A major Western Australian arts festival is transforming perceptions of craft and its relevance in contemporary society, with five Malaysian artists exhibiting their works.
The Indian Ocean Craft Triennial (Iota) 2024, which debuted in 2021, is showcasing artists from across the Indian Ocean region untill October 2024. The festival will feature exhibitions, workshops and events hosted at numerous venues across the state, including the John Curtin Gallery and Curtin’s School of Design and the Built Environment. One of the highlights of the festival will be the flagship conference Futuring Craft 24: The Value of Craft.
Iota 2024 will spotlight Australian and international artists alike.
Anne Samat (Kuala Lumpur)
Anne graduated with a bachelor’s degree in textile design from the Mara Institute of Technology. Her works have been showcased in exhibitions worldwide, including in India and New York, US. Her recent projects have been featured at the Sydney Biennale. Her intricate textile works often explore themes of memory and cultural identity. Anne employs the Southeast Asian art of Pua Kumbu weaving, which she accentuates with dollar stores goods to construct brightly coloured, totemic works. Her works are inspired from deeply personal issue such as family and identity, love, individuality and liberation. Her works have their own narrative embedded. For Anne, it is paramount to embody what one feels to be from within. She infuses her familial history into woven structures and symbols. The pieces embody personal stories, each sculpture is inspired by a different family member of hers, with the figures of a mother and a daughter making a regular appearance. Handmade ropes cascade from armatures of radiating garden rakes and a pair of plastic funnels double as breasts as well as forks and spoons as a warp . Everyday trinkets and cultural markers blend seamlessly with Anne’s intricate weavings to produce a family mythology that transcends time and geography.
Chang Yoong Chia (Kuala Lumpur)
Chang holds a diploma in Fine Art from the Malaysian Institute of Art. His diverse artistic practice encompasses painting, stamp collages and embroidery, often reflecting on Malaysia’s intricate socio-political landscape. Chang’s work explores themes of migration and identity. Allegorical Threads are stories of journeys from Malaysia to Australia. Chang’s batik artworks are his personal process of questioning the Malaysian identity. He utilises the images and motifs of batik as narratives to understand the history of this country, offering a glimpse into the hope and joys, trials and tribulations of Malaysia’s multicultural society. There are many Malaysians who have migrated to Western Australia and Chang wants to understand their stories, how they set down roots, preserve traditions and create new ones. Chang expressed hopes that his batik pieces can “speak” to people as they unlock the hidden meanings of its images and motifs or find new interpretations for them. Batik is claimed as a national attire in Malaysia but its use and influence is not limited by man-made borders.
Yim Yen Sum (Kuala Lumpur)
Yim graduated with a diploma in Fine Art from Dasein Academy of Art. Her practice involves delicate needlework on textiles, incorporating dyeing, digital editing and applique techniques. Her art addresses urban experiences and interconnectivity, with works presented in solo and group exhibitions across Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Taiwan. Her art invites viewers to engage with evolving narratives and environmental relationships. The project is inspired by the Covid-19 narrative in Malaysia, particularly during the Movement Control Order which confined people to their homes. Through the window, she felt a connection with her neighbours. This led to the creation of window artworks, reflecting the enduring bonds that unite people. Yim explores the contradictions in human relationships and the changes in environment. The artwork illustrates the evolving nature of connections. Inspired by traditional oriental aesthetics, she creates hand-scroll artworks. The project is an interactive work with collectors. They can select pieces from the hand-scroll display. After they have decided, Yim will take down the art piece that was purchased on the spot. This interaction symbolises the transition between the old and new and the evolution of stories and experiences. As a Malaysian, Yim is bringing her personal experience to different places and country.
“I am acting like a needle to connect the similarity and the differences between the city through living in it. The project will start in Malaysia and continue in different places. It will be growing in length continuously, reflecting time’s inherent progression,” said Yim.
Jacky Cheng (Kuala Lumpur)
Cheng, now residing in Western Australia, explores themes of identity and cultural heritage through her art. Her work reflects a deep engagement with bi-cultural experiences and intergenerational narratives. Cheng’s storytelling is rooted in cultural celebrations and personal history, using art to interrogate concepts of place, belonging and identity. Using moon blocks is reserved for contacting a specifically invoked spirit, be that ancestral or celestial. For her Ah Ma (grandmother), who is a Taoist practitioner, it is an important decision-making tool. She has one strict advice: Do not present any question to the moon blocks that you are not prepared to accept the answer. Rituals provide a sense of control over uncontrollable events. Although the effectiveness of these rituals is objectively unfounded, the subjective psychological comfort they provide can have real-world positive effects for individuals. While these rituals might not change the outcome of an event, they provide comfort, reduce anxiety and increase confidence. Therefore when something good happens, we have the tendency to attribute it to our luck or lucky charm, reinforcing our belief in their power.
Pangrok Sulap (Sabah)
Pangrok Sulap is an art collective founded in 2010 in Ranau, known for its collaborative and community-focused approach. The collective, comprising artists, activists and designers, engages in various projects aimed at social, cultural and educational development. Its art, including intricate carved woodblock prints, involves local communities and addresses social issues. Pangrok Sulap has exhibited internationally and contributed to major art collections at the Mori Art Museum in Japan and the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia. Pangrok Sulap’s work delves into the narrative of Malaysian workers embarking on a transformative journey to Australia. It captures the essence of their migration experience, illustrating the challenges they face along the way. It depicts their resilience in navigating the unfamiliar terrain of a new environment, grappling with the complexities of adapting to different cultures and lifestyles. The work also portrays their resolve to establish a place for themselves in this new land, to put down roots and build a future for themselves and their families. This work serves as a powerful tribute to their strength and resilience as well as their enduring effort to find confidence and the universal human need to seek a place to call home.
These Malaysian artists, with their diverse practices and cultural insights, will contribute to Iota24, enhancing the festival’s exploration of craft and its role in global dialogue. The Malaysian artist representation in Iota24 is supported by MyCreative Ventures Group, Malaysia.
