Blind Ducks in Borneo

The appearance of Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse on hand-painted window blinds in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, presents an interesting convergence of globalization, local entrepreneurship, and artistic and cultural appropriation. In adopting these cartoon characters, the painter has created a livelihood for himself, but he has also identified with them in more personal ways and found in them an artistic focus. The result is not simply an instance of cultural hybridity but an example of the ability of local artisans to invest the products of international capitalism with new meanings drawn from their own experience and cultural traditions.'