Exotic artwork

Batik artist lives and breathes his work

Batik artist Sam Karuna explores Malaysia’s unique artistic and cultural heritage in his latest exhibition.

INTERNATIONALLY renowned batik artist Sam Karuna has given Malaysia a gift of truly unique artistic heritage.

A pioneer of the Dyetik technique, Karuna’s “The Eternal Dream” exhibition features 26 paintings on display at the Indian Cultural Centre until Jan 15.

Originally from Penang, Karuna was born with a love for art which he pursued despite objections from his family.

“Nothing would stop me. Being an artist was already in my soul,”

Karuna experimented in different mediums after finishing secondary school before establishing himself as a professional batik artist in the early 1970s.

“Batik is a Javanese word meaning painting on cloth,” he said adding that the process involved an impression of lines and dots to which colours are later added.

Not comfortable following the traditions of batik artists before him, Karuna introduced the new technique of Dyetik to the world in 1976.

An evolution of traditional batik, Dyetik involves the highly complex process of micro-pointillism or as Karuna calls it, “boneless” painting. The finished product involves thousands of tiny colour-

ful dots which blend together to create mesmerising scenes.

“I spend about five hours a day painting but I don’t call it work. It’s a labour of love”, he said.

With each painting taking between two and five months to complete, many people become frustrated with the perseverance batik demands. Karuna, on the other hand, will not give up.

“I want to contribute to my country and I will keep on going until my last day. I will not stop.”

A teacher for over 18 years, Karuna has also passed on his love of batik to younger generations. Over 12,000 students have come and gone under his tutelage.

“As long as you have an interest, I can teach you how to paint,” he said.

With over 35 years of his life dedicated to Dyetik art, Karuna has truly given a lasting gift to Malaysian art and culture.

The KL Art Gallery is located at the Indian Cultural Centre, Capsquare Signature Office B, Level One, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Kuala Lumpur.

The gallery is open from 11am to 7.30pm (except on Sundays, Mondays, and Public Holidays).

For details, call 03 2691 0437/ 03 2691 0439.

Soulful: Karuna’s favourite contemporary piece, ‘Tired Planet’, shows the destructive relationship between man and nature.

Close to the heart: Karuna pointing to his favourite artwork, ‘Unity’, depicting the community spirit at Hari Raya celebrations.

Multicolour flow: ‘Sacred Journey’ is one of Karuna’s contemporary Dyetik artworks on display.

An array of artworks: Traditional and contemporary Dyetik paintings featured at “The Eternal Dream” exhibition.

Traditional: This piece entitled ‘Fair Deal’ demonstrates Karuna’s love of culture.