Amid the sago fronds trailing from
ceiling to floor, the fierce wood carvings, and the talons of eagles and
monkey skulls hanging on the wall, half-forgotten stories of shamans,
myths and magic lurk at an exhibition at Galeri Petronas in Kuala
Lumpur.
To much of “modern” society, the indigenous world is one
cloaked in mystery, often served up in exotic packaging and blanketed in
the warm glow of romanticism. But wait!
This isn’t quite the tone that associate professor Dr Baharudin Arus, curator of group exhibition
Manah: A Living Legacy
at Galeri Petronas, is keen to adopt. In fact, if there is to be just
one thing this impressive showcase has to drive home, it would be the
representation of indigenous culture in a new context that challenges
the notion that it is mysterious, inferior or backward.
“Our aim
is to dispel the prejudice and misconception towards indigenous arts and
culture,” says Baharudin, who is with Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s
faculty of humanities, art and heritage.
“In my opinion, the term
‘exotic’ or ‘unusual’ given to their works and material culture is not
quite right. Whatever they produce are for rituals and utility, for
their own consumption and use. Their work is based on their beliefs,
worldview, rituals, myths and taboos. Our modern society, too, came from
similar beginnings,” he explains.
There is no magic or exoticness
about the indigenous culture if we understand their worldview, he adds,
noting that such opinions stem from misconceptions and a lack of
understanding or awareness.
“My experience with the Mah Meri and
Jah Hut and some of the Sabah and Sarawak indigenous groups convinced me
that these people have rich religious rituals and performance culture.
This culture needs to be highlighted in order to educate the general
public about their expectations and perceptions from an indigenous point
of view,” he says.
image: http://www1.star2.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/str2_oumanah_ou_9.jpg
Alena Ose Murang’s The Storyteller (acrylic, charcoal on canvas, audio, 2017).
He
stresses, however, that an exhibition of indigenous people “similar to
an anthropology and antiquity show” will not do justice to the cause.
“It
is not fair for us to judge them based on our expectations and
achievements. What we should highlight instead is the local knowledge
and ingenuity of the indigenous people that we have learned from, but
failed to acknowledge.”
This exhibition, the first to be held this
year at Galeri Petronas, features artworks from four young indigenous
artists in their 20s and early 30s: Kendy Mitot (Bidayuh), Kaleb Anyie
Udau (Kenyah) and Alena Ose’ Murang (Kelabit) from Sarawak, and Shahar
“Shaq” Koyok (Temuan) from Selangor.
There are also collectible
items on display, including war shields, rafts, wood carvings, articles
of clothing and paintings, to complement the exhibition.
image: http://www1.star2.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/str2_oumanah_aa_dl.jpg
Shaq’s Per(TEMUAN) (mixed media installation, 2017).
According to Baharudin, the exhibition title,
Manah,
means “ancient” and “permanent” and originates from the Temiar
vocabulary. The Temiar, one of the Peninsular Malaysia’s subtribes of
Senoi, are ardent weavers and are known for their beautiful handwoven
mats and baskets.
“For this exhibition, we coined this title,
Manah,
because it indicates that the arts and culture of the indigenous can be
traced back to ancient times and that the culture we have today
originated from previous civilisations and achievements. ‘Ancient’
refers to the origin of the indigenous people, and ‘permanent’ to their
culture and arts that has stood the time from its beginnings till
present day,” he explains.
Kendy’s
Bilayar Simonggi I’eng D’e Piobuo (
The Last Voyage Of The Souls/Spirits),
a grand display crafted out of sago fronds, boyuh tree bark, rattan,
beads, bells and other objects procured from the jungle and from
wildlife that calls the rainforest home, draws inspiration from the
items used during the rituals performed during Gawai.
image: http://www1.star2.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/str2_oumanah_ou_6.jpg
Kendy
Mitot’s Bilayar Simonggi l’eng D’e Piobuo (The Last Voyage of the
Souls/Spirits) (mixed media: sago frond, boyuh tree bark, rattan, binuak
wood, beads, bells, batik cloth), 2017).
In this installation, figures hewn out of wood sail into eternity on boats suspended in the air.
“The
rituals performed by the shamans provides a ‘bridge’ for them to
traverse the space between this world and the other, which you reach by
climbing a ladder for three days,” relates Kendy.
But time is a
relative construct, of course, so three days in the world of smoke and
mirrors are mere seconds in this world of solid ground beneath our feet
that we think we know.
“This might be the last year people
celebrate Gawai this way because the people who do this now are in their
70s and older. And sadly, the younger generation are more interested in
social media than customs and tradition,” laments Kendy.
image: http://www1.star2.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/str2_oumanah_ou_18.jpg
Terabai (war shield) by Abang Anak Entarey (1973).
Indigenous
motifs venture beyond aesthetics, with symbolism and meaning assigned
to every flick of the knife, every stroke of the brush, every image
captured and carved. Kaleb’s
Urip Suai, a totem painted in stark black and white, is a reminder of eternal life.
“The motifs are not just decorative, each element has a meaning behind it,” says Kaleb.
“What
the rest of the world calls art, to us are just everyday objects. The
Kenyah believe that life after death is longer than the life we
experience here on earth, but such ceremonies with totems are dying out
as quickly as people are converting to other religions.”
At any rate, the assimilation of the “traditional” and “modern” is hardly foreign, as demonstrated in Shaq’s
Per(TEMUAN)
where he weaves tradition and heritage with modern-day city living
quite literally, combining the “original” weave with material from
banners, billboards, posters, magazines and newspapers.
“Logging
and encroachment in my village have resulted in us having to travel
further just to get to the jungle to forage for herbs, plants, food and
material for weaving items we use for ancestral ceremonies. This work is
my way of saying that traditional culture and modern living can
coexist, just as I am an indigenous person living in the city attempting
in my ‘soft’ way to give a voice to the indigenous folk in rural
villages and creating awareness on the issues they face,” he says.
Alena’s
The Storyteller is
an acrylic and charcoal work, accompanied by old Kelabit songs which
she learned from the village elders. These songs, which are stories told
through music, impart life lessons, values, advice, with rather
colourful elements like love affairs, animal sacrifices and headhunting
thrown into the mix.
image: http://www1.star2.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/str2_oumanah_ou_8.jpg
Tan Wei Kheng’s Kelabit Man Wth Brass Earrings (watercolour on paper, 1992) from the Petronas
Art Collection.
“Many
of these songs have been forgotten or not sung anymore, which is a pity
because they teach you everything, from how to live with nature, how to
collect water, how to take only what you need from the jungle,” she
says.
“We don’t talk about how to ‘look after nature’ because we
are not superior to it. We are nature, we are all part of nature…I think
the indigenous people really know how to live this way.”
Manah: A Living Legacy
is on at Galeri Petronas in KLCC till April 16. For more information,
visit galeripetronas.com.my. In conjunction with the exhibition, there
will be a Papier-mâché Making and Indigenous Weaving workshop
facilitated by Shaq Koyok and Kendy Mitot on March 18 (10.30am-5pm) at
the gallery. March 26 (10am-12pm): Storytelling for Kids (Tales of the
Kelabit Highlands) with Alena Ose’ Murang. April 15 (10.30am-5.30pm):
Art Discussion: Music And Folktales Of Indigenous Communities. All
events are free.
Read more at
http://www.star2.com/culture/arts/2017/03/12/galeri-petronas-rolls-out-an-exhibition-highlighting-the-art-of-indigenous-living/#2llYXxQcE6YHPzVr.99
