Rimbun Dahan - Southeast Asian Art Residency

Throughout the hot months of 2019, I had the opportunity to share a wonderful space with other art practitioners in Rimbun Dahan. It led me to observe the initial ideas of a project I was working on at that time — documenting indigenous plants and food from Indigenous communities around Selangor.

This piece briefly showcases foraged plants which are normally consumed by the Temuan Community in Kampung Tohor, Jelebu. They are the Kapeh flower (in yellow colour), Tapioca leaves, Sayur Maman and Limau Kasturi. The vibrant palette feasts the eyes as they narrate a long forgotten dish.

3rd of March 2019 | Kampung Tohor, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan

Title: Foraged Eats, Food for the Gods (i)

Size: 594 x 420 mm

Medium: Watercolour on 200gsm Watercolour paper

After a few hours of cooking, the food was finally ready and grandly arranged on plastic tables, though I was dumbfounded to have seen a bowl of green Sambal, of which appeared to be pre-cooked prior to our arrival. It struck me to ask Jenita about it, and she said it was green Chilli with generous hints of Durian, quite similar to a local dish called Tempoyak. It was a glorious take on Sambal, as they had put anchovies in it too, not to mention it being painfully spicy.The whole presentation of the dish mainly featured the rice unravelling from the Bemban leaf, boiled Bunga Jantung Pisang, Nibong slices, Tapioca leaves, grilled Tapioca, and Bunga Kantan. Many of us couldn’t handle the heat of the Sambal, but there I was taking a spoonful of it, fearing I would never have a taste of it ever in my life again.

3rd of March 2019 | Kampung Tohor, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan

Title: An Ode to Life

Size: 594 x 420 mm

Medium: Watercolour on 200gsm Watercolour paper

Bayam Pasir, Nibong and Tapioca leaves. The insides of Nibong tree can be sliced into strips and eaten raw or cooked into soups with hints of turmeric. These fresh edible plants are a magnificent staple of the Orang Asli cuisines.

3rd of March 2019 | Kampung Tohor, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan

Title: Recollection of Old Tastes

Size: 594 x 420 mm

Medium: Watercolour on 200gsm Watercolour paper

We walked around Mak Cik Asni’s house and her wild garden, as I expressed my keenness in knowing their knowledge of plants and herbs surrounding their settlement. One particularly interesting plant that we came across was the Buah Mahkota Dewa (Phaleria macrocarpa) which was in brilliant red. She briefly told us the wonderful remedial properties that come with it, including anti-cancer elements and reduces high blood pressure. But you have to use it in the right way! Remove the seed as it is poisonous and cut the fruit into slices, dry them and boil them in water to drink. The other plants that she planted was Ketumbar Jawa (Eryngium foetidum), which is mainly used in soups and the more familiar Misai Kucing (Orthosiphon aristatus).

12th of December 2018 | Kampung Tekir, Labu, Negeri Sembilan

Title: Unearthing Labu

Size: 594 x 420 mm

Medium: Watercolour on 200gsm Watercolour paper