The Malay proverb ‘Kucing lalu, tikus tiada berdecit lagi’ refers to the behavior of certain people i.e. those who are usually noisy but suddenly becomes quiet in the presence of an authoritative figure. Other Malay proverbs about the loss of authority are ‘Bila kucing tidak bergigi, tikus berani melompat tinggi’ and ‘Kucing pergi, Tikus menari,’. An example ‘Kalau kucing tiada bermisai, takkan ditakuti tikus lagi’ means that when someone from a higher position in an organization is fired, he loses the support and the respect of his subordinates. This animal-related situation is mapped onto a human situation, which emphasises the meaning of some unlikely situation with regards to power relations. My sculpture is inspired by Malay proverbs. Malay proverbs mostly use metaphors to express inner feelings as found in the visual arts. My sculpture reflects an intense relationship between the issues of Malay culture, myself and the materials used in the artwork.
The relationship is based on my experience while trying to visualize the idea from intangible (Malay proverb) to tangible form. I use steel wire as it represents lines which is the main element in creating shapes and forms. Intellectually, the line is one of the basic elements of art. Spiritually, the line also represents connectedness, relationship, unity, and journey. Indirectly, the lines are the narratives for my artwork.
Bila Si Misai Tak Berkuku...
2016
2016
Steel wire & chicken wire
Variable dimensions
Variable dimensions
