Shaq is a contemporary artist from the indigenous Temuan tribe of Selangor. The Temuan have a population of 29,000 in peninsula Malaysia. In his early life, land developers encroached onto the jungle around his village, and this experience is reflected in his many works. That trauma from his childhood has fuelled his passion and led him to fight for his people's land rights. He loves to explore many art mediums from contemporary painting to installation art. Here you will see his new combination of acrylic and charcoal on woven pandanous matting produced in his home village. Shaq’s career as an artist has developed to a point where he now has collectors all over the world and has exhibited in the UK, Australia, US as well as Malaysia. Recently Shaq won the Merdeka Award for International Attachment.
ARTISTS’ STATEMENT
“In a rapidly modernising Malaysian state, I’m always trying to capture the tension and pressure faced by my people, whose lives interact with and respect the natural environment. My work emphasizes the inequalities that exist between modern consumerism and traditional sustainable ways of life. My art is a reflection of my people and the rain forest in which I grew up, and the importance of nature to the Orang Asal. I try to capture a contemporary view of the struggle faced by Malaysia’s indigenous people and I aim is to contribute to a deeper understanding of multiracial Malaysia.”
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