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With dozens of beautiful photographs and extensive text, this Malaysian art book is a testament to the skill and spirituality of Malaysia's traditional woodcarvers. Wood has always played a significant role in the Malay world, including the Malay Peninsula, as a means of shelter, livelihood, comfort and convenience. Among the living arts of Malaysia, woodcarving is one of the oldest, and for centuries woodcarvers enjoyed a prestige that few others did. A master woodcarver was not simply an artist. He had a mystical affinity with his material, and through his art he could unlock, channel and enhance the semangat, or life force, inherent in the wood. His works ere sought after not only for their beauty, but also for the symbolic power and meaning they embodied, in particular the keris, considered the pinnacle of woodcarver's art. Each of the pieces in this catalog of Malaysian art illustrates a specific motif, use of a pattern or form, or interpretation of a legend. The woodcarvings range from extremely important and rare pieces, such as royal ceremonial objects, to wood panels, household objects and elements of traditional Malay architecture.
Farish A. Noor might just be Malaysia's hippest intellectual. His gifts are on full display in these expanded versions of public lectures that he delivered at The Annexe Gallery, Central Market Kuala Lumpur in 2008 and 2009. Find out how 'racial difference' became such a big deal in Malaysia, and contrast this against the way our distant ancestors lived. Discover the hidden stories of the keris, Hang Tuah and PAS. There's also quite a bit of sex. Erudite, impassioned and sometimes plain naughty, What Your Teacher Didn't Tell You is a stimulating plunge into aspects of our past that have been kept from us. There's even a bonus chapter! Illustrated with dozens of sepia-toned photographs, many from the author's collection of antiques.
Between Tongues takes the subject of performance translation in a completely new direction. While the topic is often discussed in relation to the translation of dramatic texts, such as Shakespeare in Malay, the authors in this collection examine presentations of traditional and contemporary works in Asia in their original languages before audiences who do not share that language. They also discuss translation as a phenomenon inherent to much performance in Asia, particularly in multilingual settings.
This book brings together a group of international scholars, inspired by the scholarly perspective of Australian philologist Ian Proudfoot, who look at calendars and time, royal myths, colonial expeditions, printing, propaganda, theater, art, Islamic manuscripts, and many more aspects of Malayan history.
Southeast Asian Affairs 2007 provides an informed and readable analysis of the events and developments in the region in 2006. In the regional section of this volume, the first two articles provide the political and economic overview of Southeast Asia, while the third and fourth examine the character of political development in the region. Eleven country reviews as well as five special theme articles follow, delving into domestic political, economic, security, and social developments during 2006 and their implications for countries in the region and beyond.
In this critical volume, leading scholars in the field examine the performance of Shakespeare in Asia. Emerging out of the view that it is in "play" or performance, and particularly in intercultural / multicultural performance, that the cutting edge of Shakespeare studies is to be found, the essays in this volume pay close attention to the modes of transference of the language of the text into the alternative languages of Asian theatres; to the history and politics of the performance of Shakespeare in key locations in Asia; to the new Asian experimentation with indigenous forms via Shakespeare and the consequent revitalizing and revising of the traditional boundaries of genre and gender; and to Shakespeare as a cultural capital world wide. Focusing specifically on the work of major directors in the central and emerging areas of Asia – Japan, China, India, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines - the chapters in this volume encompass a broader and more representative swath of Asian performances and locations in one book than has been attempted till now.
Saman is a story filtered through the lives of its feisty female protagonists and the enigmatic "hero" Saman. It is at once an exposé of the oppression of plantation workers in South Sumatra, a lyrical quest to understand the place of religion and spirituality in contemporary lives, a playful exploration of female sexuality and a story about love in all its guises, while touching on all of Indonesia's taboos: extramarital sex, political repression and the relationship between Christians and Muslims. Saman has taken the Indonesian literary world by storm and sold over 100,000 copies in the Indonesian language, and is now available for the first time in English. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ayu Utami was...
Straight talk on Malaysian politics is what you get in this book. No mincing of words, no waffling. Direct and to-the-point. In other words, no bullshit. Writer Kee Thuan Chye is noted for his candid and honest commentaries on Malaysian politics; in these pages are his incisive interpretations of what is going wrong in Malaysia and suggestions of what needs to be done to correct the ills. He does not hold back his punches when he wallops the Prime Minister and some of his Cabinet members. He speaks out without fear or favour in interviews done with him by other media. From these and the poems and excerpts from his plays included here, you hear the voice of a Malaysian who cares enough for his country to speak up for its good. Among its contents are: ? Time to Repeal the Sedition Act ? The Sex Video Comedy and the Malaysian Malady ? Holy Cow! Minister Defends Protestors! ? The Man who Created a Culture of Fear ? The Beginning of Change in Sarawak ? Peanuts, Not Sweeping Reforms ? Spammed by the PM! ? What Will They Do about Racism Now? ? Should MCA Remain in BN? ? Najib and Gang Say the Darnedest Things ? Why is Perkasa Against Bersih 2.0?
This comprehensive book explores the Malaysian form of shadow puppet theatre, highlighting its unique nature within the context of Southeast Asian and Asian shadow puppet theatre traditions. Intended for a Western audience not familiar with Asian performance and practices, the text serves as a bridge to this highly imaginative form. An in-depth examination of the Malaysian puppet tradition is provided, as well as performance scripts, designs for puppet characters, instructions for creating a shadow screen, and easy directions for performance. Another section then considers the practical, pedagogical, and ethical issues that arise in the teaching of this art.
i want to sing of all that was but no longer is of all that never was but could have been – Song of Hope With fierce verse conjured from the depths of a mighty heart, Cecil Rajendra is recognised as one of the Third World’s most powerful voices, relentlessly championing the rights of the downtrodden and dispossessed. Personal & Profane is a collection of Rajendra’s finest work spanning five decades, revealing a tender inner voice behind a pugnacious front. In a polarised world, his work is enduringly relevant and his burning fire, a beacon of hope.