Lotus

Issue 3 Summer 2016

The Blue

Arts Magazine

Ketna Patel
Joel Cristobal
Shadow Play Puppetry
Eric Choong
Nicholas Choong
Kartika Affandi
Zheng Yuande
Jessica Volpe
1

Lotus
The Blue

Arts Magazine

The same stream of

life that runs through
my veins night and day
runs through the world
and dances in rhythmic
measures. It is the same
life that shoots in joy
through the dust of the
earth in numberless
blades of grass and breaks
into tumultuous waves
of leaves and flowers. It
is the same life that is
rocked in the ocean-cradle
of birth and of death, in
ebb and in flow. I feel my
limbs are made glorious
by the touch of this world
of life. And my pride is
from the life-throb of ages
dancing in my blood this
moment.
Rabindrnath Tagore

Summer 2016

inside....
6 Editorial

Thoughts on the current issue

by the Founding Editor

16 Asia Pop

Ketna Patel
26 Shock of the New

National Gallery Singapore review

36 Joel Cristobal

Philippine Painter

54 Eternal Champions

Reviving Shadow Play Puppetry

56 Lost and Found

Gallery Review

68 The Journey and Beyond

Community Pharmacy in Malaysia, book signing

76 Eric Choong

Fashion Designs

92 Kartika

Dr Christopher Basile
102 Kartika Affandi

Dr Astri Wright
108 Love Me In My Batik

Batik exhibition gallery review

124 Zheng Yuande

Charcoal drawings

136 Nicholas Choong

Graphically

150 Jessica Volpe

Sur Ralit

162 Going Bananas about Bananas

Food review

The Blue Lotus Arts Magazine Summer 2016 Editor: Martin A Bradley

email: martinabradley@gmail.com TBL TM Published June 2016 cover: Freedom by Eric Choong

Lotus
The Blue

Arts Magazine

Welcome to the

The Blue Lotus Arts Magazine.

With this issue we saunter through the Summer of 2016, continuing

to bring the best from Asia to a waiting, anticipating world, and the
world, or at least some of it, back to Asia.
Herein combines established and establishing artists and designers,
Asian and Western, from the Britain/India via Africa, US of A, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. Subjects vary from Asian Pop
Art to Malayan tigers, intriguing sculptures, exciting new Malaysian
fashion design and a fresh look at traditional Asian puppetry. Gallery
reviews look at a retrospective of batik painting and the brand new
National Gallery Singapore.
The next issue (Autumn) will exclusively feature Lombardy (Italy),
and Catalonia (Spain), until then....
The Blue Lotus is a platform for international cooperation, aiming to
bring creative Asia to the world, and the creative world to Asia.
Now read on

Martin Bradley
(Founding Editor).

The Blue Lotus Arts Magazine is an entirely free and non-associated publication concerned with bringing Asia to the world, and the world to Asia

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15

ASIA

PoP
Ketna Patel

From

the often overwhelming Japanese PoP Art

of Takashi Murakami to the correctly political images
of Chinas Wang Guangyi, Pop Art in Asia has either
mimicked the likes of 60s darlings Andy Warhol and
Roy Liechtenstein/Jeff Koons or the manga much of its
images hails from.
During the 1960s, Japanese PoP artists Tadanori Yokoo
and Yayoi Kusama frequently stole the limelight from
their American cousins with their innovative authentic
imagery. There is refreshed interest in their works in the
2000s. The concept of Japanese PoP Art has been seen to
evolve, or is that devolve, into a hastily branded Neo PoP
Art, inclusive of Megumi Igarashi (aka Rokudenashiko)
who recently was cleared of charges of obscenity for
making plastic figurines of her vulva, replete with fake
fur.
China has seemed to be content with reimagining
Andy Warhols work on the one hand, ala Wang Guangyi
and his melding of Chinese Cultural Revolution
16

Pipe Dreams

17

Aina Mahal

18

The Last Asian Supper

The Fall of Venus

19

imagery with popular brands such as BMW and Marlboro, and the
frequently twee productions by the Luo Brothers (Luo Weidong
and Luo Weiguo) including Welcome to the Worlds Famous
Brands.
While it is hard to compete with the already popular, kitsch and
often camp imagery flooding the world from Mumbais Bollywood,
some Indian artists, thought not so many actually from India, have
tackled nuances of an Indian PoP Art. Malaysian artist Rajinder
Singh, now residing jointly in London and Ireland, produced
an exciting series of PoP influenced imagery. Taking his own
childhood in Malaysia as his starting point, Singh worked on
textured, weathered surfaces, with layers of paint onto stretched,
heat protected, unprimed canvas, working into this with solvents
and acid to produce texturing.
Another concept of Indian PoP Art had been muted with Canadian
Indian Sanjay Patels Asian Art Museum (San Francisco) artworks.
In reality Mr Patels work appeared to have less in common with
PoP Art than they did with the simple lines of digital vector art and
1950s advertising illustration.
Taking in the modern branding nightmare which is Gita Mehtas
Karma Colas modern India another Patel, this time Ketna Patel
brings us the real deal with her South and South East Asia take on
Asia PoP Art.
Being Desi, or of Indian diaspora, Patel is of Gujararati descent
and originally hailed from Kenyan Africa. While still young she
was sent to England, eventually studying architecture, then spent
two decades creating in Singapore before deciding to change bases
to Britain and India. It made perfect sense. She had just about
plundered all she could of the very public images, icons and symbols
of multicultural Singapore, from the Hindi Bollywood film Bobby,
incidentally also sampled by Malaysian Zulkifli Yusoff during his
PoP Art phase (2008), to images of both Gandhi and Mao.
With reminiscences of Eduardo Paolozzis early (1949) British
PoP Art, Patels works have drawn very heavily on street signs,
publicly available imagery, posters and text in varying languages,
juxtaposed, re-imagined and arranged to either destroy or enhance
meaning and symbolism. Again like Paolozzi, or perhaps Picassos
Synthetic Cubism or Tristan Tzaras and Max Ernsts teasing with
collages, Patel collects and uses advertising material to subsume into
her works. She was quoted in The Times of India as remarking Its a
kind of storytelling through Asias streets (article by Neelam Raj). But
I suspect a dab, a mere hint of 60s psychedelia too. Shades of the
Americans Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelly perhaps, or Michael
English/Hapshash and The Coloured Coat maybe.
20

Bobby

21

Selling London by the Pound

22

Trishaw

23

Asia PoP Furniture

24

25

The Shock of the New

By Martin Bradley

(With all due respect to the late Australian Art Critic Robert
Hughes.)
In this case the 'new' is both old and new.
The 'new' National Gallery Singapore was opened on 24
November 2015, and is housed in the former 'old' Singapore City
Hall and Supreme Court buildings, originally designed by Frank
Dorrington Ward between 1937 and 1939. Those buildings stand in
front of the historical Padang grounds (playing fields) in Singapore.
The new National Gallery Singapore was designed by JeanFranois Milou of StudioMilou and represents an amalgam of
those preserved Colonial buildings in the heart of art Singapore.
Of course there are contemporary architectural nuances, curtesy
of StudioMilou and their local consultants (CPG Consultants),
replete with a sculptural entrance sheltered by a curving canopy
made from gold filigree metal and glass which hangs over the
entrance and a glass and metal roof structure supported by
an avenue of architectural trees. The buildings feature ionicstylecolumns, an oxidised copper tower and pale grey stonework,
while the new galleries attempt to give insights into South East
Asian Contemporary and Modern Art.
The Gallery's website offers this insight.
National Gallery Singapore is a new visual arts institution which
26

National Gallery Singapore

oversees the largest public collection of modern art in Singapore

and Southeast Asia. The Gallery is housed in two national
monumentsformer Supreme Court and City Hallthat have
been beautifully restored and transformed into this exciting venue
in the heart of the Civic District.
Reflecting Singapores unique heritage and geographical location,
the Gallery will feature Singapore and Southeast Asian art in its
long-term and special exhibitions. It will also work with leading
museums worldwide to co-present Southeast Asian art in a wider
context, positioning Singapore as a regional and international hub
for the visual arts.
I arrived on Wednesday, by taxi, at the Coleman Street entrance,
to a distinct lack of signage. At that moment the most vital piece
of information was, where in this new art Gallery is the loo. The
Ladies was quite convenient, a hop and step away to the right. The
Gents, however, was a long convoluted trek past the minimalist
merchandising area, past Galley & Co, around the back of the
Keppel Centre for Art Education and along past lifts and grey slate
walls to yet another Ladies without an art poster, banner or adult
piece of art to be seen anywhere along the circuitous route. I had
to backtrack slightly to notice the minimalist male figure, barely
noticeable from the surrounding walls. It was a good loo, but it
wasn't a good start.
Gallery & Co was a cafe, of sorts. The counter area was minimalist,
as were the dubious delights on offer. I opted for a canned fruit
drink, sat and used the WIFI to download the National Gallery
Ap. It installed quite quickly, but was little help. I guess that I had
expected something like Waze to guide me around. The Ap. didnt.
27

Former Supreme Court Terrace by Darren Soh

28

29

The (no doubt) ingenious design of the combined Colonial

buildings was entirely lost on me as I struggled to find where the art
gallery actually was. At this point a large sign saying WELCOME
TO SINGAPORES NATIONAL GALLERY would have
helped, with maybe a painting or two just to emphasise the fact
that we all were, in fact, within an art gallery. Even the Gallery
Map depicts the fusion of architecture on the cover, rather than
a painting, and the mini brochure National Gallery Singapore At
A Glance has the domed Supreme Court on the cover. Art enters
only on page two, with a minute image of Lui Kang, Life by the
River, 1975 being dominated by a huge photograph of yet another
architectural feature of the new Gallery (pages one and two).
Exiting the cafe and merchandising area (Gallery & Co.) I was
confronted by a huge hall of emptiness (on two levels no less) with
not an artwork in sight. I wanted to be informed. I wanted to be
wowed, I wanted to have my breath taken away, not by the architecture
but by the content of the Gallery. I was quickly realising that I was
entering hallowed halls where artworks were sacred objects, to be
hidden way and revered. While the architecture was both Colonial
and contemporary, the Gallerys approach to museology seemed
staid, archaic. We were back to the days of reverential silence, with
the curator as high priest.
I sidled over to join the queue for tickets. It turned out to be a
queue for information, tickets ($20, concession $15) were down the
escalator. The understated signage, while being sleek contemporary
and very designerish, was beginning to get bloody irritating. And
that, I am afraid, was my overall first impression of this freshly
constructed Singaporean behemoth - enormous, empty and
uncommunicative, with a huge sense of Alices tumble. I wondered,
and started to look for the White Rabbit.
Tumbling down the escalator, metaphorically not physically,
eventually I landed at the Earthwork (1979) exhibition, by Tang Da
Wu. And a most impressive beginning it was too. I stumbled into
other galleries wrapped by grandiose law accoutrements, majestic
polished wood, magisterial chair, antique cases containing some
history of the region. But any learning was minimised by the sheer
30

City Hall Foyer by Darren Soh

Padang Atrium by Darren Soh

weight of that wood. It seemed that the ancient wood had as much
power as the contemporary glass and metal, enough to wrench any
glory from mere pictorial art.
Only Beauty Beyond Form, an exhibition of Wu Guanzhongs
works, was able to stand up to that crushing weight of architecture.
In 2013, I had seen some of those works, at the Singapore Art
Museum (SAM, opened 1996), in a showing called Seeing the
Kite Again but it is always a joy to see them again.
Like most national museums or national galleries, it is inadvisable
to attempt to see everything in one shot, foolish in fact to think
that you can. I left off with much more to see, than had been seen.
That evening, an American Surrealist friend (living in Singapore)
had asked me, over a most refreshing Mint Berry Gin Fizz (Gin,
Creme de Cassis, Pressed Lemon) in Dempsey House, Dempsey
Road, just what I had thought of the new National Gallery and,
before I could answer, he chipped in "underwhelming?", and
he was right for so many reasons. I could have retorted no! Not
underwhelming! But overwhelming if we are talking about the
architecture, but held back to listen to his opinion.
Not really wanting to compare the gargantuan new National Art
Gallery with Singapores contemporary art museum, SAM, which
is just about right in size and approach; however, it is difficult to
imagine the need for such a large space as the National Gallery
for Singaporean art when there is so little of it. At best you might
claim just over 100 years of art making in Singapore, hardly enough
to constantly fill such a huge space with rotating artworks and, of
course, if not rotated, staid.
While SAM remains somewhat romantic and accessible, the
new Gallery makes the same mistake as many major institutions.
First impressions (which are usually those you remember most)
are that the National Gallery is more concerned with its own
impressiveness than it is with visitor communication. It produces
large spaces to show how powerful the institution is, minimalist
signage and lack of posters/banners which emphasises not the
artistic merits of works housed there but, once again, the Colonial
and Contemporary architecture. SAM holds that delicate balance
31

Earthwork 1979 by Darren Soh

32

Earthwork 1979 by Darren Soh

33

of conservation, preservation and visitor contentment. To date the

National Gallery fails in all but its concentration on architecture.
The fresh visitor to any gallery or museum needs to be informed
from the outset where they are, what there is on offer and how to
get to see it. The National Gallery, London, elects to drape long
banners to remind you where you are, just in case you missed the text
outside. The Scottish National Gallery, in its present incarnation,
has something similar telling what it is and what to expect. It is
a pity, for the National Gallery, Singapore has some outstanding
contributions to museology including the Crossing Cultural
Boundaries gallery, but these gems are not advertised as the visitor
walks in, especially through the Coleman Street entrance - visitors
arriving by taxi or from parking their cars. Too much attention had
been paid to architecture and not enough to signage, to assist the
visitors who currently pay $20 for the privilege of being confused.
I can understand that if what we now see is only a beginning.
There is plenty of room for the National Gallery, Singapore,
to grow, as grow it must. But there is the feeling that the doors
were opened too far in advance and that the Gallery needed a test
run before opening to the public. As of my visit, a week hence,
and some four months since its opening, the National Gallery,
Singapore remains somewhat bipolar, architecture vs visual art. At
the moment architecture draws the visitors, but does not sustain
enough interest to pull visitors into the environment and lead them
through the various galleries, as interesting as they may be. It was
a brave idea, but needing a tad more thought. Meanwhile, I shall
always visit SAM, a more homogeneous environment.
Nota Bene
Why, in its South East Asian inclusiveness of Burma, Vietnam, Philippines,
Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and of course Singapore, does Cambodia get excluded.
Just a thought.
Plus.
On the label to
Victorio C Edades, Galo B Ocampo and Carlos Botong Franciso (b.1895-d.1985,
b. 1913-d. 1983, b. 1912-d. 1969; Philippines)
Mother Natures Bounty Harvest
1935
Oil on Canvas
There is the inscription .Sinuous, asymmetrical lines reflect the artists interest in
Art Nouveau.
Its a small point but shouldnt that be Art Deco. A style that was rife in Manila and
Bandung during the 1930s. Also no mention is made of the influence of the Mexican
painter and muralist Diego Rivera, whose style the picture clearly emulates.

34

Wu Guanzhong Gallery by Darren Soh

35

Joel Cristobal

Bountiful Harvest

36

Philippine Painter

37

Joseph Joel V. Cristobal ( Joel

Cristobal) who bears the same
surname as one of the Philippines
modern artists - Bonifacio Nicolas
Cristobal, before becoming a painter,
was troubadour, a travelling musician.
His music brought him to Palau and
Malaysia in the 1990s. His exposure
to art sketching in Selangor, Malaysia,
made such a lasting impression that
upon his return to the Philippines,
from his adventures overseas, he
pursued his love of painting. Cristobal
joined a group of artists in Morong, in
Rizal province, the Philippines, and
hasnt looked back.
Cristobal nurtured his artistic skills
through hard work and friendships
with other artists in his town in Baras,
Rizal, the Philippines. It was, however,
his encounter with the Cebuano artists
that he further developed his passion
for painting. His companionship with
Cebuano artists, especially artists such
as Celso Pepito (a fellow Philippine
cubist painter) who gave him the
opportunity to reveal his art to Cebu
as well as exhibits organised by Cebu
Artists Incorporated, later Mission
Artists Philippines and KITA (in
Cebu). These relationships solidified
his place as a member of the Philippine
group of artists.
Joel was privileged to paint the mural
in the lobby of Veterans Memorial
Hospital in Quezon City. He also joins
other exhibits in Manila organised
by other art groups. He was part of
the Cebuano artists who joined the
ArtMalaysia Art Tourism Fair in
Viva Home Shopping Mall in Kuala
Lumpur last year. He also took part in
the last exhibit of the group in 2013,
Bridging Cultures in Kluang Mall, in
Kluang, Johor, Malaysia and KITA, on
Cebu, in 2015.
38

Unity on the Fields

39

Guitarman

40

Lefthanded

41

42

Yellow Fields

43

Month of May

44

Bulik

45

46

Flowers of May

47

Haircut

48

Mangoes

49

50

Swahili Chronicles a journey to the heart of Tanzania

I have been travelling to Tanzania frequently over a

period of fifteen years. Usually for no more than one
month at a time.
This last journey was different I chose to disappear and
do my own thing for three months. You may well ask,
Why?
So many people have questions about Africa, yet have
never been there.
Isnt it dangerous?
Wont you get ill?
Isnt everyone out to cheat you? Theyre all starving,
arent they?
Or they give you platitudes.
Oh, youre so brave!
I couldnt do what you do!
You shall find my response in this collection of short stories,
poetry and photographs.
Mark Walker

51

The journey starts in Pangani, a small village on the

Swahili coast of Tanzania.
These are my thoughts.
It is early evening, just before sundown, and the cool
sea air envelopes the street, save for a few homes lucky
enough to have generators or main power.
Yet, as I walk back from the beach and I listen to the
waves crashing on the shore, my friends and I also hear
the delightful laughter and childhood happiness of kids
playing in the street.
Mzungu, mzungu, they cry... or perhaps, Shikamoo,
the Swahili greeting of respect to the elders.
One small boy plays in the gutter right next to the red
earth road and the shop selling essentials of the day.
All this is done in the shadow of a small solar lamp
outside an old ramshackle house.
But I ask you, is this POVERTY?
I dont think so.
I think it is part of a rich childhood.

52

53

Eternal Ch
Malaysian contemporary Shadow Play Puppets
by Martin Bradley

et

Traditional Shadow Pupp

The usual hero adventure begins with someone from whom

something has been taken, or who feels there is something
lacking in the normal experience available or permitted
to the members of society. The person then takes off on a
series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover
what has been lost or to discover some life-giving elixir. It's
usually a cycle, a coming and a returning.
Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces
54

hampions

Darth Vader

From traditional Ramayana to Star Wars Darth Vader

the battle of good against evil continues in Shadow Play

55

Puppet Making

Whether we look to the Greek philosopher Platos allegory of

The Cave (somewhere between 380 and 360 B.C), or to an ancient
Chinese ghost story (9601280 A.D.), or yet again to the nomadic
Mongolian tribes who were said to worship flat felt figures as the
origin of Shadow Play Theatre, there is no doubt that this form of
puppetry is remarkably ancient.
Some hint that Shadow Play puppetry, which denotes stories
of Indian epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana, developed
in the 'Indianised' states of Southeast Asia. Evidence of Indias
connection with these places is witnessed in temple cities such as
Pagan (Burma; 1044 to 1287 AD,) Angkor (Cambodia; 889 to c.
1300 AD), and Borobudur ( Java, early ninth century AD).
The earliest Shadow Play puppetry records in Java (copper plates
dated 840 and 907 A.D.) indicate that Indonesian Shadow Play
(wayang kulit) grew from its connection to India (and Hinduism)
from the first century A.D. onwards, including the kingdom of
Kalingga (6th century) and up to the The Majapahit Empire (1293
56

Creating Darth Vader

to 1500 A.D.) The neighbouring Asian countries of Cambodia,

Laos and Thailand, all too developed Shadow play theatre.
While Indonesia, with assistance from UNESCO, has made
inroads to protect its traditional Wayang Puppet Theatre through a
National Action Plan (for the Safeguarding of the Wayang Puppet
Theatre of Indonesia, via the UNESCO Representative List of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity), unfortunately
Malaysia has held objections to the Hindu nature of the puppetry.
Islamic rulers from the PAS religious and political party in
Kelantan state, Malaysia, had banned the traditional Wayang Kulit,
in 1990, as the original Shadow Play stories had derived from
ancient Hindu epics. Those stories were considered to be un-Islamic
and at odds with the PAS partys concept of monotheism. These
views virtually destroyed a craft of traditional Wayang (Shadow)
Kulit (skin) puppetry in Malaysia, which used to draw crowds of
up to 800 people a night. The ban was finally lifted when Wayang
Kulit became modernised and shied away from its Indian/Hindu
57

The New Shadow Puppet Heroes

58

roots, to instead relate Malay stories and legends.

With concern for waning traditional local culture, and wanting
to bring Wayang Kulit bang up to date in Malaysia, the Fusion
Wayang Kulit team of designer and art director Tintoy (Yuan
Ping) Chuo and Teh Take Huat have reworked ancient stories and
injected popular American (Hollywood) culture into the mix. Their
take on Wayang Kulit includes stories of Batman, Superman, other
DC characters and characters from the Star Wars films too.
The dream began in 2012, at a Designers Weekend Exhibition,
at Publika, in Malaysia. Two years later, when interviewed by The
Wall Street Journal, Tintoy (a professional digital game character
designer) mentioned "I'm trying to combine the traditional with
the high-tech to find a unique way to preserve Malaysian culture
I myself sometimes find shadow play too long and boring. But
this is something cool that young people can relate to. Even my
mom knows 'Star Wars.
With the aid of a traditional Wayang Kulit Shadow Play
puppeteer/puppet maker, Muhammad Dain bin Othman (aka Pak
Dain), and also known as a Shadow Play (Tok Dalang) Master, the
Fusion Wayang Kulit team were able to help keep a dying art alive,
and to make their vision come true with actual puppets fashioned
from buffalo hide, crafted by a master craftsman with his small
team.
In an Asian Review interview (2015) Chuo said "The more
I learned, the more I felt this responsibility to do something to
popularise the shadow play among the younger generation. The idea
took off. Fusion Wayang Kulit puppets perform and are exhibited
throughout Malaysia and Singapore, in galleries and malls.
Photos curtesy of Fusion Wayang Kulit,
Arthur Pang; Johnathan Cooi; Gloria Kurnik;
Leong Kean Hong; Take Huat and Tommy Lim KW.

59

60

Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang, Malaysia

61

Superman as Wayang Kulit Figure

62

Shadow of Change

63

Fadillah Karim Fragile Spinc

64

Lost & Found

Wayward in Publika
by Martin Bradley

A couple of days ago I took my artist and gallery consultant wife

and her Cambodian gallery manager friend to Publika. We were
looking for Galleri Chandan. As usual and despite, or was that
because of, using Google Maps we, once again, got lost. Publika,
in Solaris Dutamas, is not the most user friendly environment to
navigate. I have been lost there more times than I can count.
Needless to say we didnt find Galleri Chandan. Like many
galleries at Publika, Galleri Chandan bears a distinct resemblance
to Howls Moving Castle, insomuch as it never seems to be where
you think it will be. But we did find Segaris Art Center. It was
a gallery new to us, and therefore exciting because of that. The
gallery was spacious, pleasantly laid out and, as it was a joint show,
exciting in its diversity.
Jamil Zakaria|, Kambing Import (Kambing Hitam)
On show was a wide variety of mediums from fairly traditional
figure painting by Fadillah Karim, looking a little like Marvin Chans
work, but all the better for that, to Jamil Zakarias Steel Wire (or is
that steel wool) and wood constructed Kambing Import (Kambing
Hitam). The later had resonance of the 2006 New Zealand black
comedic film also called Black Sheep. Stand Up Comedian by Zaim
Durulaman was another striking figurative piece, this time acrylic
on jute, but I couldnt help think that we had been there before.
It was nice to see the artists playing with other mediums, if only
to prove that painting still has a lot to offer in this 21st century.
Zairin Anwars two rubber tube, valve, acrylic and pin hole
steel constructions, called Hunny & Bunny & Insecttoid Series
16 were intriguing and reminded me of puppets once used by
British puppeteers Faulty Optic, in their bizarrely surreal shows,
or something that Czech film maker Jan vankmajer might have
created for one of his surreal animated films.
Anwar Suhaimis Nothing, constructed from an acrylic sheet
through fascinating shadows onto the wall. I would like to have
seen more of these, and bigger. Shahrul Hisham, with a ratty piece
drawn with ball pen on canvas (no name) reminded we visitors
on the strength of good drawing skills, and Haris Abadis Cosmic
Playground: Symmetrical Overdrive, a construct of LCD (TV)
screen, metal and plastic leaves, brought digital video into the mix
in a slightly unnerving video sequence where a young girl slowly
disappears and constantly reappears from a playground swing
seemingly portraying the menace of child abduction, and loss of
65

Fazli Othman Menternak Kerbau di Pangsapuri

Haris Abadi Cosmic Playground: Symmetrical Overdrive

innocence.
Haris Abadi, Cosmic Playground: Symmetrical Overdrive
There was a lot to see, and take in. The staff at Segaris were
friendly, but not intrusively so. My main thought was, how could
I have missed this gallery! We arrived back home with very warm
thoughts of the gallery and exhibits. I wanted to learn more about
this gallery I had overlooked. I dashed off an email to gain more
information. While I awaited a response, I Googled around the
internet, finding a Facebook page and a Blog. Neither told me when
the gallery had opened, nor who was instrumental in its planning,
other than in some way it belonged to UiTM (that is Malaysias
Universiti Teknologi MARA).
An e-catalogue (PDF), kindly sent by a Galley Assistant, provided
the necessary images for this piece, but was devoid of any textual
information. I shot off another email,
Thank you so much for the material you have already sent, and
thank you for your time.
I was rather hoping to learn a little about how the gallery came
about, who were the instigators and when the gallery first opened,
those sort of details.
I think that it is an exciting idea, and wish to learn more so that I
can write a balanced piece about my experience there.
I was directed to the on-line sites which I had already perused.
66

Zairin Anwar Hunny & Bunny #Insecttoid Series 16

And that is the reason that I

have been unable, dear reader, to
supply you with any background
information about the Segaris
Art Centre, not even what the
name of the gallery represents.
All I can say is that the gallery
may be found at Lot No. 8, Level
G4, Publika Shopping Gallery,
No. 1, Jalan Dutamas, Solaris
Dutamas,
Kuala
Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Good luck in finding it.

Shahrul Hisham

67

68

....the signing
69

Martin Bradley signing the enlarged book cover

70

71

Pharmacy

...A Malaysian History

Martin Bradley Signing Day

72

Taking a break from his busy writing

schedule, Martin Bradley (The Blue Lotus
editor,) visited the Caring building to sign
copies of his latest book - The Journey and
Beyond. It is a much needed
publication concerning a
brief history of Malaysian
pharmacy. The book had
it official launch at the
Malaysian Pharmaceutical
Society.
It was such an honour to
be able to work on the book,
and to be called to Caring
for the official signing. said
Bradley.
Working alongside a
dedicated team from Caring
Pharmacy in Malaysia,
Bradley researched and
wrote a tentative history
of Malaysian pharmacy,
concentrating
on
the
concept of Community
Pharmacy from its earliest
beginnings in Singapore
and Malaya to the 21st
century.
The idea was to produce
...a book aimed at students and those new to
pharmacy. It had to be fun to read as well as
being informative said Bradley.
It took months of research and investigation,
with Bradley liaising with the dedicated team
from Caring. Old newspapers, documents
and books were pored over for accuracy.
Many surprising details of Malaysias
pharmacies were discovered but off target
and therefore never made the final edit of
the book. Tales of adventurous pharmacists,
their trials and tribulations were uncovered,
their shocking deaths too.
One such story featured Penangs Federal
Dispensary (early 1900s) and its then
manager, one Mr F.J.V.Guy. Mr Guy, as well
as being the Dispensary manager, spent his
time collecting and sporting live animals. It
was a hobby which proved the death of him.
Hero of the 1909 Temple Affray, in which

four villains were gunned down by the police,

Mr. Frederick John Vavasour Guy, Ph.C
met an untimely end in Kelantan, Straits
Settlements, 1910. He was accidentally shot
during an affray with his own panther, after
said panther refused to battle a water buffalo.
That was one intriguing story which made
the pages of The Journey, but many did not.
Pharmacy connections with Malaysian war
hero Sybil Medan Kathigasu (Perak) and
Chinese/Flemish writer Han Suyin ( Johor)
fell into the tomes gutters. The books focus
had to be on Community Pharmacy and
any subject, no matter how fascinating, was
put aside if it was irrelevant to the story of
Community Pharmacy.
Caring opened up its photo files. With
images from them and others gleaned in the
research, it was possible to give some notion
of the growth of Community Pharmacy in
the Straits Settlements, in Malaya, Singapore
and in Malaysia.
Writing The Journey, was a journey in
itself. said Bradley. A journey not just into the
annals of pharmacy but into the very history of
the country (Malaysia). It was a most exciting
time, digging through archives and always
learning as I went.
Martin Bradley, born in London, is
also the author of Buffalo & Breadfruit
(travelogue); A Story of Colors of Cambodia
(travelogue);Uniquely
Toro (artist biography)
and his first book of
poetry - Remembering
Whiteness, and countless
published art articles and
short stories.
Bradley
has
been
editing first Dusun, then
Dusun Quarterly and now
The Blue Lotus magazine
for over five years.

73

74

Vinita
Agrawal

75

ERIC CHOONG

Freedom by Eric Choong Capsule Menswear Collections 2016 - campaign images special thanks to celebrity model John Tan make up -Diva Productions hair - Juno Ko photographer - Ryan Chiu

76

fashion designer

Malaysian Fashion Designer Eric Choong

The highly successful Malaysian fashion designer, Eric Choong,

graduated from the Hong Kong Institute of Fashion Design in
1986, and honed his design and tailoring skills in Hong Kong before
returning to Kuala Lumpur, in 1990, to start the Eric Choong label.
Based on his own philosophy, that fashion should be an expression
of individual style and personality, Choongs label quickly gained a
reputation among the fashion set for its impressive creations which
have transcended fads with their seemingly timeless beauty.
He broke new ground with integrating Malaysian cultural
influences into his sophisticated designs, and encouraged by the
success of his eponymous label, Choong ventured into bespoke
bridal wear.Eric Choong Bridal became a natural extension when
his clients had started requesting he design their bridal trousseaus.
Choongs penchant for the extravagant and luxurious translated
into breathtaking wedding gowns, sealing his reputation as a
leading bridalwear designer in Malaysia.
The Corporate Attire label followed in more recent years,
including the newly minted menswear label Freedom by Eric
Choong, stemming from his desire to extend similar standards of
fashion design to a wider group.

77

Freedom by Eric Choong, is a readyto-wear menswear line by Malaysian

fashion designer Eric Choong, in
collaboration with F.M.S (Freedom
Mens Style

78

Freedom by Eric Choong,

79

Eric Choong

80

There are Batik influences

from Thailand , Indonesia ,

India , Cambodia and Vietnam .

Im also inspired

by Wayang Kulit

( Shadow Play ) ,
which I interpreted

as motifs and prints

on the clothes.

81

BATIK

Eric Choong overseeing Batik in Thailand

82

Freedom by Eric Choong Capsule Menswear Collections 2016 - campaign images special thanks to celebrity model John Tan make up -Diva Productions hair - Juno Ko photographer - Ryan Chiu

83

84

Vietnam Fashion Week

85

86

87

Kuala Lumpur

88

Fashion Week

89

90

91

Kartika Affandi in from of a nude painting of her by Dyan Anggaini

Kartika
Kartika Affandi (Koberl)
Nakedness, Nudity
by Dr. Christopher Basile

Kartika Affandi was born on November, 27th, 1934 in Jakarta. She is Affandis
daughter from his first wife, Maryati. Her educational journey started from Taman
Dewasa in Taman Siswa Jakarta, then she studied art at the University of Tagore
Shantiniketan India. She also learnt about sculpting at the Polytechnic School of Art
London. In 1952, Saptohoedojo married her and they have eight children. In 1957, she
joined a painting exhibition with other woman painters in Yogyakarta for the first time.
In 1980 she went to Vienna, Austria to study at the Academy of Fine Arts majoring in
Mechanical Preservation and Restoration of art objects, then she continued studying
at ICCROM (International Center of the Preservation and the Restoration of
Cultural Property) in Rome Italy. Nowadays, Kartikas paintings and sculptures are also
exhibited in Affandi Museum, in the third Gallery.
92

Kartika Painting

In 1978 I read a collection of art historian Kenneth Clarkes 1950s

lectures, and the one on The Naked and the Nude left a lasting
impression on me. As I recall, he delineates the two concepts in terms
of whether or not they were voluntary: someone in extreme poverty or
forcibly stripped of their garments is naked, while nude describes a
person who chooses to be in a state of undress.
Kartika is not shy about nudity or nakedness in her work, though her
depiction of the naked is about revealing a kind of forced psychological
or spiritual exposure rather than someone bereft of clothing, and her
nudes never try to convey at least in my view the body as a mere
aesthetic object, but more as a natural part of life that the artist and
the subject collaboratively celebrate.
The nude portraits of Kartika pictured here are by the painter Dyan
Anggaini, a talented and important figure in the Yogyakarta arts scene,
and they have never been exhibited. The Indonesian attitude to nudity
and nakedness is complex and varied. On the one hand, I have seen
mentally ill persons walking crowded city streets completely naked,
seemingly invisible to passers-by, and as recently as 25 years ago it
was not unusual to see nude Balinese bathing al fresco in rivers and
irrigation streams (though it was impolite to look).
93

Kartika Affandi phallic Statues

94

95

Kartikas re-birth

96

Kartika Affandi laying nude by Dyan

Anggaini
(detail)

Kartika Affandi sitting nude by Dyan

Anggaini

On the other hand, Indonesian public standards of acceptable

body-exposure in dress, at the beach, and in art and other media, are
far more conservative than in, for example, European or Englishspeaking countries, and this conservatism seems to be growing.
The increasing influence of the cultural ideals of Middle Eastern
Islam in this predominantly Muslim country plays a big factor in
this, certainly, but so does the increasingly pervasive presence of
postmodern advertising and global media, with its depiction of the
beautiful body as an unattainable and taboo object of desire, a
titillating commodity used to hawk products.
Kartika told me that Dyan asked to paint her nude portrait after
an experience they shared. They were at a conference of female
Indonesian artists in Bali, all living together in a dormitory, and
spirits were high. Kartika came out of the bath and entered the
dorm room wrapped in a towel, and asked who would like to go see
a striptease. Everyone found the idea hilarious, but protested that
there were no striptease clubs in Bali. So Kartika opened the towel
and did a little dance to unanimous applause and laughter.
For the normally demure Indonesian wives and mothers in the
dorm this was an outrageous and empowering moment - seeing
this great-grandmother laughing and unselfconsciously displaying
herself - and Dyan was inspired to paint two nude portraits of
Kartika. In the portrait in which Kartika is seated, Dyan makes a
visual reference in the background of the picture to a painting of
Kartikas in which she showed her father Affandi as a bright spirit
among the sunflowers (itself a reference to a wonderful painting of
Affandis in which he shows sunflowers in various stages of blossom
and decay).
Kartika says she inherited her attitude about the body from her
parents who were unfailingly open with her when she was growing
up. Her mother Maryati was her fathers nude model, and they never
hid this fact from Kartika. And when Kartika had her first child
Helfi, Affandi painted himself nude holding his new grandchild,
saying he thought it would be odd if he were depicted clothed in
the painting when the baby was not.
One of Kartikas paintings shows two nude females, with the
genitalia of the reclining figure prominently exposed. When I first
saw this painting displayed in her gallery in 2010, she was surprised
when I asked her if the figures were her daughters, and she asked
97

why I imagined that. I explained that

the depiction seemed compassionate
to me, motherly rather than sexy or
clinical. Returning to the gallery in 2015
the painting was no longer displayed,
so I asked Kartika if she had sold it.
She explained that some visitors had
complained about it, so she put it away
in storage for a while. (I did not want
to bother her to get it out that day, so
I'll use the photomontage here which is
credited to its creator - I'll get footage of
the painting later.)
Kartikas artistic vision can sometimes
be powerful medicine for the staid, 21st
century, art-consuming public. She
had the idea of doing an exhibition of
her work which viewers would enter
by walking through a sculpture of a
monumental vagina, which she conceived
as symbolizing entering the artists inner world, and then, after
experiencing the exhibition, they would exit the vagina sculpture in
a kind of rebirth. But this idea met with little encouragement or
approval what would the neighbours think? so she compromised
by turning the piece on its side and it became a massive mouth.
Kartika told me she didnt really know if a mouth was necessarily
any more or less suggestive than a vagina, but it seemed to placate
everybody, so she went along with it.
And then there are her totemic, sculptural representations of the
penis, depicting the organ with a face and in various moods: as
triumphant, exhausted, lonely, and so on. The statue showing two
peniss encoiled in a snakelike, loving embrace has been the object
of the most outrage. She has never exhibited these works outside of
her own private gallery.
Kartikas naked art is her most confronting and painful work.
In a self-portrait dating from a period when she felt overwhelmed
by the pressures of being a dutiful daughter, mother and wife, her
brain is exposed as her head is torn apart by pitiless, disembodied
hands. In a painting celebrating her re-birth after overcoming the
trauma of a second failed marriage, she emerges naked in a cloud
98

Kartika Affandi female nude

Kartika Affandi with large sculpture

Kartika Affandi two female nudes

of blood from her own womb as a wizened and startled newborn.

When she realised that her legs were failing her in old age she says
she feared that she was already half-dead, and she sculpted a bust
depicting herself with half of her skull exposed.
In one of her most moving portraits of Affandi she created an
almost overwhelmingly powerful image in which her father is
both nude and naked. As Kartika recounts it, although he was
overcome by illness and altzheimers disease and nearing death,
Affandi was still determined to paint, but he lacked the strength
to squeeze the pain tubes. He became frustrated and distraught,
and in his heated confusion decided to remove his clothes. Kartika
portrayed him in this state: as nude and innocent as an infant, yet
simultaneously bereft and stripped naked by his infirmity, struggling
to bare his soul through his art one last time, as his frail, exposed
body is contorted in a final dance of death. It is the naked emotion
conveyed through the painting, more than the exposed genitalia of
her dying father, that makes the work so shocking and painfully
honest.
Reprinted with permission from the author

all images curtesy of Dr Christopher Basile

99

Dr. Christopher Basile PhD a filmmaker,

ethnomusicologist, musician, composer,
teacher, writer, photographer and
painter, based in Melbourne, Australia.
He is currently working on a feature length documentary film on
the life and work of the great Indonesian artist Kartika Affandi. He
has also created and is writing a 6-part documentary series Music
Planet for Australian TV.
How does one come to making documentary films in Indonesia?
In my case, I loved drawing and books from the beginning. Music
took over with playing and singing solo and in bands, leading to
electronic music and studio engineering - from the days of analog
synthesis and tape to midi and digital. Love of drawing and electronic
media led to becoming an artist-in-residence in a computer lab
(University of Maryland in USA) and computer graphics work.
As an undergraduate in university I fell in love with Indonesian
art and culture, and played gamelan which led to study in Bali.
Further academic study led to an MA and then a PhD for research
in Ethnomusicology (ie 'anthropology of music' or 'musicological
anthropology' depending on your perspective) for field-research on
sasandu and sasandu-accompanied song on Roti Island near Timor
in Eastern Indonesia. This research fieldwork included translation,
field-recording, photography and videography which, developing
from a childhood obsession with shooting and editing 8mm film,
led to working in documentary filmmaking.

Dr. Christopher Basile drawing in Indonesia

100

101

Kartika Affandi

by Dr. Astri Wright PhD

Kartika Affandi born in 1934, is the leading radical figure

of the first generation of modern women artists in Indonesia.
Her painting spans a broad range of themes and palettes, from
landscapes, portraits of working people, village and urban scenes
and self-portraits. Since abandoning oil paints for acrylics in the
early 1990s due to the health hazards of long-term exposure to
oils and paint thinners, her colours have become even more vibrant
and she is freer to move around with her canvases, which suits her
technique and lifestyle better.
As an artist, Kartika self-consciously pioneered her own kind of
'difference' in art and life, in turn, fulfilling and departing from
the expected roles of modern artists and of women of class or
well-known family background. Compared to the Euro-American
modernist pattern, Kartikas artistic training was unusual: she never
studied art formally or systematically, but learned her approach to
painting from her father. Affandi, celebrated eccentric pioneer of
modern Indonesian painting, taught her not to try to paint what
she saw, but rather aim directly for the expression of what she
felt. She adopted her fathers techniques of painting directly from
the model, in situ, in their own environments, and applying and
smearing the paint with her hands and fingers directly onto large,
primed canvases. Thus, from the beginning, the artist physically
immerses herself in and merges with her artistic medium. By the
time she finishes a painting, Kartika would be covered with paint
up to her elbows.
Insisting on both the time and right to pursue her art and insisting
on maintaining her self-respect in her private life (see Wright 1994),
Kartika experienced the social cost exacted of women who chose to
challenge the normative roles of wife and mother. She paid, with
social ostracization and sexist reviews, for presuming to become a
modern artist and for insisting that the letter of Islamic marriage
law should be followed equally for men and for women. While other
(male) Indonesian artists, whether in the European art historical
tradition or the Indonesian, were not faulted for producing work
that stylistically placed them squarely within a particular school
or tradition, pioneered and developed by its forerunner(s), Kartika
was faulted for painting too much like her father. Meanwhile,
to stick with the Indonesian context, this charge was never to my
knowledge levied at Basuki Abdullah, even though his painting
was stylistically, for the first three decades of his career, at least, just
102

Kartika Affandi Self Portrait

like that of his father, Abdullah Suryosubroto. Had the issue been
raised, early Indonesian critics might have said: But his themes
and subjects are so different from his fathers! While such an
observation is equally true when we compare Kartika with Affandi,
this seems to escape critical notice.
I first met Kartika in 1987, at what was then her fathers museum
in Yogyakarta. I was hoping to interview Affandi, the living legend
of the first generation of Indonesian-Modernist painters -- selftaught, world-taught, colonialism- and nationalist revolutiontaught. Awed at approaching the old, partly deaf man seated in
his museum, it was Maryati, his wife, and Kartika his daughter,
who nudged me forward and ensured that the young green foreign
researcher didnt turn on her heels and flee. it was only later that I
became aware that Kartika and Maryati were both artists in their
own right. Kartikas work, particularly her experimental symbolicexpressionist self-portraits, was so different from anything else
I saw in Indonesia and so aesthetically honest and powerful,
narratively raw and immediate, that I had to engage with it. The
fact that I, coming from a Euro-American background, did not
have the ingrained Javanese recoil (so dominant in the modern
Indonesian art world) at dramatically expressed, self-referential
emotion, helped connect us. It was my fortune that she opened her
arms to me as a researcher and friend.
Kartika Affandi is a forerunner for women establishing themselves
as modern artists in Indonesia because, through her struggle for
visibility, gallery access and critical acceptance in a post-colonial
modern art world patterned on the Dutch model, she has become
a determined, self-motivated individual with a norm-bending style
of her own. Where women of her generation and class did not wear
casual clothing in public in the 1980s, she did. Where others did
not drive a van around alone, she did. While many would hesitate
to study the ax-split head of a buffalo, she didnt. Another aspect
of her behaviour which flies in the face of normative behaviour for
her strata of women in Java is travelling alone. She has made many
journeys in Indonesia, Asia, Europe and elsewhere, often alone, in
order to paint. She has painted, outside, in the freezing snow in
Austria and in the burning hot deserts of Australia. She has painted
in the small, intimate neighbourhoods of Japanese towns and on
the wide, densely populated Piazza di San Marco in Venice. And
always, of course, in her own country.
103

The dynamic of a woman from Java, monetarily poor while growing

up but exposed to a nationalist ethic and an internationalist artistic
culture, going into the jungles of tribal West Papua (Irian Jaya) to
paint Asmat men and women, into the Australian desert to paint
Aboriginal men and women, or travelling through the countryside
in China to paint men and women of Han and other backgrounds,
provides fascinating material for a discussion of the process, content,
and motivations in such interracial and intercultural interactions.
Kartikas occasional practice of placing herself in the canvas with
the racially other features of the place adds another dimension to
the discussion. While conclusions are open-ended, my analysis,
based on her example, concludes that not all imaging of others
need be exploitative or silencing. Kartika Affandis painting, I
argue, demonstrates how representing others can also be a way of
furthering their voices and their presence, within their contexts and
beyond.
Driving around together, swimming in her wilderness-hermitage
pond, and even travelling to paint, together, chatting in hotel rooms
and revolution-era warung in Jakarta, we have exchanged, shared,
laughed, cried and probed many aspects of life, gender, culture,
and art and their connections. Watching how Kartika mustered
to me unusual spiritual and emotional resources through one of
the hardest times in her life, taught me much about the kinds of
choices we have to make and can make, at important junctures in
our lives. I also sometimes argue with Kartika. It is always about the
same thing: her prospects for a long life. Her bad hip and arthritic
bones make it hard for her to walk; perhaps her childhood poverty
caused the effects malnutrition does which show up in her mature
age, certainly giving birth eight times took its toll. In any case, she
does not think she will live to a very old age. She just has this
feeling. When Kartika said this to me for the first time in July
1994, ignoring my protestations, it was a statement of fact devoid
of melodrama. And then she went on to say: And only you, Astri,
know me and my work well enough to write about me after I am
gone.
I heard this with a mixture of surprise and worry: honoured that
she would feel this way, I was overwhelmed, not at all sure that I was
up to such a task, and believing in a pluralistic discourse, certainly
not alone. But the point here is how such a moment illustrates
how it can happen that what starts as a research project, with
104

Kartika Affandi My Father Was Sick

Kartika Affandi Family Portrait

untried-idealist (masculinist) intentions of objectivity and nonpersonal involvement, can become part of a life-long relationship
that functions on many levels, involves many kinds of intelligence
(IQ, EQ, and more). The field work relationship can involve an
imperceptibly growing responsibility towards the people you work
with. (And sometimes their ideas of your ability/role supersedes your
own or that which academic conventions would deem acceptable).
These are things which must be negotiated openly, both in the
field and back in the academic setting, and to be able to be open
about such things, a significant degree of familiarity and trust are
necessary, in the field, and courage to be seen as a transgressor, in
the academic world, as well.
Kartikas work stands on its own painterly and aesthetic merits.
Interpretation is the arena of art writers. While Kartika's visual
and verbal narratives do not appear analytical or overtly political,
her observations and intent (in her conversation as in her art) go in
the same direction as certain feminist writers and activists. In her
work, as she scans her heart and the world for subjects to paint, she
identifies lacunae of concern, and then she attempts to cross over
to that place, becoming a human bridge. This bridge leads to other
people who, like her, struggle to be true to themselves. Kartika
becomes a listener and sounding board to other experiences while
she paints them, in this way sharing empowerment and respect.
On the level of discourse analysis, Kartika can be seen to create
a marker of this exchange, a signpost (a painting) which has an
element of advocacy to it, as it carries the traces of other people's
voices further afield.
Kartika provides the world with her own, particularized artistic
challenge to the notion of what women are and what women artists
should create. She shows us how one woman in Java claimed her
freedom to define for herself a place, a style, and a voice of her
own, with little societal support once she broke out of the famous
daughter role. Her example also provided a parallel to the situation
of the researcher, going against the grain of her academic advisor,
persisting in a field that was considered nonexistent, travelling
alone in a culture where women were not supposed to travel alone,
carrying out a task not recognized or understood by the majority of
people around her. Being embraced by Kartika in the early stages of
my research empowered me greatly and still does. This relationship,
then, illustrates a different model than that of the researcher with
105

power over the data and informants who constructs them without
feedback. There is always power in penning someone elses story,
but Kartikas and my stories are intertwined and the power shifts
from moment to moment, where more often she as the elder (and
wiser!) has the lioness share, in a relationship where having power
is not the goal of either party.
Kartikas border-crossing provides an argument for how and why
a woman of my own ethnic background may still be allowed (and
allow myself ) to research and write with and about women (and
people) of other ethnic backgrounds. Working from a point of
departure that takes into account issues raised in Black criticism,
avoiding, as far as possible, the monofocus and bias of what bell
hooks criticizes as "white men and women ... producing the
discourse around Otherness" (hooks, 1990:53) and trying to keep
always within sight the importance of ethics in research theory
and method, are all part of an ongoing exercise in awareness and
reflexivity. Seeing oneself as part co-author, and, like Kartika, as
involved with creating signposts designed to carry other people's
voices and presences further afield, is one way to minimize dominance
and appropriation in cross-cultural work. It is here, in the present
era of intensified globalization that Euro-American and Asian
womens concerns intersect. Our concerns meet, not on a platform
of historical sameness, but in the facing of related challenges. In
a world where technology, travel and language skills allows for an
unprecedented degree of cross-cultural communication, dialogue
across differences has a better chance than ever to be fruitful to all
parties, even when their conclusions differ....
Footnotes:
21. In my analysis, I do not count Emiria Sunassa as the forerunner here,
(1) because she does not appear to me to have been particularly radical; (2)
because to our knowledge she did not have an ongoing career as an artist, and
(3) only one painting by her is known and that is painted from of a well known
photo taken by Walter Spies of a kecak dance performance in Bali. (This does
not preclude that, with more information about Sunassa, this framework could
change.) Likewise, according to the framework established in Wright 1994
Chapter 7, I also do not include women who are mainly hobby painters and do
not pursue it as their main identity and/or profession.
22. For a longer discussion of Kartika Affandi, with more direct inclusions of
her voice, see Wright 1994.
106

23. Here, again, I depart from the Indonesian canonization (repeated by

Claire Holt and most other scholars, including myself in Wright 1991, 1994)
of Raden Bustaman Saleh, the 19th century Javanese aristocratic oil painter,
as the father of modern Indonesian painting. While his style, medium and
subject-matter indeed was new within the Javanese world, and as such could
be construed as the beginning of a Javanese modernism, outside of Indonesian
post-independence revisionist history, there is no evidence of Raden Saleh
having held any conception of a larger cultural or political entity beyond Java,
any idea like Indonesia, or any interest in alternative, radical ideas in Europe
of a revolutionary or populist nature which he would have heard of during his
decades at European courts. I see Raden Salehs contribution to Indonesian
art history as an innovation within the realm of Javanese court art and priyayi
culture.
24. See Wright 1991, pp. 276-281 for a discussion (not included in my book)
of Affandis polygamous marriage, from the perspective of Kartika, as well as a
discussion of her own experience of her husbands polygamy.
25. Small, informal restaurant.
Kartika Affandi Lobsters

26. And yet, all parties in such conversations must remain acutely aware of
the challenges inherent in the process. Sophisticated communication across
cultural gaps can easily twist and turn into an opposite, unintended dynamic.
The moment when one person gains an upper hand and wields it, often without
being aware of it. This is often the person from the strongest economy, with the
highest formal education, and the habit of proceeding with a sense of personal
(and often institutional) authority; in the research situation, this is often the
researcher.
Extracted from
SELF-TAUGHT AGAINST THE GRAIN: THREE ARTISTS and A WRITER.
Published in: Flaudette May Datuin, Ed., Women Imaging Women: Home, Body, Memory.
Conference Proceedings. Manila: University of the Philippines Department of Art Studies, the
Ford Foundation Manila, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1999, pp.118-154.
Reprinted with permission from the author
Dr. Astri Wright, PhD
Professor of Southeast Asian Art: Historical and Modern Periods
Modern and Contemporary Indonesian Art
Globalizing World Arts

Kartika Affandi Self Portrait

Department of Art History and Visual Studies

Fine Arts Faculty Building, Office 133
University of Victoria
Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 2Y2
Phone: +1-250-721-7949
Email: astri@uvic.ca

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LOVE
ME
IN
MY
BAT
IK
Exhibition review of ILHAM Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
by Martin Bradley

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Joseph Tan Love Me In My Batik

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For a long time I thought that collage artwork by Joseph Tan

was called Love Me and My Batik, perhaps some sort of lovers
ultimatum. If you love me, youve got to love what I am wearing
too. I was wrong.
ILHAM gallery, Levels 3 & 5, ILHAM Tower no 8, Jalan Binjai,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, who opened their doors for the first time last
year (2015) have presented, in their still pristine galleries, an array
of Malaysian and Indonesian batik art works called - Love Me in
My Batik, the actual title of that 1968 work by Joseph Tan.
In the book Batik Fabled Cloth of Java, (2004) Inger McCabe
Elliott mentions;
The roots of batik are ancient, everywhere, and difficult to trace.
No one knows exactly where and when people first began to apply
wax, vegetable paste, paraffin, or even mud to cloth that would then
resist a dye- But it was on the island of Java and nearby Madura that
batik emerged as one of the great art forms of Asia. Batik is known
to have existed in China, Japan, India, Thailand, East Turkestan,
Europe, and Africa, and it may have developed simultaneously
in several of these areas. Some scholars believe that the process
originated in India and was later brought to Egypt. Whatever the
case, in A.D. 70, in his Natural History, Pliny the Elder told of
Egyptians applying designs to cloth in a manner similar to the
batik process. The method was known seven hundred years later
in China. Scholars have ascertained that batik found in Japan was
Chinese batik, made during the Tang Dynasty. (p22)
Previously (1964) Nik Krevitsky, in his book Batik Art and Craft,
had this to say about Batik;
The art of batik has been known for centuries, but its origin,
probably thousands of years ago, is still obscure. Briefly, batik is a
resist technique for producing designs on fabrics. The process, in
simplified form, follows these general steps: Selected areas of the
fabric are blocked out by brushing melted wax or a special paste over
them. After the wax is applied, the fabric is dyed by brushing dye
over it or by dipping it into a dye bath. The waxed areas, repelling
the dye, remain the original colour of the fabric. To achieve more
intricate designs with further combinations and overlays of colour
the waxing and dyeing process is repeated. (p7)
For the purposes of the ILHAM exhibition, only local batik
work (from Indonesia and Malaysia) were exhibited for, like all
exhibitions, there must be focus. Batik from those countries
simultaneously developing the craft up to two thousand years
ago (Egypt, China, India etc), were held in abeyance, as were
Contemporary Western batik paintings from the 1950s, most

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Chuan Thean Teng Satay Seller

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Indonesian artist Bambang 'Toko' Witjaksono with his characteristic comic book style,

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especially those from Professor of Design (University of California

at Riverside) Mary Adrienne Dumas. Her intriguing batik work
(for example Wall Hanging, 1952 and China Shop,1953, batik
on silk) were produced a year or so before Malaysias, China born,
Chuah Thean Teng began his batik paintings at the closure of his
batik cloth factory in Penang (1953).
The new ILHAM gallery was not difficult to reach. I used the
application Waze, to navigate from the deep Selangor wilderness
to the heart of Kuala Lumpur (Ampang). The ILHAM Tower
has its own car park and a separate lift which whisks the, perhaps
slightly wary, visitor up to the aforementioned pristine galleries.
Cornered concrete, jutting out at unsuspecting angles lent a
distinct sense of being in a human maze. The passages leading to
the male toilet especially so. It was all very contemporary and, I
understand, architecture is what ILHAM is all about. The main
gallery, on the 5th floor was spacious, but seemed a tad clinical.
Perhaps it had been a high powered CEO office space which had
recently been vacated. The exhibition design was what you might
have expected of Contemporary art galleries some 20 or 30 years
ago but, perhaps, not of a recently constructed one.
Because of the spaciousness of the gallery, many of the works
seemed dwarfed. Was the gallery, perhaps, designed to house large
art works, sculptures, or to cater to huge adoring crowds on opening
nights? If that be so then I understand the magnificence of that
space, however the design of the exhibition Love Me in My Batik
was entirely unsuited to the large white walls of that space.
Dont get me wrong, it was a splendid attempt at the modern
history of batik painting, and told the story well, with several
obvious omissions. I was excited to see those wonderful works by
Khalil Ibrahim, and am sad to have lost contact with him. I also
revelled in the Ying-Yang Series - Soul and Form, by Lee Kian
Seng, in all their psychedelic hippiness and was surprised to see
Bambang Toko Witjaksons works, which I had previous presumed
to be screen prints. But it was the design of the exhibition which,
overall, made all the efforts seem a little lacklustre. I had a nagging
Heath Ledger Joker sinisterly rebuking Christian Bales Batman
in my head, WHY SO SERIOUS. Many of the works called for
a more lighthearted, or at least Contemporary, display. True, there
were the gloriously large works by artists such as Yee-i-lan with her
Orang Besar series, rippling in the air con, adding some movement
to the overall static mounting but, ultimately, it wasnt enough to
take the starchiness from the overall display design.
Since the end of the eighteenth century, galleries and museums
were places opened to the public, and where the public engaged
and brought their life, their toddlers barely walking. Galleries and
museums were spaces in cities which replaced parks on rainy days,

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and were happy to do so. The concept of the pristine, wholly white, gallery came to us via the obsessions
of Nazi Germany (1930s), as a symbol of purity, and it has stuck. Before the white cube, gallery walls
would be painted to suit the pictures being hung. There would be more interaction between those
elements of gallery and the current exhibition. Modern exhibitions/displays in Malaysia need to
move away from the concept of passiveness, pristineness and aim more towards inclusiveness and a
social experience for the community.
Malaysian exhibitions noted for their well designed displays might include Dr. Choong Kam
Kows Retrospective Exhibition, at the National Visual Arts Gallery, and The Untiring Engraver, an
exhibition of Loo Foh Sangs works at Soka Exhibition Hall, but there have been, no doubt, many that
I am not aware of.
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Liew Kung Yu Sehati Sejiwa

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Yee I-Lann, Orang Besar series: 'Kain Panjang with Petulant Kepala

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Art House Gallery

Museum of Ethnic Arts

The finest private collection of ethnic art and culture in Malaysia

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Admission Free
11.00 am - 7pm
Lot 3.02-3.o3, Level 3, The Annex, Central Market,
Jalan Hang Kasturi, Kuala Lumpur, 50050 Malaysia
Telephone 60321482283
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Zheng Yuande
Drawings
by Martin Bradley
It is often said that Leonardo (da Vinci) drew so well because he knew
about things; it is truer to say that he knew about things because he drew
so well. (Sir Kenneth Clark)
Three years ago I had the great pleasure to have a series of
interviews with Yuande Zeng, near my home in Malaysia. The
following is a taste of this artists philosophy and wisdom.
My quest is to make things more, and more simplified, the portrayal of
feeling is more important than the act of recognition, Zheng said. He
went on - I attended courses in Taiwan one about movie, I learned
about body language, a movie is richer, but more simplified than two
dimensional art, for example Charlie Chaplin no sound and no colour
but everything simple and cannot be misunderstood.
There was something both spiritually Tao and uniquely Zen in
that artists movements as Zheng talked. As he vocalised he weaved
and bobbed, and approached the sculptures we stood before. It
seemed to be his own personal dance of revelation. Zheng revealed
the energy of sculptures grace. Was this a Tai Chi of creation in
those full and empty spaces of gallery light, shade, speech and nonspeech, all interacting in the liberty ? Zheng Yuande wove his spell
of elegance, simplicity and, perhaps, of enlightenment too for all
who watched, all who were willing to learn of grace and beauty.
Sculpture or painting, figurative or non-figurative, for my work,
normally comes from a very personal experience. Especially from life.
In different periods we live in different situations, which enrich us. My
choice in subjects and approaches therefore vary. I dont want to repeat.
In fact there is no way in which we can repeat ourselves. You cannot go
back to when you were 20 or 30.
It is with no doubt that when one thinks of dance and movement,
in Art, one is always tempted to go back to that superlative French
Impressionist - Edgar Degas. Perhaps it is a forgone conclusion
that Degas is synonymous with dance. Consider for a moment his
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ballet works, the raised leg dancers like La danseuse aux chaussons
(The Dancer with Slippers), Danseuse pratiquant la barre (Dancers
at the Bar) and Danseuse assise (Dancer Sitting). In Zhengs
sculptures I could easily identify raised balletic legs, posed arms and
the sleek grace with which Degas has us all enthralled. It would be
all too easy to make that comparison, especially considering Zhengs
historical love for theatre and his much earlier image making of
Chinese Opera.
Zhengs early work, concerned with Chinese opera, actors, stage
sets etc (Otherworld: Glimpses of Chinese Opera, 1988, Make Up,
Stories Behind the Door, 1996....), have been likened, by some, to
those of the Dutch masters. It is an obvious comparison. Looking

closely at those earlier works, it would seem that, even then, Zheng
was concerned with intimacy. Zheng only partially reveals the
hidden and half hidden world of Chinese theatre. Zheng makes the
viewer promises, hints and suggestions, but ultimately the secrets of
the theatre are safe with him.
In those Chinese theatre works, figures which, seemingly, would
prefer to remain hidden, or at least masked, ease coyly from shadows
reminding the viewer more of the Spanish painter Velazquez, than
the Dutch masters, especially with Velazquezs deeply rendered
shadows, and carefully crafted portraiture. In his opera works,
Zheng superbly renders muscular men who are carefully applying
their theatre make-up. Zheng makes manifest their masculinity,
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despite the feminine act of applying the make-up. Zheng presents

men who are skilled, poised, and every inch men. They have carefully
carved, and beautifully delineated, musculature.
In those paintings Zheng gives his viewers a classical deepening
black, or dark brown background which throws the warm colours
of the actors forward. It is with a great skill and gentle craft that the
acts are revealed, while only some of the actors are seen. The actors
are hidden both by shadows, and by the mirrors they use to apply
their make-up (Private Rites, 1986).
Zengs vital energy bursts forth not just from his paintings and
sculptures, but with his drawing too. More especially from his
energetically rasped charcoal drawing on paper. Gunter Grass had
once claimed that Art is accusation, expression, passion. Art is a fight
to the finish between black charcoal and white paper. Zeng explains.
My exhibition of charcoal drawings I called The Uncoloured Path,
Uncoloured not because there is no colour, but unnamed, when we name
something we assume knowledge. This knowledge then becomes the law.
We use our knowledge to frame what we see.
We realise that the interplay of lighting on sculpture is totally
different from that drawn in charcoal, or that which is painted.
In the three dimensional world the environment interacts more
succinctly with sculpture. There is a complexity of different light
sources from all around, stemming from a myriad different sources.
There are distortions of reflections, a transience of ephemeral
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colours formed from the material itself and from the interplay of
light from those external sources. Through the miracle of physics,
we understand that light interacts with sculpture in ways it is not
possible to reproduce on a flat surface, and therein lays the beauty
of the three-dimensional sculptural work.
Zeng has mastered the uniqueness of charcoal, which imbues
its substrate with beauty, energy and a texture complete and
idiosyncratically its own. Conventionally much charcoal has been
created from graphite (crystallised carbon). Previously, burnt
grapevine (vine charcoal) sticks were used as natural charcoal, for
it has the ability to produce lines and tones of an infinite subtlety
as well as being able to create vigorous effects, echoing the mastery
of the wielder. No doubt Zheng chose charcoal it is efficacious
too. Charcoal marks may be easily corrected by being dusted, or
blown from the surface, lending itself to myriad techniques and
manipulation. However, in the works seen here, what ultimately
comes across is the energy, the vitality of the artist himself.

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one woman

Every so often a book appears that reveals and illuminates a project that might otherwise remain
largely unknown by the outside world: Colors of Cambodia is such a book. This is a highly personal
and passionate account written by Martin Bradley and illustrated by Pei Yeou Bradley of her encounter
with a remarkable art-based project in and around Siem Reap in Cambodia, and how she was drawn
into practical involvement with the children for whom the project exists.
The book shows how a small NGO run by William Gentry in Siem Reap has been able to reach out
to children in local schools, some in areas of great poverty, through the medium of art, and to give
them hope for the future in a country that has suffered so much. The children and their families who
are drawn into the project prove how art can cross all borders of language and culture. The book
also tells of how Malaysian children and their parents have been encouraged to support the project
and to become involved with the children and their work.

This is a highly personal and passionate account written by Martin B

remarkable art-based project in and around Siem Reap in Cambodia,
for whom the
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ns journey

And there is the additional touch of magic as Pei Yeou and Martin tell of their meeting and of how
he too was drawn into the story, and contributes to it, and of how it changed his life. His sensitive
words and poetry add another colour to this unique book
In a world in which the news is bad more often than not, this inspirational book tells a story of
optimism and success, and of how dreams can become true.
Richard Noyce, Artist and Writer, Wales, July 2012

contact
honeykhor@gmail.com
martinabradley@gmail.com

Bradley and illustrated by Pei Yeou Bradley of her encounter with a

, and how she was drawn into practical involvement with the children
project exists.
135

nicholas
choong
graphically
by Martin Bradley

136

Nicholas Choong working on 50 Malayan Tigers

I use very little red. I use blue, yellow, a little green, but especially...
black, white and grey. There is a certain need in me for communication
with human beings. Black and white is writing. (Hans Jean Arp,
1955.)
Last year (2015) saw Malaysian artist Nicholas Choong as Key
Visual Artist with Tiger Beer Malaysias" TRANSLATE 2015. The
year before (2014), he was engaged with a residency with Sembilan
Art Residency, in Seremban, Malaysia. Between the 3rd of June
and the 19th this year (2016), Choong has a solo exhibition,
RETROSPEKTIV displaying works from 2012 to 2016, at Port
Commune. Included are abstracts as well as the more graphic works
and watercolours that he has become known for.
Images can be very powerful things. Overpowering. I kept seeing
this image of multiple tigers on the internet. There were a host of
tigers, in black, white and grey. A very strong, collective graphic
image. At that time I had no idea who the artist had been, or what
the medium was. I just seemed to be acutely aware of those images,
appearing over and over again as people admired them, just as those
tigers appear in the various incarnations of Nicholas Choongs huge
(acrylic) black and white painting of 50 Malayan tigers.
I started seeing other images.This time on the inimitable Facebook.
Strong, graphic line-work. Very bold, striking, almost startling in
their starkness. Sometimes those images were monotone, at other
times in brilliant colour but, overall, the strength of the line was
quite unmistakable, holding those images together. Penang street
scenes, vendors, all sang with life, colour, line and an immense
vibrancy, full of energy, vitality. Looking at them you just knew that
their creator was some kind of Iggy Pop/Vincent Van Gogh with a
huge lust for life and tremendous inner creative strength.
Nicholas Choong and I had initially communicated through
Facebook Private Messenger, then met in the small shopping
centre surrounding Jaya Grocer, in Damansara Perdana, which is
on the very outskirts of Malaysias Kuala Lumpur. He led me to his
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studio. We talked, took photographs, and each learned a

little more about the other.
Once again, I was struck by how much more impressive
Choongs paintings were up close and quite personal. I
mentioned that it was so difficult to comprehend paintings/
artworks on the internet, no matter what size screen you
have. Not to boast, but mine is a 27 inch iMac and, even
so, colour becomes distorted by the screens colour settings,
the lens of the camera that took the image and how the
colours might have been tweaked on programmes like
Photoshop. It was therefore a joy to see Choongs works
with my own, albeit ageing, eyes. And what works they
were.
Accepting my praise for his, literally, brilliant watercolours
like the colour rich A Seremban Thang (a.k.a. SB4) and A
Portrait of Sembilan, Choong mentioned that watercolour
was his go to place, the area of work where he felt most
comfortable. It was the medium which he had previously
become known for. That came as no surprise. Malaysia
has a particular history of watercolour painting from last
centurys Chinese migr artists to the north, in Penang
- such as Chinese born Lee Cheng Yong (1913) and
others to the south, in Singapore - like Lim Cheng Hoe
(born 1912, in Xiamen, China). Nicholas Choong, born in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1977, keeps those Malaysian
Chinese watercolour traditions alive, but also enhances the
medium with his bright, striking, energetic coloration and
his dynamic line work so reminiscent not just of classical
watercolourists, but also of comic books artists such as
the Philippine artist Alex Nino, or American artist Frank
Miller.
Choong was born at a time to be influenced not just by
classical painting and paintings, but also by new waves of
comic book line art. The strength of the drawing which
underpins some of the best Graphic Novels, including
Millers Sin City and Ninos Tarzan and Conan, is clearly
evident in Choongs dark line work, especially in his black
and white acrylic on paper Uncles series (produced as part
of his work with the Sembilan Art Residency Programme,
2014).
It is somewhat inevitable that Malaysian artists, like
most other artists world wide, are drawn to paint what
is familiar to them. You paint what you see. Some artists
expand their repertoire, go out of their way and tackle
iconic or symbolically graphic images which resonate with
the diverse cultures which wish to bond together to form a
common identity, especially in multi-cultural nations like
138

50 Malayan Tigers

139

Uncles Series

Malaysia. Nicholas Choong (in Tiger Translate Presents

- The Uncaging of Nicholas Choong, on Youtube) suggests
that artists must Choose a new path as there is so
much colour you can add . He chooses a new path with
images of the most iconic and ironic image Malaysia
has - the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni). This
is ironic because, in reality, there are very few Malayan
tigers left to roam peninsular Malaysia (an estimated
250 - 340 individuals). They are officially an Endangered
species (IUCN Red List). Iconic because the image of
Malayan tigers appears everywhere in Malaysia, from the
Malaysian coat of arms to antiquarian postage stamps (dating back
to the beginning of the 20th century under colonial British rule),
logos on banks (Maybank), emblems on cars (Proton) and on those
clichd cans of Malaysian beer (Tiger beer). Nicholas Choong and
140

his painstaking work has done Malaysia proud. His epic

depiction of numerous black and white tigers has set the
bar high, and thrown a challenge which few could meet.
While Choong may be at home with watercolour,
there is little doubt that he is equally at ease with the
acrylic medium. While meeting with the artist (in his
small studio in Damansara Perdana) I noticed that
Choong uses Daler Rowney Graduate Acrylics, as a
matter of choice, as opposed to Liquitex on his canvases.
He remarked that he was considering a move on from
acrylics to oil colours, and the fresh experiences in
layering and blending paint that would bring. Choong seemed ever
ready for fresh challenges, larger images, longer brushes. It is this
adventurous spirit which will take him far.
141

Miles

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A Seremban Thang (a.k.a. SB4)

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A Portrait of Sembilan

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Ramadhan Bazaar, Lebuh Queen, Pulau Pinang,

Lebuh Cannon, George Town, Penang

148

Traditional Indian Tea Stall

Pasar Besar, Seremban

149

jessica volpe
sur ralit

150

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Waiting for You

152

Self Portrait

153

Morta

154

Philip Lassiter Dreamzzz

155

Jessica Volpe is a full time artist who has

been drawing since the tender age of six. She
is influenced by graffiti art and her sister and
mothers artistic achievements. Volpe graduated
from OCAD University, in Toronto, and illustrates
primarily with ink on paper. She also creates rich,
colourfully surreal paintings which are her emotive
expressions (in oils) on canvas. She lives and works
in downtown Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Volpe says of her work: "By overcrowding my
canvases, I aim to free the eye from attempting to
recognise, while creating subtleimages in negative
space. My sketchbooks are my journals, overflowing
with symbols and images that make their way onto
canvases. With a brush stroke, I recreate the past
and reinvent the present as a whimsical dream-like
reality."
Jessica Volpe has exhibited her work in New York,
Toronto and Los Angeles. Some of her notable
clients are: The Bata Museum in Toronto, Crayola
Crayons, Samsung and Sleeman Breweries. Volpe
has recently teamed up with modify watches to
design a line of custom gear, including t-shirts,
watches cell phone cases and more. Check out her
website at:www.jessicavolpe.com and her online
store at: modify.com/jessicavolpe

156

Natures Last Attempt

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Bowie and Hendrix

159

Feline Valley

160

The Death of Venus

161

Going Bananas
About Bananas
by Martin Bradley
If, like me, you naively believed that bananas came from Tesco,
then you are in for a very rude awakening.
Our beloved banana, the worlds favourite fruit, originated
somewhere in the Indo/Malaysian region, according to information
gleaned from the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, England. Many
people, however, claim that Malaysia or Papua New Guinea is the
home of the humble banana.
Bananas, once tasted, were later distributed across the world,
firstly by inquisitive Arab traders, from whom the humble banana
got its name (banan - finger in Arabic) then taken abroad by the
Portuguese, Dutch and British colonisers.
According to the tome The Herball, or General Historie of
Plantes (1633 edition) by John Gerard, edited by Thomas Johnson
- herbalist and merchant, bananas were first seen in England about
1633. Johnson describes how the fruits arrived at his shop, green,
and gradually matured in his shop window. However, bananas were
not imported regularly, into Britain, until much later, while America
was officially introduced to bananas at the 1876 Philadelphia
Centennial Exhibition, sold, wrapped in tin foil, for 10 cents each.
It will come as no surprise that there are vast varieties of banana
(pisang) in Malaysia. There are bananas large and bananas small,
bananas sweet and bananas not so sweet. There is the original wild
banana, from which all the others were cultivated, eaten only by
the Orang Asli (aboriginal peoples of Malaysia) and the sweet,
stubby, golden banana (pisang emas) used for making banana cake.
There is the giant green plantain (pisang tanduk) - used for savoury
dishes and fried, making slim, hard, banana chips (due to size and
firmness). There are a whole host of banana shapes and sizes, and,
recently, while strolling through our local market, I counted as
many as nine different varieties of banana on one small market stall.
Bananas, in Malaysia, are cooked, not just peeled and eaten raw,
but served in a multitude of ways - not necessarily in watery, slightly
suspicious, banana custard either. There is a good possibility that
schools up and down Britain got the idea for their dire banana
dessert, from the splendid Malaysian dish pengat pisang, which
162

Cavendish Bananas

is made from the slightly

tart pisang nangka (jackfruit
banana), silky coconut milk and
sumptuous palm sugar (gula
Melaka).
Deliciously moreish banana
cake, mentioned earlier, is made
in Malaysian households, not
with yellow bottled banana
essence, but with real mashed
bananas (kek pisang), and is
baked until golden brown and
its fragrance fills the entire
household, making grown men
drool - or is that only me.
Banana cake seems to have
been first mentioned in Mrs
Rorers New Cook Book
(Philadelphia, 1902), page 697,
oddly as a Hawaiian speciality,
but is now made the world over.
If anyone has an earlier date for
a printed banana cake recipe,
please, do let me know.
There is a huge variety of
banana goodies sold on the
already aromatic streets of
Malaysian towns and cities.
Pisang raja bananas are peeled,
sliced in half, covered in sweet
batter, fried crisply as goreng
pisang an ever-favourite street
food during cool mornings
and sunset-filled evenings especially amongst longing
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Local Malaysian Bananas

164

Pengat Pisang

Banana Flowers

children. In the early evening you can smell the sizzling oil and
the slightly mustiness of the bananas from yards away, and, even
though recently fed; I dare you to pass a stall and not stop to sample
the sweet-smelling crispy bananas.
Elsewhere in Malaysia, unprepossessing yet golden bananas
(pisang emas) are mashed into a paste, flour and sugar added and
the resulting mixture carefully dropped into deep, hot oil and
fried as sweet cekodok pisang balls. Recently I discovered that a
sprinkling of caster sugar and powdered dark chocolate onto the
banana balls, really brings out the banana flavour and goes nicely
with the local sweet coffee (kopi tarik), but, nice as it is, it is not the
traditional way.
Green bananas have their outer skin removed, cut into thumb
sized pieces and are curried, frequently using the same curry recipe
as for fish curry, but with salted fish and green bananas.
While the banana fruit has its many culinary uses, purple, bulbous
banana flower buds (jantung pisang), are sold in local markets,
stripped down to their hearts, boiled or steamed, and served with
rice and hot chilli sauce (sambal), or diced and made into succulent
Malay curry (gulai).
Banana leaves (daun pisang) form the basis of the banana leaf
meal found in some Indian Malaysian restaurants, and many Indian
homes throughout Malaysia, used instead of plates. Also, banana
leaves can be softened in the hot sun, and used as wrappers for the
infamous nasi lemak breakfast of rice, chilli, dried anchovies etc,
or used to wrap mashed bananas sprinkled with shredded coconut,
then dry fried to produce maiden in a torn blouse (anak dara baju
koyak).
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Malaysia is a haven for bananas as they are easily propagated,

usually from corm (or offshoot) of the adult plant. Banana plants
need constant sunshine and heat, and suit the tropical and subtropical temperatures. Though banana plants desire well-drained
soil, when older they prefer plenty of water to produce fruit. Each
banana plant only fruits once, but as they produce new plants
constantly, through corms, there tends to be a ready supply.
To prevent scratching and marking, also to reduce blemishes
and external spots on bananas, banana hands are often bagged in
coloured polythene white or clear polythene reduces the effect. It
has also been proven that bagging effectively increases the overall
weight of bananas, and improves the fruits quality (Sri Lankan
Dept. of Agriculture, 2002).
As you may imagine, bananas have become integral to life in
Malaysia. During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, paper money,
with images of the banana plant printed, was used as ready currency
- known as Duit Pisang (banana money). Malaysian streets are
named after bananas ( Jalan Pisang Kuala Lumpur) as are whole
villages Kampong Pulau Pisang Banana island village, Perak), even
rivers Sungai Pisang Kuching, Sarawak). Therefore, it comes as
no surprise that there is at least one local myth involving bananas.
Zombie Kampung Pisang (Zombies from Banana Village - 2007) is
a Malaysian comedy/spoof horror film, directed by Mamat Khalid,
based very loosely on local fables of brain eating zombies, but only
the right kind of brain, mind you.
Another legend has it that the infamous Pontianak (female
vampire ghost and spirit of a woman who died in childbirth) lives
within banana plants. Should you urinate anywhere near the plant
the dastardly vampire will seize you, and drain all your blood. To
save yourself you must have a sharp object handy, as the Pontianak
fears sharp objects. Other tales cite the tying of a red cord from
the banana plant to your bedpost, trapping the Pontianak under
your spell.
Speaking of spells - earlier I mentioned some of the Malaysian
culinary uses of bananas, banana flowers and banana leaves. I
will leave you with one more, a favourite of mine roti pisang
- griddled roti cannai (Malaysian oily, layered, flat bread, like an
Indian Paratha) entrapping succulent banana slices and taken with
creamy, sweet, practically gastronomically forbidden condensed
milk, mmmmmm.
As Groucho Marx shrewdly observed Time flies like an arrow,
fruit flies like a banana.

166

Maiden in a torn blouse(anak dara baju koyak)

167

Dusun P
Books by Martin

168

Bradley

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169

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MARTIN BRADLEY

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170