Lifestyle

'Memories of George Town": An exhibition sparking narratives of days gone by


<img alt=”Artist Lijynn with the installation of six colourful sets of ‘samfu” in=”” a=”” small=”” 1960s=”” room=”” she=”” recreated.=”” –=”” pictures=”” by=”” sayuti=”” zainudin”=”” style=”float: left;” data-cke-saved-src=”https://media.malaymail.com/uploads/articles/2020/2020-08/Lijynn01.jpg” src=”https://media.malaymail.com/uploads/articles/2020/2020-08/Lijynn01.jpg”>GEORGE TOWN, Aug 24 — Modernisation has improved the lives of people but it comes with sacrifices and among these are disappearing artisanal skills and cultural ties to one’s ancestral roots.

In an attempt to recapture the ties and stories binding the ethnic Chinese to their ancestral roots, artist Lijynn came up with an impromptu “Memories of George Town” exhibition featuring colourful samfu, antique wooden frames and traditional herbs commonly used by various Malaysian cultures.

The largest installation is made up of six colourful sets of samfu (traditional Chinese blouse and pants) that she had chanced upon at a thrift store in Penang.

“These are really small sets of samfu made from really good printed materials that could possibly date back to the 1960s,” she said.

She said the samfus intrigued her and she wanted to know who they had belonged to, who had worn them and how they ended up at a thrift store.

“People don’t wear these anymore and these are really small sized, I can’t fit into them. Someone told me they could possibly have belonged to mui chai, young girls sold off to wealthy families as servants,” she said.

An installation of local herbs used by all the races in Malaysia.
An installation of local herbs used by all the races in Malaysia.

She said since the cutting of the clothing and the materials were simple, it was possible that they were servants’ clothing.

Lijynn had about 10 sets of these and had sold off one before she realised she should document the oral history of where these clothes might have come from or who could have worn them before selling the rest.

That was how the installation was created. She arranged the clothing in a set-up almost like a small 1960s room complete with an old stand fan and a wall covered with her drawings framed in antique wooden frames.

“I was told that there was a spot at the exhibition space as another artist had pulled out so I came up with this installation and another which I am setting up,” she said.

Her second installation is of local herbs that were traditionally used by the locals before the coming of modern medicine.

“I am featuring lemongrass which is used by practically all races, lemuni which was commonly used by the Malays as a nutritional plant, moringa which is commonly used by the ethnic Indians and the heimian jiangjun which was used by the ethnic Chinese,” she said.

Chinese paintings done on heritage roof tiles.
Chinese paintings done on heritage roof tiles.

She said these are the more commonly known local herbs today and her installation is to showcase the medicinal values of these herbs.

In another section, Lijynn featured eight Chinese ink paintings done on heritage roof tiles.

These are part of her series of paintings of heritage buildings, some based on old postcards and some on actual buildings in George Town and also Butterworth.

The exhibition, at the Hin Bus Depot exhibition space, is open daily until August 31.



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