The Influence of Cultural Identity on the Creation of Art

 January 23, 2021

Reading Time: 20 minutes

TL:DR

 Discover the hidden stories behind culturally influenced art, unravelling the rich tapestry of
traditions, beliefs, and experiences that shape our artistic creations.

 Explore how cultural identity in art challenges stereotypes, breaks barriers, and opens up new
dimensions of understanding, fostering a more inclusive and interconnected world.

 Be inspired to support and engage with art that embodies cultural identity as we celebrate the
beauty of diversity and consider commissioning a unique piece that resonates with your own
personal story.

How Does Cultural Identity Influence Art?

Is it cultural identity that influences art, or art that constructs culture? Self-conception or self-
perception forms part of a person’s sense of cultural belonging, but how do time, place, and culture
influence art?

Each individual requires a certain level of regulation in his or her life, which he or she can only find in the
community of other people, and this is what determines the existence of cultural identity.

Cultural identity is associated with a person’s awareness of his own community membership, which
allows us to understand our place in the socio-cultural space and freely navigate the world around us.

How Does Culture Affect Your Identity?

Cultural identity is defined by a person’s conscious acceptance of appropriate cultural norms and
patterns of behaviour, value orientations, and language. Cultural identity has a significant impact on the
intercultural communication process.

As a result, it presupposes a set of consistent qualities that cause certain cultural phenomena or people
to elicit feelings of sympathy or antipathy in us. We choose the appropriate type, manner, and form of
communication with them based on this.

Finding Your Cultural Identity

So, how would you go about discovering or rediscovering your cultural identity? Perhaps you could try
new foods and travel to your parents’ home country, if it differs from the country in which you now
reside.

Learn something new or bring back a cultural ritual to share with family and friends. You might even
discover that this gives you a new perspective on life and a new sense of identity.

Cultural Identity Psychology

In a modern society where the process of globalisation is deepening, constant contact between people
from different cultural backgrounds will prompt reflection on cultural identity. Personal and national
identity are built on cultural identity.

It has recently emerged as an important interdisciplinary field and one of the topics of interest to
psychologists. Cultural identity research in psychology focuses primarily on developmental psychology,
social psychology, and cross-cultural psychology.

According to developmental psychology, the construction and formation of individual cultural identity is
a complex process of change. The relationship between cultural identity and self-esteem is the focus of
social identity theory. Individual self-esteem will rise as a result of a strong and secure national identity.

Importance of Maintaining Cultural Identity

Cultural identity preservation is critical in order to maintain a sense of oneness and belonging among
members of a particular cultural group. Poetry, traditions, dance forms, songs, rituals, and language are
all examples of cultural heritage that forefathers passed down to the current generation.

It sometimes feels as if its very survival is jeopardised as a result of today’s hectic lifestyles and
overwhelming social obligations.

The preservation of cultural heritage is founded on the protection of cultural identity. Cultural heritage
is a right that must be safeguarded by the laws of the land.

Only through the preservation of our various heritages will future generations be able to understand
and live according to the standards perceived by our ancestors.

"When one has weighed the sun in the balance, and measured the steps of the moon, and mapped out
the seven heavens, there still remains oneself. Who can calculate the orbit of his own soul?”

Oscar Wilde - De Profundis: The Ballad of Reading Gaol and Other Writings (1905)

How Does Culture Influence Art?

We hear the words ‘culture’ and ‘art’ all the time, but we do not always understand what they mean or
how deeply they have meaning. How are they related and how does art affect our culture?

Culture has been studied by philosophers, political scientists, educators, and others. The ancient Greeks
associated culture with good breeding, education, and a love of the land.

 Physical culture is a subset of general culture that aims to improve a person’s physical skills.
Physical culture emerged during the early stages of society’s development and continues to
evolve to this day. Physical education now denotes not only concern for one’s health, but also
one’s status as a social being. This culture is used in pedagogy as well as in family life, work, and
education.

 Spiritual culture is a body of knowledge about religion, communication, creativity, and morality.
Spiritual culture is formed as a result of a person’s ideas about the world around them and
themselves as a part of that world.
  Artistic culture is a collection of aesthetic artistic values. Art, as the embodiment of artistic
culture, has an impact on a person’s feelings and emotions. Not only must the best elements of
ancient art be preserved, but new ideas must also be introduced into the modern understanding
of art.

 Popular culture, as a subset of folk culture, is formed by the tastes of many people in a given
society. It represents various forms of entertainment, including music, television, the internet,
and sports. Art movements can influence society by forming opinions, instilling values, and
unravelling experiences in the real world. Painting, music, composing, and various articulations
are frequently regarded as a repository for an entire population’s total memory.

Teaching Culture through Art

Hands-on art experiences are an excellent way to teach culture, whether its differences or similarities.
Many arts and crafts projects can engage all five senses and appeal to people of all ages.

The combination of sensory learning and cognitive development are some of the many benefits is
especially for children. I am sure many readers have tangible items from school that they remember to
this day!

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his
language, that goes to his heart."

Nelson Mandela

How Does Culture Influence Art?

Art is a vital component of society. History clearly demonstrates that art is more than what the senses
recognise, but it is also a reflection of how colourful culture is. Various cultures have shaped and
influenced art, causing it to look the way it does today.

The Greeks are undoubtedly one such example. They were the ones who came up with a clear definition
of what art is all about. Greek art is known to have five distinct forms. Painting, jewellery making,
sculpture, architecture, and pottery are examples of these forms.

The Greeks

Greek panel painting is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious art form. Panel paintings are
mobile paintings that are created by hand on wooden boards. Encaustic painting and tempera were
among the techniques used in this form of art. Portraits and still lives are common subjects for these
paintings. Wall painting is another type of painting that has gained popularity among Greeks.

This art has a long history dating back to the Minoan and Mycenean eras. The “Tomb of Persephone” in
Vergina, Macedonia, and the “Grace of Phillip” are two well-known examples of wall paintings.
Polychromy, or the use of multiple colours, was also a result of the Greeks’ imaginative thinking. It has
been used to improve the visual appeal of Greek edifices and sculptures.

Artists Who Explore Identity

  Alja Horvat The work of this young Slovenian artist is inspired by the culture of the 60s, 70s, and
80s. Horvat prefers to create illustrations on a graphic tablet but also likes to use gouache and
acrylic paints. The peculiarity of her work is the skilful combination of pastel shades, as well as
the image of greenery, the moon, stars, or the sun in all her works.

 Brunna Mancusa has extensive experience in the creative field and currently works with
publishers and advertising agencies. At the same time, Brunna sees in her work a large space for
experimentation in art with the help of other tools such as ceramics, embroidery, and engraving.
The watercolour illustrations brought fame to the artist – they can be described as bold,
modern, and feminine.

 George Grosz was a German artist known mostly for his caricatured drawings and paintings of
Berlin life in the 1920s. Grosz was fiercely anti-Nazi, and his work is a very powerful visual record
of German society of the time. He moved to America during the war, becoming a naturalized
citizen of the U.S. in 1938, and returned to Berlin in 1959.

 Banksy: I would be extremely surprised if you have not heard of this artist before. Banksy’s work
manages to brilliantly pass commentary on a variety of subjects, both by being influenced by
culture and influencing culture itself. I recommend checking out both Dismaland and The
Walled Off Hotel, or by going directly to Banksy’s website.

How Does Culture Affect an Artist’s Work?

This is an excellent question. Rather than comparing different artists under different cultural growth, the
growth environment and political environment are compared vertically to the artist’s personal artistic
career.

The aesthetics and preferences of the artist’s creation will, of course, be influenced by the growth
environment, as will the artist’s entire artistic career and even his life. It means that an artist’s work is
influenced by culture.

To some extent, all artworks are products of their culture, reflecting prevailing assumptions and beliefs.
The greatest works of art, on the other hand, have the ability to transcend their time of creation.

Expressing Cultural Identity Through Art

Artists may use self-portraits or work that is symbolic of ancestry or culture to explore or portray their
identity. This could be an attempt to see how they fit into contemporary culture. In order for artists to
understand their environment and the world around them, they must first investigate themselves.

Expressing Tradition Through Art

Many artists have used art to explore questions of identity throughout the centuries. Despite the fact
that our ethnicity or sexuality shape who we are, identity is fluid rather than fixed.

Our personal experiences, as well as the socio-political realities of our time, can alter our perceptions of
ourselves and others.

We constantly reconsider our place in the world, as individuals and as members of communities, no
matter where we live. This is especially true for those of us who are immigrants.
How Art Can Be Used to Challenge or Subvert Cultural Identity

Cultural identity is an important part of a person’s self-concept and can influence their behaviour.
Theoretically, we know that cultural identity gives people a sense of belonging and self-esteem; having a
strong cultural identity can lead to positive outcomes like self-esteem, happiness, and a sense of
purpose.

However, identity politics can be abused by those in power through a cult of personality, as seen in the
Nazi invasion of Poland.

Throughout the war, Poles used culturally coded signs and symbols to defy Nazi authority and rally
support for the armed resistance movement.

Marian Rejewski, Henryk Zygalski, and Jerzy Rozycki, three Polish cryptologists, were the first to crack
the Nazi Enigma cypher machine. Before the invasion of Poland, the code was deciphered and handed
over to the British secret code-breaking group Ultra, which was established at Bletchley Park.

Furthermore, posters, shrines, and statues, were used as visual symbols of Polish cultural identity and
Catholicism during the Nazi occupation.

There has been a surge of creative expression that contradicts the dominant societal narrative over the
last decade.

There have been a number of movements that have been especially influential in the Western world.
From the art of the #MeToo movement, to Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist Ai
Weiwei, these are examples of art that has impacted society and changed people’s perspectives.

Many artists hope that their work will raise people’s awareness of the nonsense they are fed on a daily
basis, that are a challenge to, or subvert cultural identity.

What is my Cultural Identity?

I am sure the theme of “split identity” will strike a chord with many of you. I have strong ties to two
countries that share a long and complicated history. The lyrics to “Irish Blood, English Heart” by
Morrissey, is a good starting point.

Over time identity develops, I identify as a European with a naive interest in internationalism.

I believe that humans should work together to advance their common interests across national, political,
cultural, racial, and class lines.

Governments should work together because, in my opinion, mutual long-term interests are more
important than short-term disagreements.
Conclusion: Culture is Art, Art is Culture

I hope you found my article on the impact of cultural identity on art interesting. I know that many
people have questions about this subject, so I tried to think of some interesting ways to think about it.

I discussed whether one influences the other through art or culture. If culture influences art, it follows
that culture is a component of art. Art, on the other hand, is a component of culture.

I believe it is obvious that art reflects our way of life, our environment, and our world. It is a symbolic
structure that reflects human territory on the planet. Engineering, design, drawing, and painting are
examples of art structures, and our predecessors chose how to communicate their craft as well.

Culture is eventually “human scholarly accomplishment respected of all things considered”. Art is, of
course, a part of and an expression of culture as a whole. When we study history or are inspired by it,
we are influenced by the way of life that existed previously. Art is a medium that can allow people to
express their cultural identities and goals.