Journey through Selangor's crafts

THE early morning congrega­tion at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque on a particular Saturday afternoon marked the prelude of plumbing Selangor's rich crafting heritage.

Under the programme 'Kem­bara Kraf Selangor 2011', some 40 people embarked on a three-day journey to learn about the varied handicrafts boasted by, but not necessarily exclusive to, this State.

From the hand-woven, famous traditional batik that attracts tourist consumerism all the way to the hand-sculpted ceramic pottery a family has practised for three generations, the programme highlighted certain parties that practise their distinct crafts skilfully in Selangor.

Through the visitation to the realm of these handicraft practi­tioners, we've been introduced to their history, and for some crafts, the art of making them.

Here's a summary of what transpired during the pro­gramme, and of the places as well as small businesses visited:

Laman Kraf Tani

A small enterprise in a sub­urban housing area in Banting, it is home to Esiah Kaimun, 59, who takes great pride in her dried flower craft, or spe­cifically bunga tekap (pressed flower). Esiah claims few can match her skills in the craft she has practised since 1998.

Being surrounded by green­ery and the smell of fresh air, it is fitting to find a practitioner of bunga tekap here. The handicraft, which es­sentially is about gluing dried, shrivelled parts of various flowers onto a base and then framing it up, appar­ently earns Esiah a decent income.

The prices range from a few ringgit for small, non-framed items to thousands for huge wooden framed ones. These colourful fine arts can potentially be appreciated for their vibrant aesthetics, but Esiah's version has somewhat of a dull, lacklustre feel to it. There again, some enthusiasts like their bunga tekap in this form.

For more information, visit the Laman Kraftani Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/LAMAN-KRAF­TANI/334618956733 or call Esiah at 019-2534620.

Lyanne Batik

Discovering Selangor's crafts would never be complete with­out setting eyes on batik, and the trip to Lyanne Batik in Pulau Meranti, Puchong, sated that aspect of the trip.

A true believer in preserv­ing Mother Nature, Lyanne Batik embodies this notion by adopting the use of natural dyes in colouring their batik handicrafts.

Founded by Kamaliah Ismail, Lyanne Batik (which is a work­shop, gallery, and factory rolled into one) is the manifestation of her aim of producing and supplying tasteful contempo­rary, ethnic and tribal Malaysian batik.

Their modus operandi for making the patterns for these quality works utilises one of two techniques: using a tjanting tool, a rod-like tool in which wax continuously flows out from, or copper block stamp, in which you literally dip and stamp wax onto the cloth for quick produc­tion.

Calling these alluring works of art the aptly named Art to Wear, Lyanne Batik caters to a market both local and abroad, and the geometri­cal patterns distinctive to batik have implement­ed on ac­cessories, men and women's wear, and paintings.

To immerse your­self in Selangor's unique batik both traditional and con­temporary, make your way down to Jalan Puchong in Pulau Meranti. For more information, visit www.lyanneba­tik.com.my.

Buluh Bentong Resort

Jalan Loji Air is hardly a beautiful name for a place, but the exquisite bamboo house hidden within starkly contradicts the implications of its name. The Buluh Bentong Resort, as it's called, is a well-maintained estate that boasts a cosy bamboo home as its centrepiece.

Owned by Mohd Ramadhan Abdul Hamid, he intended the abode to serve as a private home for his family but seeing as they were uninterested, he transformed the place into the resort it cur­rently is.

text-align: left;Built back in 2008, this sturdy construct took a mere four people about 12 months to complete. The result is a stun­ning abode that any nature lover would relish in its confines. The interior has been taste­fully decorated with a myriad of rattan furniture that exudes a contemporary vibe. The makers of the furniture, conveniently enough, are located right next to the house.

Design Principles (DP), a local furniture maker that specialises in quality rattan furniture, is a good example of utilising rat­tan, a material that's typically attributed to traditional crafts, to create contemporary pieces.

Basing their workshop right in the heart of Buluh Bentong Resort, Rahim Ismail, who owns the business, provided a live illustration of the makings of his company's furniture.

Using only the highest-grade rattan, these products of uncompromising quality have made their way into interna­tional markets. A particular range of furniture, that bases its concept on a whale, is a quaint, but ultimately beautiful set of functional art that would surely catch many eyes.

If the interior decorations of the bamboo house were any indication, the contemporary bamboo furniture would har­monize perfectly with a nature/modern hybrid home.

To visit both Buluh Bentong Resort and DP workshop, head on over to Jalan Loji Air, Sungai Serai Batu 11, Hulu Langat.

Ramadas

Along Jalan Teluk Piah Kanan is this small enterprise, owned by V.N. Ramadas, hence the business's name. Dealing in the fine art of ceramic craftsman­ship, the Ramadas business is one that has persevered through three generations since his granddad arrived from India.

V.N. Ramadas himself has been getting his hands dirty making earthenware for the past 42 years, ever since he became an alumna from high school. The family-owned business started due to the abundance of relevant ma­terials, and 50 other families fol­lowed suit in working with clay. As of now, however, that number has dwindled to a tenth of that.

The clay used is known as ball clay, is relatively rare form of clay that is sourced from Bestari Jaya. With it, they fashion ceramic cups, cook­ing pots, even fountains and tandors. According to one of the workers, she makes about 2,000 cups daily from 8am to 6pm.

Want to get your hands dirty too? Perhaps, if you ask nicely, Ramadas might just let you have a go with the pottery wheel. Be warned though: it's not as easy as it looks.

text-align: left;Mahkota Songket

The 'Kembara Kraf Selangor 2011'programme culminated with a trip to Mahkota Songket on day three, a subsidiary of Atur Sdn Bhd that weaves songket, type of intricate and painstakingly made bro­cade native to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

Leena Hassan, 27, the manager of Mahkota Songket , welcomed the group into the songket-making fa­cility, where the first floor used mecha­nised sowing ma­chines, while the second floor used a more traditional wooden construct, known as the kek machine.

The floral and other geometrical patterns require such skill and patience it takes around a month or more to complete one songket, depending on the complexity of the embellishments.

Starting this business since around 2001, Leena making this beautiful and costly fabric is extremely tedious to say the least. One can argue however, that the end result justifies the hardship of making it.