{"id":18197,"date":"2022-09-20T08:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/v3\/?p=18197"},"modified":"2022-09-16T12:02:46","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T04:02:46","slug":"sculpturing-sarawaks-cultural-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/v3\/2022\/09\/20\/sculpturing-sarawaks-cultural-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Sculpturing Sarawak\u2019s Cultural Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 2017, contemporary sculptor Anniketyni Madian presentedBejampong<\/em><\/a>, a solo exhibition at Artcube Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It featured 17 works carved out of mostly wood, displaying the Sarawakian artist\u2019s technical and artistic prowess in giving dynamism and intricacy to an otherwise rigid and mostly utilitarian medium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some described her commentary of social values, such as Aurora<\/em> and Mawar<\/em>, while others detailed her evolving woodworking processes and techniques, like Kayu Betimbau #1<\/em>, #2<\/em> and #3<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What remained constant in her sculptures at the exhibition was Anniketyni\u2019s versions of pua kumbu<\/em> patterns. In Aurora<\/em>, for instance, these motifs are related to the social position of a pua kumbu<\/em> weaver, who is usually a woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together with the double-interlocking \u2018C\u2019s to denote luxury fashion brand Chanel, the sculpture represents the artist\u2019s observation of people\u2019s shifting aspirations and values as they move more towards urban living and, for some, \u2018amassed affluence\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her illustrious artistic career that began in 2008, even as she has been travelling, researching and sketching in honing her skills, Anniketyni has always returned to her Iban roots (from her mother\u2019s side) for inspirations to her projects.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Anniketyni Madian. Photo by the artist from Options<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cDeep within my heritage, the pua kumbu<\/em> textiles of native Sarawak and woven by Dayak women are fused in many lifestyle rituals and special events including the arrival of a newborn child, coming-of-age ceremonies and burials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy weaving pua kumbu<\/em> into my works, it represents a deeply spiritual and socio-religious \u2018duty\u2019. It\u2019s considered a sacred obligation for all Iban women and affirms their womanhood; one that links spirituality into all aspects of daily life,\u201d she said<\/a> in an interview with the New Straits Times.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Aurora (2017). Photo from the New Straits Times<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Incorporating pua kumbu<\/em> elements into her works has been Anniketyni\u2019s means of expressing her personal points-of-view and preserving a part of Sarawak\u2019s cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having first learnt of pua kumbu<\/em> as a child, she engaged with family members afterwards to better understand the complexities behind the traditional textile and became influenced by its uniqueness.   <\/p>\n\n\n

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Kayu Betimbau #2 (2017). Photo from http:\/\/www.anniketynimadian.com\/<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Furthermore, while pua kumbu<\/em> patterns can be seen in textiles and accessories in the fashion industry, she has yet to find them in other art forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so Anniketyni has made it her mission to explore the textile\u2019s heritage through her works, for it is an identity of hers, specifically, and Sarawak\u2019s, as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Begarasi (2020) at Art Expo Malaysia 2019 in MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur. Photo by Anniketyni Madian from Bandar Aktiviti Seni Kuala Lumpur<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt is also a reflection of the traditional philosophies and school of thought of our people, which we can still learn from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInfusing pua kumbu<\/em> into contemporary art, I want to elevate the identities of our culture to a higher level, especially in visual arts, not just within the nation but also to the world,\u201d she explained<\/a> to New Sarawak Tribune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her sculptures in themselves are standouts, in that she mainly uses wood, which might surprise those who connote the term \u2018sculpture\u2019 to clay or ceramic.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Berandau Panjai Biar Mayuh Isiknya (2021) for the Art of Time showcase in Pavilion KL. Photo by Anniketyni Madian from Bandar Aktiviti Seni Kuala Lumpur<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

She finds the material the most enjoyable, perhaps, she told Options<\/a> in 2021, \u201c…because I\u2019m from nature, from Borneo, so it starts from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome materials have a negative aura when I start to work, sometimes I don\u2019t get a good flow, which is very important when I work. It\u2019s not easy to work with wood, but I enjoy what I do with it,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Anniketyni during her residency at Rimbun Dahan. Photo from http:\/\/www.anniketynimadian.com\/<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Combining an aspect of Iban culture, woodworking traditions and her own personal flair, Anniketyni proposes an idea to art audiences on how they can understand and appreciate cultural heritage in today\u2019s setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is based on her belief that a contemporary artist\u2019s purpose is to offer different interpretations of what is supposed to be simple or straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n

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An artwork of Anniketyni commissioned by WOLO Kuala Lumpur. Photo by the artist from Options<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about thinking back to the notion that it\u2019s the arts and culture of a society that act not only as a recorder of heritage and the past, but also as a lens through which contemporary situations and urgencies may be viewed,\u201d she said<\/a> to the New Straits Times.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Recognition Sculpture For FAO Award 2015. Photo from http:\/\/www.anniketynimadian.com\/ <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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About Anniketyni Madian<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in 1986 in Kuching, Sarawak, Anniketyni Madian is a UiTM graduate in Fine Arts, with a major in sculpturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently based in Selangor, her sculptural practice and integration of pua kumbu<\/em> elements in her works have earned her both critical and commercial acclaims throughout her artistic career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights include the aforementioned solo exhibition Bejampong<\/em> (2017), residencies such as Rimbun Dahan in Selangor (2015), the World Youth Forum and Sculpture Symposium in Egypt (2018), and the Sculpture Symposium Arapan in Armenia (2019), and accolades that include winning the Young Guns Art Award (2017) and being among the finalists at the Sovereign Asian Art Prize twice (2017 and 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has undertaken numerous commissions and public sculptures for organisations such as the United Nations, Google, The Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, One&Only, WOLO Kuala Lumpur and many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about Anniketyni at <\/em>http:\/\/www.anniketynimadian.com\/<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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