Sari Chempaka

Went to visit Sari Chempaka with Hasnul.

Sari Chempaka - a beautiful constructivist HOME belongs to Najib Dawa who is my former Dean, teacher, mentor and usual collaborator -  who is responsible for bringing me into USM ( where i have my formal education in the visual arts - GOD Bless you my man!!!! ).


We been talking and examining few articles and artefact ( especially written by the late Ismail Zain in 1989!!! ) involving traditions - modernity and language of harmony, the sublime beauty of it and how it able to transcend into the cultural consciousness of southeast Asians - where architecture, language speaks in harmony with nature.

Najib is well known and walks the walk when it comes to this sort issues - what is awesome is, he is not a pretentious prick ( like those so called cultural expert ). His Batik works features his mastery of colors and composition.


All of his Batik works have subtle command of color yet commanding, striking yet it doesn't glare.  Here...take a look....cantik man...

A Dawa resting on a fairy land, 2008
So for years, he had been collecting, curating his own extensive collection, building and for the past 4 years - this is the result and what is awesome is he and his wife living in it.

Rather than viewing dead artefacts displayed in the hollow halls of any art gallery and museum, here - we have a chance to experience it, communicate with it, live and breathe it. 


pintu selak
Sari Chempaka - his personal house is a wonderful amalgam of  various Southeast Asian architectures, filled with bit and pieces that simply add characters - Sari Chempaka for me is a postmodernist structuralist work.  

he got this from China.
eat your hearts out, a single piece of Cengal baby!!!

photo by Kebun Jiwa Halus

photo by Kebun Jiwa Halus
The Serambi - photo by Kebun Jiwa Halus

Najib and his future project, he's building rumah bujang - man....photo by Kebun Jiwa Halus
We'll be launching a new project, a new narrative - will keep you guys posted.

For more articles involving culture and tradition, click the links below

Sembang Kedai Kopi

Tradition

Objects

The Immaterial Values

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