Reviving classic crafts with modern makeover
IN THE heart of Malaysia’s vibrant cultural tapestry, each craft tells a story of the nation’s diverse traditions and history.

As a way of treasuring them, artisans have been weaving contemporary innovations with tradition.

Songket element on stylish corset

Fashion is a form of self-expression, and to Foo Why Kei, 23, and Wan Amirun Naim Wan Bahruddin, 24, it is a chance for them to reimagine how the intricate fabric is used.

The two like-minded artists created the songket corset as their first clothing line for their brand, Arbitrary Collection.

“The songket corset is a unique fusion of traditional Malaysian songket fabric that is sewn into the silhouette of a modern corset.

Chuo has successfully turned his interest into a significant project that helps revive national heritage.

“Songket is a luxurious-looking material with gold or silver threads woven into the fabric, so it becomes the focal point of the corset,” said Foo, who explained the reason behind using songket.

Wan Amirun added, “We wanted to honour the craftsmanship of songket weaving, which is particularly special to me as someone from Terengganu that is considered the cradle of songket art.”

The duo’s collection was released in March this year and it managed to appeal to young Malaysians.

Grateful for the positive reaction, Foo and Wan Amirun revealed the marriage between the Malaysian craft and the Western fashion garment was through a journey of trial and error before they found the potential of combining the two different aesthetics.

Having produced the songket corsets, the Arbitrary Collection founders are excitedly exploring other avenues for fashion fusion.

“We wish to continue releasing collections inspired by other cultures in Malaysia, including festivities like Chinese New Year, Thaipusam and Christmas,” said Foo.

Like many other young creators, Foo and Wan Amirun were not exempted from criticism when their corsets gained attention among the public.

“There were people who told us we were ruining traditional culture, even though we had no ill intention at all.

“I believe it is because they assumed the corsets we make are like undergarments and was disrespectful to combine them with a traditional material,” said Foo.

Unlike traditional corsets worn by women to shape their bodies, Arbitrary Collection’s trendy creations can be worn simply for fashion and are not tight fitting.

Foo said a lot of women nowadays wear a corset as an outer layer of their outfit, as a fashion piece.

“It is versatile because it can be paired with a blouse, dress or any kind of long or short-sleeved top that you like,” she said.

While she and Wan Amirun accepted the mixed public feedback, they hope more people will come to appreciate their vision.

Wan Amirun said that by incorporating songket into a fashionable contemporary garment, they hoped to introduce the fabric that was historically worn only by the rich, to more people and see it worn by all Malaysians.

“The songket has great potential of being recognised widely, so this is our contribution to make it more accessible and relevant to everyone,” he said.

Art Nouveau mythology on batik

Farah uses folklore and mythology as subject matter for her batik art.Farah Mohan, 32, found her calling within a Malaysian attire: batik.

It all came naturally to the daughter of a seamstress and a keris maker, when she was still figuring out the next step to take after graduating with an architectural degree in 2014.

“Batik is a mixture of fabric and design, which, combined with my passion for watercolour art during that time, was a perfect business medium to get into,” said the founder of Novak Batik.

According to Farah, she intentionally steered away from the floral design typically associated with batik, infusing them with techniques she learned in architecture school instead.

“My older batik style was influenced by Art Deco, an architectural art movement that involves geometric motifs.

“Then, nature found its way into my work and I slowly moved into Art Nouveau, a more elegant style that incorporates nature motifs and flowing lines,” she said.

The songket corset comes in several different colours.Farah described her art style as feminine with a touch of mythical energy, and it is evident in the batik art series she submitted in 2021 for the “1000 Tiny Artworks Exhibition” organised by Artists of S.E.A.

Her work “Within the Lake’s Embrace” expresses the gamut of emotions she went through in her creative journey.

“This girl with long, silky black hair born from the lake yearned to explore the world beyond its confines, but every single time she left the lake, she would be too intimidated by the daunting eyes outside, threatening harm to her.

“The weariness turned her hair grey, which could only be revived by returning to the lake.

“The day that I finished the series was the day I left my ‘lake’ for good, as I finally beat my creative block,” Farah shared.

The artist is not one to shy away from merging different cultures together, being a Malaysian who lives among an amalgamation of rich heritage.

A painting Farah made of one of the animated films from Studio Ghibli, Spirited Away.

Her Mid-Autumn Festival lantern installation at Kwai Chai Hong, near Kuala Lumpur Chinatown, was inspired by the Chinese folklore of how the Jade Rabbit got its name.

“The rabbit sacrificed itself to a poor, hungry old man who was secretly the Jade Emperor, so it was saved and brought into heaven as Jade Rabbit and became the companion of Chang-Er, the moon goddess,” said Farah.

She visualised the tale by painting, using batik technique, an image of Chang-Er ascending to the moon on the rabbit’s left ear, and the happy life she lived with the Jade Rabbit.

This inspired Farah to dive into Malay folklores as well and she painted the stories of Bawang Merah Bawang Putih, Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup and Puteri Buloh Betung.

Farah’s painting for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is about women being each other’s pillar in their lowest moments.

Her works are often emotionally moving, just like the pink-themed painting of a group of women that she made to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Pop-culture is in her radar too, so characters from Japanese Studio Ghibli animations and the popular Barbie film have been used as subject matters.

“For tradition to remain relevant, it must evolve while still honouring its core values.

Kesatria Kelawar puppets, modelled after Batman and Superman, are clad in sarong for a Malaysian look.

“That means showcasing its potential for innovation and enjoyment to the younger generations, the ensure the longevity of our crafts,” she said.

Multimedia wayang kulit in the galaxy

Another artist upholding a similar perspective is the mastermind of the award-winning team Fusion Wayang Kulit.

Founder Tintoy Chuo was ahead of his time when he submitted two Star Wars-inspired character shadow puppets, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, for an art exhibition called “Designers Weekend” in 2012 with his friend, Teh Take Huat.

“I was a big fan of the sci-fi film franchise and had envisioned combining it with something traditional to create something extraordinary,” said Chuo.

The idea, which had been kept-in-view since 2007, turned out to be a big hit among the visitors and inspired them to turn the experiment into something more solid.

Even as a machine, Ah Tuh − inspired by Star War’s R2-D2 − does not appear out of place donning traditional motifs.

Not long later, the 13th accredited tok dalang (master puppeteer) of the Kelantan Traditional Malay Shadow Play (WKMTK) art school, Muhammad Dain Othman, brought his over 30 years worth of experience to the table and joined the team.

Chuo reminisced about their first-ever live show titled Peperangan Bintang, Malay for Star Wars.

“Many fans came to check out what we were coming out with.

“It was meaningful to not just me, but our live traditional musicians as well, because they had missed hearing the cheers that hadn’t come from a shadow play performance in a long time.

“Although it came from a different kind of crowd, they loved it and began having more trust in the movement that we were doing,” he said.

Since then, the team has been deeply committed to reviving the dying art by conducting performances based on pop-culture references, like the Marvel and DC Universes.

To translate modern, 3D characters into traditional, 2D puppets, attentive consideration and planning is put into it.

“We try to match their identities to the primary characters of Kelantan’s shadow puppetry stories.

(Left) Foo shows how the songket corset can be worn over a long-sleeved maxi dress.Chuo used Star Wars’ Darth Vader as an example, “As the main villain, his design was referenced from Maharaja Rawana, the villain of one of the original stories.

“To make him appear less futuristic and mechanical, we adjusted his lightsaber to mimic a flame, added repeating motifs and curves to his armour, and added a sarong as part of his attire.”

To further retain its originality, they made sure to adhere to the Malaysian shadow puppet style.

“Depending on the direction the puppet is facing, its front arm must be mobile, while its back hand will hold the character’s representative tool or weapon,” said Chuo.

The designs are traced on paper and pasted onto a cowhide, which a craftsman cuts according to the pattern by using special nails and hammer.

The two-week process is finished by colouring the puppets and adding bamboo sticks as handles.

When it comes to live performances, a lot of technology is involved to enhance the visual effects.

“A projector is used to cast animated backgrounds with changing colours or movements, and we may also have voice-changers to portray non-human characters, like monsters and robots,” said Chuo.

He said their objective was to revive shadow puppetry among the youth, saving it from the risk of extinction.

“Using pop-cultural inspirations is an effective way to captivate youth, and in turn save the dying art.

“We believe that the work we have been doing for more than a decade now is significant in instilling the awareness in them,” he added.
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IN THE heart of Malaysia’s vibrant cultural tapestry, each craft tells a story of the nation’s diverse traditions and history.