Vanuatu's sandy drawings

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With forefinger, the technique consists in digging a furrow on the sand whose surface will have leveled. The artist begins with drawing a framework or grid. Then, he'll draw his "motif" rolling the furrow round in this grid.

Themes are numerous : objects or animals which are evidently characteristic of Vanuatu and can have a ritual function.The same technique is also used to leave a message to his neighbour who is not at home.
There is also themes which are linked to the sacred. According to the mythology of the south-west island called Makalula (where is from the opposite drawing), spirit of dead man tries to reach the land of the dead. The access of this one is symbolized by a rock in the sea and it is guarded by a feminine spirit. This feminine spirit suggests to the spirit of the dead man a passage ordeal which consists to complete the drawing that the keepress has already drawed on the sand as on the opposite photo.