Wooden magic
MASTER carver Zarir Abdullah has crafted an artistic legacy spanning 23 years, with exquisitely chiselled doors and panels for many iconic monuments and buildings in the country.
Now, the artist plans to make his works accessible to every household with his “One House, One Craft” campaign to promote the art of wood carving.
“I hope that traditional Malaysian crafts will be appreciated and acquired, not just by Malaysians but worldwide,” he said eagerly.
Zarir became interested in the skill after watching a group of wood crafters deftly carving the main entrance door of Muzium Terengganu.
“After completing my studies in 1998, I started to learn carving while working at Balai Seni Wanpo Besut,” he said.
His mentors included experienced carvers such as the late Terengganu wood carving icon Wan Su Othman and his son, the late Wan Mustafa.
Zarir takes pride in his participation in projects such as carving the main entrance door for Masjid Wilayah Kuala Lumpur, wood panels for Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad Kuala Lumpur and the main entrance door at Galeria Tun Mahathir in Langkawi.
After 13 years, Zarir started his own woodcraft business working from home on doors, panels and home decoration pieces. He is renowned and sought after for his distinctive skill.
He has also accepted invitations by higher education institutes and schools to conduct courses and workshops.
Zarir’s carvings have even been featured in some secondary school textbooks.
“I hope wood carving gains the same respect as all other art and craft,” he said.
Modern meets traditional
While Zarir is known for his meticulously crafted traditional pieces, he loves to break new limits by making “traditional meets contemporary” designs.
“I focus more on three-dimensional contemporary crafts. It’s a new trend in Malaysia. I love to merge contemporary and traditional art but keep the Malay philosophy and carving method.
“I love to look at plants. Sometimes, I will look for ideas in natural landscapes like the riverbank, beach and even the jungle.
“I pay a great amount of attention to the details of plants and later, translate them into my carving. About 60% comprises nature-inspired motifs while 40% are my designs,’’ he said, describing the process as one that creates a distinctive Malaysian flavour.
Crafting a beauty
The process begins with choosing the right wood, such as Cengal, Seraya, Meranti, Nyatoh and Jelutong.
Cengal is a favourite as it can endure sun and rain – even termites – for centuries. Although it is a hardwood, it is easy to work with and has beautiful texture.
After choosing the wood, the second step is to sketch a design on paper, starting with a branch, leaf, flower or flower bud. This is then drawn on a piece of wood. After a whittling process, the last step is carving. Usually, a craftsman would apply two popular carving techniques – “Silat belah rotan” and “Silat sodok”.
Only a skilful artist can bring the drawings to life.
A wish for the future
Zarir hopes there will be a continuous demand or market for wood crafts so that the heritage can be kept alive. He urged the government, agencies and society to ensure the development of local crafts and focus on efforts to restore education and documentation of national treasures.
“It’s a big loss if the craft is not inherited by the younger generation,” said Zarir.
He called for the establishment of more craft institutes in Malaysia, especially for the art of wood carving.
Currently, Zarir is writing a book on a special carving style, Ukiran Awan Larat Melayu, which he hopes to publish soon.
Apart from the “One House, One Craft” campaign, Zarir hopes to launch a craft gallery to hold carving workshops.
He also plans to showcase the craft through exhibitions to introduce the Malay craft and its knowledge to the world.