Chinese Name: 雷斌
Date of Birth: 1972
Place of Birth: Pingtung County (Southern Taiwan)
Did You Know?
Masegeseg Zingerur, who has been working in the art of ancient Paiwan pottery for many years, played the role of Isa, a leader of the Seqalu tribe in the Taiwanese historical TV drama "Seqalu: Formosa 1867 (斯卡羅)." Director Tsao Jui-yuan saw a photo of the artist and thought he was perfect for the role, and Masegeseg Zingerur's performance in the drama more than met the director's expectations, while also helping Taiwanese audiences get to know him better.
Masegeseg Zingerur is an artist from the Paiwan tribe, born in Sandimen Township (三地門鄉), Pingtung County. His father, Qumas Zingerur, was a master of glass bead art and had a prominent position in the indigenous cultural and artistic community. Masegeseg Zingerur was introduced to indigenous cultural crafts by his father at a young age, and was deeply involved in the preservation and revitalization of indigenous culture. He received his education in art from high school to graduate school within the art academy system.
In 1999, Masegeseg Zingerur founded the first studio, Ruladen Art Workshop, dedicated to the study of ancient Paiwan pottery. To better understand the materials used in these ancient pots, he even broke several of his vuvu's ("grandparents" in Paiwan) pottery pieces and experimented with different types of local clay to recreate them. The patterns and symbols on the earthenware pots all carry cultural values that his vuvu wanted to convey. To pass on this precious traditional culture to the next generation, Masegeseg Zingerur not only holds exhibitions throughout Taiwan, but also serves as a craft lecturer at universities and high schools, teaching students how to make pottery. Due to his contributions to the preservation of this traditional craft, Masegeseg Zingerur was recognized as a preserver of indigenous cultural heritage by the Pingtung County Government in 2022.
Masegeseg Zingerur is an artist who prioritizes preserving traditional culture over personal creative development. For nearly twenty years, he has focused on researching and creating traditional Paiwan earthenware pots, while his personal creations mainly consist of ceramics, sculpture, painting, and installation art. Masegeseg Zingerur believes that traditional art has a highly degree of cultural significance—after all, without immersing oneself in the traditional cultural aesthetics of a community and preserving that culture, how can one create modern art with a deep cultural meaning, let alone creativity and innovation? In his personal creations, he often uses installation art and ready-made techniques to express his observations on the conflict between tradition and modernity. His works have a strong cultural identity and reflect his profound conceptual reflections. His paintings showcase highly skilled techniques and convey a sense of deep contemplation on the meaning of civilization.
The word for earthenware pots in the Paiwan language is reretan, which is one of the "three treasures" of Paiwan material culture, common items in Paiwan society, namely earthenware pots, glass beads, and bronze knives. Pottery has been made in Taiwan for six millennia and was originally owned by tribal leaders or nobles. In Paiwan and Rukai society, the earthenware pot plays a symbolic role and is an important item for passing down through generations, as well as a significant gift during weddings and a tool for traditional rituals. Pottery holds great importance in these two cultures, representing social status and identity, and connecting the community. It is used for a variety of purposes, including worship, betrothal gifts, and brewing alcohol, and comes in a range of different types identified by their patterning, such as the "male pots" with snake and human patterns, the “female pots” with sun patterns and protrusions, and the “yin-yang pots” that combine features of the previous two.
Paiwan people’s earliest pottery vessels were simple round pots without any patterns. Over time, they evolved into circular flat-bottomed pots with simple sun patterns, diamond-shaped pots with snake patterns, and pots with circular feet. These vessels were considered sacred and were placed on the pottery shelf in the main hall of the home. In indigenous societies, pottery vessels were essential for occasions like dining, worship, weddings, and oath-taking ceremonies, with different types of pottery jars required for each type of event. This tradition continues to this day, and as such, the continuation of the tradition of pottery craftsmanship is vital.