Continuing the Journey Across Borders: A Collaboration with Ronnie Bahari

 In Across Borders, my artistic journey delves deeper into tradition and cultural storytelling through a meaningful collaboration with Ronnie Bahari, an Indigenous Semai photographer and cultural leader from Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

This is not the first time Ronnie and I have worked together. During my residency at PORT Ipoh in 2022, a time when the world was just beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we embarked on a project exploring the natural and cultural landscapes of Lembah Kinta. Together, we ventured into its magnificent caves, where I filmed Ronnie for a video piece titled Cave Man. The video captured the essence of those excursions and marked the beginning of our creative partnership.

Link to the video 'Cave Man'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m75kP8NDDM&t=338s

Fast forward a couple of years, when Fadly Sabran of Kapallorek invited me to organize my solo exhibition at his space in Malaysia. While I live in Copenhagen, Denmark, and only visit Malaysia for specific projects, I saw this as an opportunity to reconnect creatively with Ronnie. I envisioned including a new work in the exhibition that would not only reignite our collaboration but also pay homage to our shared history. It felt fitting to bring Kapallorek into this collaboration, as Fadly and Ronnie had previously worked together for PORT’s Venice Biennale project.

When I shared the concept of this new collaboration with Ronnie, he enthusiastically agreed. While I remained in Copenhagen, Ronnie took the lead in creating the handmade paper from pandanus leaves and then produced a couple of images inspired by the ancient cave drawings we had encountered in Lembah Kinta. In response to his imagery, I crafted accompanying text that wove together personal reflections and cultural narratives, creating a dialogue between our individual contributions. The resulting work highlights the interplay of visual and textual storytelling, honoring both the tangible and intangible elements of Malaysian heritage.

This project is more than just a creative endeavor; it is a celebration of enduring connections and shared artistry that span time and distance. It underscores the importance of preserving and reimagining traditions while fostering dialogue between local communities and global audiences. By intertwining our creative practices, Across Borders offers a tactile, visual, and emotional connection to the stories of Malaysia’s land, people, and culture.

Ronnie at his studio at Polytechnic Ungku Omar, Ipoh and Anna.

the hand shake

i made a performance recently when i was doing my residency at Port Perak, Malaysia where i shook hands with the audience. the only different with this hand shake was that i had my hand dipped with black chinese ink.