Proud voice of their own
Shaq Koyok’s portraits honour and recognise Orang asli community’s resilient spirit.
A PORTRAIT of an Orang Asli woman from the Temuan tribe sits in the middle of the studio of visual artist and activist Shahar Koyok, who creates art that reflects the lives and struggles of indigenous people.
The Temuan beauty, dressed in her traditional costume with a selempang (sash) worn over the shoulder, is one of the favourite works done by Shahar, who is better known as Shaq.
The Temuan artist’s studio in Kuala Lumpur, which he has used since 2015, houses his artworks that were previously showcased to the public, as well as his personal collection.
“I am not alone in this studio as ‘they’ keep me company as I immerse myself in my paintings ... at times my creativity is sparked by ‘their’ presence,” said Shaq in an interview at his studio at Jalan Pahang.
The “they” in his statement are mostly individuals from the Orang Asli community, who are immortalised in his paintings.
Shaq said the portrait of the Temuan woman from Hulu Selangor took about two weeks to complete and it is expected to be displayed at an international exhibition in Italy next month.
“That’s not all, I will also be showcasing several of my art pieces crafted on weaved mengkuang mat,” he added.
Shaq developed an interest in art during his early years when he studied drawing and painting in primary school.
“I loved drawing since I was young. During my secondary school days, I received encouragement from my teacher who discovered my talent, especially in drawing portraits.
“In fact, I got paid to paint portraits in school – it was a side income,” he recalled.
Portraits of the people
Shaq, 37, who has a fine art degree from UITM, Shah Alam, hails from Kampung Orang Asli Pulau Kempas, Banting in Selangor.
His home environment continues to play an important role in his art. He is also more comfortable working on portraits, which are mostly focused on friends and people in the village.
But he has also visited other Orang Asli communities and captured their lifestyles in his works.
“Many things come to my mind after visiting a place, especially after my interactions with Orang Asli communities that face similar challenges like mine.
“I want to share our (Orang Asli) story with the public through art,” he said.
His works often showcase the identity and culture of the Orang Asli in Malaysia in addition to sharing their struggles when it comes to societal, environmental and economical issues.
In sharing his own experience, Shaq said he was devastated when the forests around his village were destroyed to make way for agricultural activities.
“The memories remain fresh; back then in 1994, lorry loads of timber could be seen plying the route to the rainforests and noisy sounds of the sawing of logs and excavators could be heard from our village. Forests, which are our place of shelter and sources of livelihood, just disappeared into thin air.
“We were furious at the sight of the destruction. We were promised compensation ... but it was only empty promises and we did not know who we should lodge our
complaints to,” he said, adding the issues affecting the Orang Asli community fuelled his passion to be their voice through his portraits.
Among his artworks produced in 2015 is a piece using burnt ash from the rainforest fire in Kuala Langat to reflect the plight of the people in the surrounding areas.
Natural canvas
Unlike other artists who usually use linen as a canvas, Shaq paints on a canvas made of mengkuang mat.
He said handwoven mengkuang mats are usually used as floor mats in most Orang Asli homes, and they reminded him of his childhood days when his mother would weave the mats herself.
“While mengkuang weaving is quite common, the traditional craft is gradually losing its appeal among the younger generation. As such, my paintings on mengkuang mat is a way to promote our traditional art and craft to others,” he added.
According to Shaq, painting on a mengkuang mat is very challenging as it is difficul to make the colours stick on the canvas.
“It’s as though you are painting on a leaf, or nature’s palette. After the drawing and painting process, I have to protect the layers with shellac for embellishment and to prevent the colours from fading,” he explained.
In an international art exhibition in New Zealand in 2018, Shaq recalled how his mengkuang mat canvas gained attention there.
“I leveraged on the international exhibition to promote Orang Asli culture in Malaysia to visitors through my artworks.
“Most visitors were impressed with my artworks as they reflected my struggle in championing the rights of the Orang Asli as well as my efforts in protecting the natural environment, which is similar to how New Zealanders protect the rights of their indigenous Maori tribe,” he added.
Murals to connect
Shaq said he is glad that his paintings have inspired Orang Asli children to take pride in their own identity. However, there was a tinge of sadness in his voice as he spoke of public acceptance towards the Orang Asli community in the country.
“In our education system, we learn the history of the Malays, Chinese, Indians and even the ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak are also introduced in our textbooks.
“However, the history of the Orang Asli, with 18 ethnic groups in Peninsular Malaysia as well as in
Sabah and Sarawak, is not found in the textbooks. That is why it has become an issue of discrimination as members of the public do not understand our culture and way of life.
“Contrary to the misconception that we are not highly educated, many Orang Asli children have been successful in every field that they have pursued, and in fact, some have also become university lecturers,” said Shaq, who is also active in environmental work, especially matters on overdevelopment on native land.
Shaq also pointed out that education on culture and history of the Orang Asli should be introduced at an early age (in schools) so that all races can learn to respect each other.
“That’s why I offered to paint murals of the Orang Asli on my school wall, to instill pride among the indigenous community towards their own identity.
“My intention was to make them go to school. Many were too ashamed to be in school due to societal labelling and stigmatisation towards the Orang Asli.
“I don’t want this to happen. That’s the reason why the Orang Asli characters on my mural paintings are dressed in their traditional attire to reflect our culture,” he said adding that, this way, he was able to win over the hearts of other students.
At the same time, he said, the initiative allows Orang Asli students to overcome their fear of interacting with others, and to have a better understanding of various cultures. – Bernama