A living visual tradition
Malaysia is characterized by its great cultural and ethnic diversity, its population comprising Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, the numerous indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak and others. The Malay Peninsula’s location adjacent to the Melaka Strait—one of the world’s most important maritime trading routes—and the resulting heterogeneous population, have led to indigenous crafts and art being subjected to the influence of other cultures. Sarawak and Sabah, being somewhat removed from the international thoroughfare of the Melaka Strait, developed markedly different arts and crafts.
The early inhabitants of Malaysia, being preoccupied with survival in a tropical environment, understandably were more concerned with creating functional and practical objects, such as for hunting or for protection from the elements, rather than those that were aesthetically pleasing. Excavations provide evidence of this: crude pottery items, tools, megaliths and grave decorations have been found as well as simple cave paintings that were used to record daily life and events. These primitive craft and art forms gradually developed, over thousands of years, until artisans mastered the production of more sophisticated vessels, weapons, stone and wood craft, cloth, and personal adornments.
As the aesthetic value of objects became more important, specialists in the various art forms developed their skills with the intention of making objects as visually beautiful as possible, taking design beyond an object’s utilitarian role. A balance between the elements of form, space and the inherent natural qualities of the materials was required. The resulting creations reflected the skill of the artist or artisan at producing works that did not allow one element to overpower the others.
Foreign influences affected the development of Malaysia’s visual art tradition. Hindu and Buddhist influences from Indonesia and India played a large role in artistic development, particularly in weaving, metalwork and woodcarving. The conversion of the Malays to Islam led to the embrace of decoration based on the use of vegetal forms without figures. This is apparent in Malay pottery, textiles, metalware, woodcarving and stone carving. Chinese and Indians, and to a lesser extent Europeans, brought with them their own visual art traditions, some of which were integrated and assimilated into local crafts.
Malaysian artisans continue to produce crafts and visual art based on a well-tried formula: an inherited framework determined by tradition. However, new ideas and expressions are constantly being developed—with the only real limit being the imagination of the artist/craftsman.
