Stories Told in Light and Shadow

The wayang kulit, also known as shadow puppetry, is an age-old art form that has travelled land and sea—and onto Malaysian soil

- Koyyi Chin

The chronicling of history takes many forms: from literary mediums and visual imagery to the tangible traces left behind in architectural marvels and human innovation itself, it is through this evolutionary record that we can track human progression. We gain the invaluable ability to shape our own perspectives as we navigate through the gray of varying historical narratives.

Regardless of the many interpretations of history and the ever-changing roles of its players, one medium can be said to have retained its own unique brand of honesty—and that is art. It bears saying however that we use the word ‘honesty’ with utmost care here, as it is just as subjective as truth and fiction are.

Affected by its environment and affecting it in turn, the bottom line here is that the language art uses to convey its message is painfully human. It either speaks of fantastical, otherworldly concepts, or talks about the past and present realities through the lens of the people who lived it; memories passed on to one generation from another.

Folk art, regardless of its subject matter, medium or origin, is just that.

Though the definition of what constitutes as folk art differs according to the region, it is generally described as an inheritable traditional art form, tangible or otherwise, that reflects the sociocultural framework of a community. Be it utilitarian or simply decorative in design, folk art isn’t mass-produced, and is usually an interpretation of folklore practised by specialised artisans belonging to a specific cultural group.