PETALING JAYA, August 27 — For Malaysian artist Shahar Koyok, Merdeka is a reminder for him to continue advocating Orang Asli issues such as land rights and access to education.
“To me, the pandanus weaving has its own unique quality and also represents Orang Asli and Malaysian identity.” A recent painting that he completed this year on an oil painting canvas was on the destruction of the mangrove forest in the Mah Meri community. The artwork was inspired after he witnessed the celebration of the Mah Meri’s community celebrating their“Puja Pantai is a ritual run by the Mah Meri community at the beach not far from their village.
This fruit season, he has found a creative way to use the skin of tropical fruits as his ‘watercolour’ and also used natural colours from squashing fruits such as rambutan and mangosteen to get their colours.