In the September 1965 edition of the Pacific Profile, the late Senator, Historian and Publisher Antonio “Tony” Manibusan Palomo featured the late Enrique Reyes Benavente as a Chamorro sculpture. In this particular photo, Benavente was in the process of sculpting a woman’s head out of a coconut.
During the interview Benavente shared his aspirations, which I felt were quite spot on and the simple basis for how our ancestors were able to self-sustain and thrive in the Mariana Islands for thousands of years:
“We are not living the best way if we do not use what we have around us. God gave us the wood I see; also the clay, stone, and all the growing things. We must look, and find, and think. I think about how to make this into something beautiful. Then at night when I can’t sleep I think again of what to make tomorrow. Sometimes I dream about it. We must use the things around us. You see? That is the way.”
The article goes on to state that Benavente was originally from Agana, but later moved to Inarajan after marrying Francisca Duenas in 1929.
