From now until Dec 29, the Crafting Artistry Exhibition will be held at Galeri Petronas. Also known as “Crafting Artistry: A Journey Along the Maritime Silk and Spice Road Exhibition”, the exhibition will bring together distinctive cultural expressions of six countries; China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.
The exhibition seeks to rediscover links drawn from a common root of influence, namely China and India, and how they have spread across the Spice Islands, through the trade and migration routes on land and by sea.
Through the showcase of traditional and contemporary art forms, the exhibition will not only celebrate the cultural strength that have perpetuated, but will also highlight the creative imaginings of artists and craftsmen of each country. The artists being featured to highlight the Malaysian art forms are Prof Dr Norwani Md Nawawi and Shaq Koyok.
Curated by Society Atelier Sarawak President Edric Ong, the exhibition has different sections dedicated to the varied aspects of local art forms. These are “Betel Nuts Culture and Crafts”, “Metal Crafts”, “Ramayana”, “Lotus Motif”, “Fibre Crafts”, “Lacquerware”, “Screens and Dividers”, “Lights”, “Textiles”, and “Ceramics”.
Each will feature their own distinctive styles, stories and history, such as the culture of betel nut chewing in India, that eventually spread through the Maritime Silk and Spice Road to Southeast Asia followed by East Asia. Additional information for this part of history and others are aplenty during the exhibition.
