ONE of Borneo’s finest indigenous artists, Narong Daun is best known for carving her own path in the batik world by incorporating motifs inspired by flora and fauna that are found in abundance in the lush-green environment of Sarawak.
She is also known for drawing inspiration from traditional heritage motifs or symbols from Bidayuh culture.
Growing up in as a member of the indigenous community, self-taught artist Narong draws from ideas derived from her experience living in her native village, surrounded by nature.
“I want to share the uniqueness of our Dayak Bidayuh art and culture with others,” she told theSun.
“I love silk painting. It’s my passion. Through painting, I can share what I see and imagine,” added Narong.
“I am inspired by nature, flora and fauna, and culture. I want to draw the realistic beauty of a subject, adding my own vision and imagination.”
From heart to canvas
Apart from showcasing her unique cultural identity through artwork, the artist also expresses the feelings in her heart through her canvas, and hopes viewers are able to understand the messages she conveys in her creations.
She explained: “My batik silk painting is an expression of myself and it reflects my emotions, moods and the environment. I want people to feel happy when they see my paintings.
“It’s the language of my heart because sometimes, I find it hard to express myself through words.”
A love for hornbills
Narong elevates batik paintings by creating a breathtaking and complex image with familiar flower motifs such as orchids, heliconia, pitcher plants, and animal or bird species, including her signature element, the hornbill, which is meaningful in her culture.
According to Narong, the hornbill signifies confidence, strength, trust, warmth, admiration, respect and a true community sense.
“I paint hornbills frequently, as I imagine the bird as a human,” said Narong.
Sarawak is home to eight species of hornbills, and the state is aptly known as the “Land of the Hornbills”.
The species holds great significance among the cultures of various ethnic groups in the state.
In her paintings, there is a specific meaning to the number of hornbills that are depicted. For instance, she uses one hornbill to represent herself, facing society with confidence in her daily life.
Two hornbills signify a relationship or friendship between two people, such as a mother and father or a couple in love, while three or more hornbills represent a family or society.
“My hornbill paintings are embellished with tribal patterns, which expresses and identifies the Bidayuh or indigenous communities in Sarawak.
“The hornbills are drawn with something on their beaks, to reflect that everyone in the tribal community has enough in terms of food and resources to live a successful life.
“It also reflects the hope of Bidayuh communities to maintain our own tribal identity and preserve communal behaviour, in caring for and looking after each other in times of stress and hardship, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Apart from hornbills, Narong also features other signifiers such as Bidayuh dancers performing the traditional Terebai (shield) dance, as well as Dayak and Orang Ulu traditional motifs.
A journey into batik
Narong said she learned the craft at the age of seven, and ventured into batik by accident.
“It started after I watched a documentary on TV about the batik painting process. I liked the bright colours of the batik.”
During the early stage of her career, Narong made batik drawings using wax and batik dye on silk fabrics, but the technique did not produce satisfactory results. She then started experimenting with new techniques.
“I felt confident to let my hand and paintbrush dance freely on my silk canvas without the use of wax and tjanting (batik painting tool).
“I always paint my best with a silk canvas, as I feel that people can feel my sincerity in my artworks.”
The next collection
Currently, Narong is working on a series of colourful tropical flower paintings.
“I am passionate about colours as they bring pure joy and satisfaction,” said Narong, who wants her work to elicit joy and feelings of happiness.
“I spent a lot of time at home during the lockdown. So, I had sufficient time to play with colours and paintbrushes.
“I have been painting with vibrant colours to ‘cheer up our souls’, because I don’t want this pandemic to bring my soul down.”
Since the pandemic, Narong has been moving between two different countries, Malaysia and Germany, where she lives with her husband. She has been looking for opportunities to exhibit her paintings outside Malaysia.
“I want to introduce and share the beauty of nature and culture of my home country with the outside world.
“I am really excited about how this would influence my artworks in the future. But one thing is for sure, I want to continue the journey of my imagination, to climb the highest mountain, until I reach my dream,” said Narong.
