submitting or giving in to Asian art.

Religion, no matter what sect, needs to be respected not unless we speak of cults that eat human flesh or kill people as offerings to God. We speak here of religions that talk about philosophy of making the people succumb to good. This message may come in different versions or translations like how one statement of good deed is written in religious books of Christians, Buddhists, Islam, and some other more. However, making a wall painting out of these may not always suggest approval on their teachings and the religious icons that represent them. It is art anyway. It is the artist’s view on his subject. And as audience of these arts, we can tell what is too much and what is just right without tracing law from the constitution that guides the creation or expression of art.

Wall Paintings in a very conservative country can be sexual, violent, or anything pertaining to imperfection and frailty of human beings but targeting the religious icons which people worship, and which people deem as refuge to their tribulations is in no way a sign of moral consideration. It is hitting on icon which people believe as sacred. We are not in a way triggering arguments on religious terms like paganism or blasphemy but just simply moral consideration that has guided and founded the values of the constituents of a nation.

Religious icons are in human form.  Be it a sculpture or a wall painting, portrayed is a human being. Painting this form as disfigured in a very questionable way is unacceptable. We, humans, know what is insulting and mockery without consulting the constitution.