Reviving Memory: Being Malay
by shz
12th March 2007
These are excerpts from my first photo project, ‘Being Malay’.
Exposures on Kodak Tri-X and Ilford Deltas.
Ahh.. Wet prints. One of my favourite series. I had just got back from a month holiday in Malaysia and went straight to the darkroom. There’s nothing quite like making your own prints. Almost cutting your finger in the total darkness, shrinking skin dipped in chemicals, the savings for fibre based papers, squinting your eye studying contact sheets.. Beat the scanning, the Photoshop-ing or the machine printings. I hope I still remember how to do it if its destined that I were to set my foot in the darkroom again.
When I first published this, a friend of mine Amran, wrote to me this (and I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing an excerpt of his private email to me):
I think it’d be wonderful to depict Malays as being just like any other races. We love, we hurt, we have our own vices etc. The photos will have Malay subjects of course, but rather than narrowing it down to a specific situations, perhaps a more universal approach would have mass appeal. My idea is like saying, hey, being Malay is just like being any other races, infinitely human with our own uniqueness. We adapt, we evolve, we succeed.
In the end, ‘being Malay’ is being human. And that notion transcends all forms of racial or ethnicity divisions, skin colours and beliefs.
I wrote back to him:
Assalamualaikum Amran
Sorry it took awhile to write back to you. I got back from Morocco and I went on straight on my new job. And now I’m writing to you on my lunch break!
Well, on the photo project, nothing really. It’s just that I try to work every photographs I do now in projects, so that it’ll keep me in focus. I wish I had a longer stay in Malaysia to take more photographs, but hey, maybe I can continue on being Malay here in the UK?
There’s nothing ‘rocket science’ about the message I’m trying to deliver. I want to photograph the essence of being Malay such as what does it means being a Malay? How do we look like in general, the color of our skin, our face feature, our sizes etc – that’s physically speaking. Then I move to the environment, what does our traditional shelters look like, our surroundings etc. Then maybe our clothes, and why it is like that due to our climate? Then finally activities. Obviously we have things that only Malay people do, it’ll then relate to our religion etc. You know, general stuffs..
Your suggestion is really powerful and definitely something I will take note on. Your idea is great, really. Maybe in future I can develop a photo essay about social issues of being Malay, our dilemmas and all. There are just so much questions about defining your own self – I just hope I can find the answers from this ongoing project. It might take years you know… Hehehe.
Years indeed. And still searching..
I am awed beyond words with Amran’s email and as usual by your’s and your artwork. I guess we’ll all be searching forever, as Malays but not as human beings. keep it up!
Thanks. And yes, Amran’s words always got me thinking. I wished we still write to each other.
The photographs is very deep in understanding that one have to know in looking..or rather what to look for in the photos to find what they mean.
Like those paintings in art galleries around the world, architectural wonders or classical music.
For that, is the reasons I could not give comments years before. Because it is quite amazing beyond any words of description like what Azhar said.
p.s Speaking of photograph using Kodak and darkrooms, what do reckon of the recent Eastman Kodak Co. Chapter 11 situation?
I think the Kodak situation is very unfortunate. What else there is to say; lots of analog cameras are going to be left dusty. 😦
Quite honestly, I too wish the same… missed the exchange of opinions, that inexplicable affiliation, the idle banters……..
But for now, these wonderfully personal and at times poignant journaled snippets of your life would have to ungrudgingly suffice.
May your endeavors bear juicy fruits, dear friend. Tireless you must be I opine, but fret not for the quest of self definition via slices of images would undoubtedly be a joyride for you :). Unsuspectingly too at times, during this journey itself, you’ll encounter defining moments… moments that will mold you in more ways than you’d anticipate.
I’ve rambled too much. Such is moi, but you know that right :). Best that I bid adieu for now. Take care…. 🙂
Awesome entry indeed..
btw i just voted for you for Worlds Bloggers And Social Media Awards 2012.. All the best ya… =)
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