East Timor Arts Society – EAST TIMOR ARTS SOCIETY

The History of Timor-Leste (East Timor)

The following is a timeline of the history of Timor-Leste (East Timor). 1600s – Portuguese invade Timor, set up trading post and use island as source of sandalwood. 1749 – Timor split following battle between Portuguese and Dutch. Portuguese take the eastern half. 1942 – Japanese invade, fighting battles with Australian troops. Up to...

12,000 year old art shows how spiritual life transformed en route to Australia

A cave dig in Indonesia has unearthed a unique collection of prehistoric ornaments and artworks that date back in some instances to at least 30,000 years ago. The site is thought to have been used by some of the world’s earliest cave artists. New findings challenge the long-held view that hunter-gatherer communities in the Pleistocene...

East Timor – Art In A New Country

East Timor is the first country of the XXI Century, which got its independence in 2002. Before that, the people struggled for their freedom. In 1975, East Timor was invaded by Indonesian troops and remained there until 1999. During this period, in a country with less than one million people, around 100,000 people were killed....

East Timor Graffiti Turns Into Street Art

East Timor gained it’s independence back in 1999, but life hasn’t been easy since the country’s 2006 civil unrest. The youth, who make up about 60% of the country, have taken to the streets in an effort to spread their messages of hope. The walls along the streets of East Timor are covered with graffiti...