Date of Completion
2025
Thesis Type
College of Arts and Science Honors
Department
Art History
First Advisor
Sooran Choi
Keywords
Okinawa, Ryukyu, postcolonial, art activism
Abstract
The Ryukyu Islands, a subtropical archipelago in the East China Sea, have been shaped by centuries of foreign rule, transitioning from a Chinese tributary state to a Japanese vassal, and now enduring a disproportionate U.S. military presence. This thesis argues that Chinese subordination, Japanese colonization, and U.S. neocolonialism have profoundly influenced the islands' cultural identity and contemporary art. By examining the works of artists like Yuken Teruya, Jirō Kinjō, Nadoyama Aijun, and Moeko Heshiki, this thesis explores how their art reflects the social, political, and cultural realities of a colonized population, using postcolonial frameworks to examine themes of identity, resistance, and survival.
Recommended Citation
Martineau, Lucas Frédéric, "Postcolonial Voices—Art, Identity, and Resistance in the Ryukyu Islands: The Cultural Implications of Geopolitics in the East China Sea" (2025). UVM College of Arts and Sciences College Honors Theses. 158.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/castheses/158