The journey south, as I tried to trace the journey my grand-parents took, on the uncharted water, in a unknown territory. The question of belonging to a place, the indigenious, the displacement..I have constantly live in two worlds, one that is unknown to me and the other one is within reachable range.

My works concentrate mainly on those themes, I was fascinated with the history of my past generations, how they have sailed south from Teochew, China and settled on a small island along the cost of Malaysia. As a child, I was brought up the Eastern way, tracing the roots seem to be a thing for the Western cultures, not popular for many of us. Because of that, my knowledge about my past few generations is a big black hole. To explore this unknown territoty was a difficult task, lack of resources, unfamiliar landmarks and so forth.

The urge of re-connecting myself to my home soil is strong great-grand-father left China, he left without any pesonal belongings, family photos were lost during the transition. The only thing that still exists are the stories that been told from generations to generations. My work stand on the idea of being in-Between two cultures- Eastern and Western cultures. In-between two different past, two different languages and two different spaces.

The small pieces of printed paper that have been sew onto the large piece represents the memories of the past that leaps forth and back in my mind everyday. They are soft, not detail( which is why I like the gum process)takes on the metaphor of fading memories and nostalgia. The image of a bridge,(bridge of Pulau Pinang, connecting the island to the mainland) represents the urge to re-connect to my soil, either physically or mentally.

The Chinese in Malaysia are mostly from China, like the rubber tree, both are not originated from Malaysia. The rubber tree was brought out from South Africa, the rubber industries then expanded since. The map once again been used here to represents the unachievable desire to connect. I am also playing on the idea of using the Landscapes as a milestones in unfamiliar territory and to give the journey a sense of surety..without such references the journey itself becomes meaningless and puzzling.

I carry two worlds within me.
but neither whole
they are constantly bleeding,
the border runs right throught my tongue.

poem by Zafer Senocak.