Destinations: Kembara Kraf Selangor 8

Treasuring Selangor’s Crafting Heritage

Text by SHAHIDA SAKERI Images by MOHAMAD KAMIL AZIM MOHD NASIR

In today’s era of mass production, handmade crafts hold a special place among those who value authenticity and creativity. They are unique and carry human touches that warm peoples’ hearts. Some even hold cultural importance that tie us to the deep-rooted legacies left by our forefathers.

Hence, in conjunction with ‘Kembara Kraf Selangor 8 - Indie Arts to the Fore’ familiarisation trip, Selangor State Economic Planning Unit collaborated with Gaya Travel Magazine in bringing selected members of media, bloggers and influencers to meet talented local artisans based in the state. Read on to find out who they are and how they contribute to the local creative industry.

Products We Discovered during Kembara Kraf Selangor 8

Seni Pelukis Kayu

The pyrography artwork of the late P. Ramlee and Saloma by Mr. Maznan.

Pyrography – the technique of creating art by burning marks on wood or other materials using superhot metal stylus – is not commonly practiced in Malaysia. The process is arduous and requires technical prowess, eye for detail and extremely high patience, which bears impressive results. One may buy such piece of art from Mr. Maznan, one of the few avid pyrographers whose impressive works have been catching the attention of art lovers in the country and abroad. He recreates a variety of images ranging from landscapes, portraits, poems to anything that customers desire.

To achieve dimensional effects in his woodwork, Mr. Maznan burns the wood to different degrees according to the image that he had visualised. He adds that he can work with various kinds of wood to meet clients’ budget. Since each type of wood burns differently, the end result for each artwork varies. Nevertheless, he assures that each of his creation is made with utmost quality. The prices of the artworks start at MYR70 per piece.

Contact details: Mr. Maznan: www.instagram.com/seni_pelukis_kayu / +6 011 2318 8519

Cherry Art Design & Desa Alam Batik

One of the batik blocks used at Cherry Art Design.

Batik is often associated with the Peninsular Malaysia east coast states, but do you know that Selangor also owns creative talents who produce high-quality batik fabrics? Among them are Cherry Art Design and Desa Alam Batik.

Cherry Art Design by Mr. Hafiz Hassan specialises in batik block-printing, which is perhaps the oldest and most labour-intensive technique when designing the fabric. Blocks of various shapes and sizes are dipped in steaming hot mixture of beeswax, paraffin and resin, before they are pressed in an organised order on the chosen fabric laid on a table with a cool and damp plastic-covered foam cushion in between. The damp cushion helps the wax to quickly solidify when pressed on to the cloth laid above it. Once the patterns are complete, Mr. Hafiz will then colour them individually by hand. The process continues by soaking the fabric in sodium silicate solution for eight to twelve hours to preserve its colours. The final step involves washing the fabric in boiling water multiple times to remove the wax before it is hung to dry naturally.

Desa Alam Batik, alternatively, focuses on a much more modern approach: silkscreen printing technique using cold wax. Designs are created in the Adobe InDesign software, printed on a 46- inch by 33-inch paper and transferred onto a silkscreen via exposure under light. This screen will then be placed on top of a chosen fabric. Next, the artist will pour a formulated mixture of wax on top of this screen and scoop it across the silkscreen with a squeegee, transferring the design to the surface of the fabric. The wax will be left to dry overnight before the artist continues with colouring and wax-removing processes as commonly practiced in batik-making.

Visitor can also learn on how to colour batik fabric in classes organised by either Cherry Art Design or Desa Alam Batik.

Both Cherry Art Design and Desa Alam Batik employ contemporary floral and geometrical motifs in their designs but can be custom-made should clients prefer unique patterns. The products are available for purchase via social media platforms and are usually sold between MYR100 to MYR500 per piece. However, the prices of certain premium products with intricate designs and higher quality materials reach thousands of ringgit. Cherry Art Design and Desa Alam Batik also hold classes for creative folks who are interested to learn batik-making.

Contact details: Cherry Art Design: www.instagram.com/cherryartdesign / +6 017 388 2704 Desa Alam Batik: www.facebook.com/desaalambatikofficial / +6 03 3358 4334

SamuraiDio Hobby Station

The model of Fujiwara Tofu Shop as featured in Initial D film.

As the saying goes: good things come in small packages. In the case of Mr. Shaiful Sharif ’s exquisite creations, the saying is downright accurate. Specialising in miniature dioramas, Mr. Shaiful Sharif creates small-scale scenography crafts complete with delicate miniature objects, focusing on the theme that revolve around cars. In fact, most of his clients are ardent Hot Wheels collectors who wish to display their collections in the most fashionable way – some even requested to have dioramas inspired from popular films such as the Fast & Furious franchise and Initial D.

However, Mr. Shaiful’s exceptional skill is not limited to making scaled-down film-inspired sets because he also takes orders to create realistic building replicas. Ever think of having a mini version of your home or a favourite building in the world that holds significant sentimental value to you? Yes, he can do that too. During our visit, Mr. Shaiful was in the midst of finishing a replica of a traditional kampung house based on old pictures given by his client who grew up in that particular house. Today, the house sports a more modern look as it had undergone multiple renovations throughout the years. As a thoughtful gesture, the client would like to surprise his parents with a replica of the original home to remind them of the good old days. The prices for these dioramas start at MYR300 per piece.

Contact details: Mr. Shaiful Sharif (SamuraiDio Hobby Station): www.facebook.com/SamuraiDio / +6 019 301 7062

Sewing World Gallery

The handmade products made of upcycled denim as shown in the Sewing World Gallery.

A three times Guinness World Record holder, Sewing World Gallery is both a learning centre and a mini museum ideal for those who are interested in sewing and hand-sewn crafts made from fabrics. One can take the time admiring vast collection of products created using various creative sewing techniques like stitching and quilting, but the highlights are the world’s largest holdall bag and Malaysia’s longest sofa, both made from upcycled fabrics. The entrance into the gallery is free.

Alternatively, visitors can join the workshops facilitated by welltrained staff and learn how to make personalised crafts. These workshops last between five minutes to three hours, depending on the complexity of the crafts being made. On every second and fourth weekend of each month, the gallery organises the Tunku Azizah Handmade Market on the ground floor of Sky Park @ One City where visitors can go on a hunt for exquisite handmade fabric crafts by passionate local female artisans.

Sewing World Gallery has been established since 2016, with ongoing support from the Association of Creative Sewing Art of Malaysia, Epal Handicraft Training Centre (EPAL), Koperasi Dagang Seni Malaysia, Mostwell Sdn Bhd, and Yayasan Inovatif Mostwell (YIM). Together, they aim to not only celebrate the rich colours and complex intricacies of hand-sewn crafts but also to assist the underprivileged improve their quality of life through skills and entrepreneurship. To date, they have trained up to 5,000 members at 15 various EPAL centres across the country.

Contact details: Facebook : Sewing World Gallery: www.facebook.com/ sewingworldgallery / +6 03 8068 5555 Operation hours: Daily from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Zurasa Food Industries

Some of the products offered by Ms. Nazihah from Zurasa Food Industries.

Malaysians are synonymous with spicy food like dried sambal (chili-based sauce or relish). It is not only delicious when eaten with a plate of steaming hot rice, but also enhances the flavours of bland staples like porridge and bread. Since it usually lasts long even in room temperature, many Malaysian travellers bring sambal when travelling overseas to save money and get a ‘kick’ out of their meals.

Too lazy to make the sambal yourself? Just order from Zurasa Food Industries, whose owner, Ms. Nazihah, uses long-standing recipes from her Javanese grandmother to create a variety of dried sambal, including spicy potato (MYR14), serunding or coconut floss (MYR15) and the best-seller tempe kicap or fried fermented soy with sauce (MYR20). Since all of her products are homecooked, you are bound to find them comforting!

Contact details: Ms. Nazihah Mohamed: www.instagram.com/zurasafood / +6 012 304 6991