Stories about Arts & Culture from February, 2021
Myanmar illustrators unite to distribute protest art for free
"Like all other Myanmar citizens, artists want to contribute to the national struggle... artists can assist other protesters with our artworks..."
Philippines’ ‘Paradis Island’ has a message for ‘Attack on Titan’ fans
"We are an innocent island in a lake in Laguna and we have nothing to do with Titans."
Guatemala's ‘La Llorona’ fuses horror and politics to tell a haunting tale of the civil war
"La Llorona" is the first Central American film to ever be shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the Golden Globes, which will be held on February 28.
Downtown Kingston’s new murals brighten Jamaica’s COVID-19 gloom
Jamaica's creative sector, which had begun to show many 'green shoots' prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, has been particularly hard hit — but it is forging ahead in novel ways.
Barbadian pop superstar Rihanna gets flak for wearing pendant of Hindu god in lingerie post
While some social media users felt the photo was disrespectful and tone deaf, others thought the controversy was much ado about nothing.
Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouthi's death mourned by many
Mourid wrote: "It’s fine to die, once, our hands crossed on our chests, empty and pale, with no scratches, no chains, no banners, and no petitions."
Farewell to Japanese sculptor who became a local hero in Prilep, North Macedonia
'During his short lifetime, and even shorter career, Ryota Koshika became one of the most prominent classic sculptors working in marble from Japan.'
Lost and found: The struggle to preserve Nepal's linguistic heritage
Parents insist on proficiency in Nepali or English in school to ensure good job prospects for their children; at least 24 indigenous languages in Nepal have become ‘endangered.’
Some Western observers share Central Asia's misgivings about Alexey Navalny
"Western policy-makers even turn a blind eye to the fact that Navalny’s foreign and security policies run directly counter to Western objectives. Maybe they think it’s worth the gamble."
Nearly six centuries after his birth, who owns Alisher Navoiy, the ‘father of Uzbek literature?’
February 9 marks the birth anniversary of a 15th-century Afghanistan-born poet who championed Turkic heritage, and became a national literary symbol in Soviet and later independent Uzbekistan.
China shuts down its most popular piracy website—is it just about copyright?
Netizens wonder whether the crackdown had something to do with Xi Jinping’s ideological battle against "Western values."
El Salvador project illustrates the ‘invisible’ African roots of common Latin American words
To celebrate 'Salvadoran Afro-Descendant Month,' we illustrated some of the many words of African origin in the Spanish of El Salvador.
Musician Chantal Esdelle on how the pandemic is bringing Trinidad & Tobago Carnival back to itself
'We get to focus on how we want to make [Carnival] work for us again: activity and participation rather than production and consumption.'