The artist Shaq Koyok was born in Kampung
Pulau Kempas in Banting, Selangor. He started painting with oil pastels
at five years old, using his talent as a way to express his feelings
about everything that happened around him, weaving a tapestry of
sensitive human emotions and events in his life and most importantly the
“rights of indigenous people in Malaysia.”
As he turned 13, Koyok started drawing
portraits and since then has worked with many mediums. Today, this young
artist armed with an honors degree in fine arts from MARA, he has
produced works reflecting his growing concern about the Orang Asli
people in Malaysia. In his own words, Koyok says “My activism activities remain the most important to me. I shed light on issues affecting my community.”
With growing developmental projects in
Malaysia, vast amounts of the rain-forest that once covered Peninsular
Malaysia have been cut or burnt down for commercial purposes. The risk
to environment, land and indigenous people continues to grow as Malaysia
partners with first world countries in the race to become more advanced
and rich.
In this scenario, native tribes like Orang Asli are concerned about their coming future. They are listed into the world’s indigenous people,
the term Orang Asli means “natural people” or “aboriginal people” in
Malay, is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to
Peninsular Malaysia. Officially, there are 18 Orang Asli tribes and
today they comprise only 0.5% of the total population in Malaysia with a
total number approximately is somewhere around 148,000.
Malaysia track record, as well as
international community support for assistance to Orang Asli has been
historically unsatisfactory and needs to be criticized. An artist like
Shaq Koyok is testament to the growing concerns of the remaining Orang
Asli who sit precariously between Mother Nature and business, and whose
voices are deliberately suppressed by those sitting in power. The
artist’s love for nature and cultural preservation comes from his roots,
and Mother Earth that is depicted in his artistic masterpieces.
Shaq also
collaborates with North South Initiative, Malaysia run NGO by using its
office space as a gallery which simultaneously gives visitors and
collaborators a glimpse into Shaq’s creative world.
Shaq Koyok
despite living in an urbanized setting has a deep love for nature and
cultural preservation coming from his roots, and is depicted in his
talent to his raise awareness. More over he is disturbed by the plight
faced by his people today — from the loss of land to the destruction of
the surrounding, natural habitat.
He says, “Art allows me to express what I
cannot put into words. Orang Asli communities face many problems with
modernity; they’ve been slow to embrace it. I feel it’s my
responsibility to spread the message, and tell their side of the
story. I hope the world can see what’s happening, as there’s a story
behind every painting.”
The above painting called “In Confessions Of Palm Oil,”
Shaq Koyok depicts how the planting of the crop has deprived the Orang
Asli community of fertile soil for their agriculture. Shaq’s primary
inspiration for his artwork is his own people – the Orang Asli and he fights through art to see the change he wants for indigenous peoples here.
In today’s world, the voices of the
little known tribe Orang Asli and issues haven’t been given attention
because the community is too small. But Shaq’s work is a strong voice
for the change necessary for the preservation of one of the last
remaining native people in the world.
