Postcolonial Art and Film

Colonialism: The historical and social processes by which European powers acquired and maintained territories outside of Europe through military conquest, economic exploitation, and cultural domination.

Postcolonialism: An intellectual and critical movement that seeks to analyze and understand the legacies of colonialism and imperialism, and to challenge the dominant narratives and power relations that have emerged from these historical processes.

Decolonization: The political, social, and intellectual movements that have sought to undo the legacies of colonialism and imperialism by reclaiming indigenous identities, cultures, and histories.

Hybridity: A concept that describes the blending and mixing of cultures, identities, and ideas that occurs as a result of colonial encounters and migration.

Diaspora: The dispersion and scattering of people from their original ancestral homelands to other locations around the world.

Gender: The social and cultural meanings, roles, and expectations assigned to different biological sexes.

Queer: An umbrella term that refers to LGBTQ+ identities, practices, and communities that challenge normative gender and sexual identities and practices.

Intersectionality: The interaction and interplay of different social and cultural identities such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and nationality, and how they intersect and shape experiences of power and oppression.

Postcolonial Film: A genre of film that incorporates postcolonial themes, concepts, and critiques into its narratives, characters, and visuals.

Postcolonial Art: A genre of visual art that engages with postcolonial themes, concepts, and critiques, and that often reflects the hybridity, diaspora, and diverse cultural influences that have emerged as a result of colonial encounters.

Resistance Art: This type of art is created as a form of resistance to colonialism, imperialism or neo-colonialism. It often takes the form of protest art and uses visual or performance art as a means of expressing dissent.

Hybrid Art: This type of art is produced by artists who are of mixed cultures or who draw inspiration from different cultural sources. Such art often reflects the complexities of postcolonial identities and the intersections of multiple cultures.

Diaspora Art: This type of art is created by artists who have migrated from their countries of origin and who draw inspiration from their experiences of displacement and diaspora. Diaspora art is often characterized by its exploration of themes of identity, belonging, and diasporic communities.

Nationalist Art: This type of art is produced as a means of promoting and celebrating national identity in postcolonial societies. It is often associated with the struggles for independence and identity that followed colonialism.

Feminist Art: This type of art is created by women or in support of feminist political and social movements. It often explores issues of gender and sexuality in postcolonial societies and challenges patriarchal norms and practices.

Queer Art: This type of art is created by LGBTQ artists or in support of LGBTQ rights and issues. It often explores the intersections of sexuality, gender, and race in postcolonial societies and challenges dominant heteronormative discourses.

Postcolonial Film: Postcolonial cinema refers to films that explore postcolonial themes or issues. Such films often deal with the historical legacy of colonialism and imperialism, and the ongoing struggles for identity and liberation in postcolonial societies.