Khairani Barokka (b. 1985) is a writer, poet, and interdisciplinary artist. She is also a practitioner of think/do advocacy in the arts, particularly on the ways in which new media can increase inclusion and access for and by disability cultures and feminisms (both of which she is happy to be a part of). Born in Jakarta, Okka works, teaches, and is published internationally, with art, literature, disability culture and transdisciplinary performances and workshops held across India, the US, Australia, Malaysia, the UK, Austria, Singapore, and her native Indonesia. She has a masters from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, as a Tisch Departmental Fellow, and among her awards and honors was Emerging Writers Festival’s (AUS) Inaugural International Writer-In-Residence for 2013. Okka is the writer, performer, and producer of a (hearing-impaired accessible) solo poetry/performance art show, “Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee”, which premiered at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014.
Okka is delighted to be part of the Rimbun Dahan community for 6 months, where she is working on writing projects as well as using text in mixed media works.
Kriss Wong is a self-taught visual artist from Malaysia. Her artistic expressions are closely related to nature, community and cultural heritage through videography, photography, drawings, poetry and a variety of mediums.
She has worked for non-governmental organizations, written freelance for travel magazines, taught arts to children and worked as visual artist at music festivals such as LUSH Bangkok Music Festival, Culture One International Dance Music Festival, Stone Free Music Festival and so one.
Kriss Wong has participated in numerous artist residency programs such as The Overstay residency program (Bangkok), Penaga Residency at Hotel Penaga (Penang), Yunnan Arts Can Do Residency Program and Shanghai Arts Can Do Residency Program.
Kriss Wong has been involved in community art projects both in Yunnan and Shanghai since 2015, which includes conducting art classes and working on site specific art projects at Longlin Primary School in Yunnan and Jiuqian Centers in Shanghai. Her long-term residency in China is jointly sponsored by Shanghai Jiuqian Volunteer Center and Australia China Art Foundation.
Traveling plays an important part in her artistic expressions because she is very much inspired by new experiences and new encounters through cross-cultural exchanges.
Kriss was a Hotel Penaga resident artist in October 2014. To find out more about her work, visit her website.
Malaysian artist and astrologer Melissa Lin was in residence at Rimbun Dahan in 2014, where her work ventured into new degrees of scale.
Bio
Melissa Lin is an artist and astrologer who loves how both disciplines deepen, teach about and reveal the mystery and richness of life and living. Art for her is a process of becoming and of encouraging the intrepid traveler on the way to wholeness and experience, not only for the individual self, but also for the health of the community and collective. Art can be the voice that returns us to our best selves and to the world.
Artist’s Statement
The gift of time and of spaciousness by the Rimbun Dahan residency has opened up new possibilities of exploration for my drawing and painting practice.
The process of exploration for me has been one of allowing and observing visual narratives, characters, expressive impulses that want to emerge from a sea of stories of the world, drawn from experience, the psyche, history, culture, magic, myth and wisdom.
This organic emergence to me is a way to return to feeling, sensing, drawing out pleasure from slowness, from savouring, and creates wholeness while living in a world where it is easy to lose and to drown oneself too much information and stimuli that leads to being dislocated from the self.
My drawings and paintings also reflect my interest in natural yet otherworldly environments that are like an interface or in between dimension where the personal internal world and the external world, the realm of imagination and of reality can come together and are a meditation on my physical travels, as well as traveling through ones own internal landscape and life.
Architect and former University of Adelaide student Hijjas Kasturi outside Bonython Hall, one of the University’s many heritage buildings. Photo by David Ellis, from The Adelaidean website of the University of Adelaide.
In 2013, The University of Adelaide recognised significant contribution to the advancement of the University’s Alumni Relations Program by awarding Hijjas Kasturi an Alumni Fellow. The Vice-Chancellor and President and the Chief Engagement Officer presented the Alumni Fellow Award to Encik Hijjas at the University of Adelaide’s 140th Malaysian Alumni Anniversary celebration on 10 September 2014.
Anniketyni Madian is a Sarawakian artist who is currently creating a stir in the local art scene with her sculptural works. Fresh, energetic and visually arresting, her current works are an embodiment of her love for her native culture. Deriving her inspiration from the exotic Pua Kumbu textiles, her works are given a personal, contemporary touch which makes every sculpture a unique piece. She translates her works from two-dimensional drawing of Pua Kumbu patterns to a painstaking three dimensional sculptures , creating an interesting perspective and depth to her works. One cannot fail to notice the intricacies of her complex work where each slice of wood is minutely detailed and perfectly aligned in order create a smooth, seamless flow.
Having progressively paved her way in a scene which is largely dominated by male artists, Anniketyni’s sculptural journey is currently ongoing at Rimbun Dahan. Come interact and watch the artist delve into the intricacies of her complex work that narrates the beauty of her heritage in her very own language. The open studio residency will take place on 6 September 2014 and is open to public from all walks of life.
The gift of time and of spaciousness by the Rimbun Dahan residency has opened up new possibilities of exploration for my drawing and painting practice.
The process of exploration for me has been one of allowing and observing visual narratives, characters, expressive impulses that want to emerge from a sea of stories of the world, drawn from experience, the psyche, history, culture, magic, myth and wisdom.
This organic emergence to me is a way to return to feeling, sensing, drawing out pleasure from slowness, from savouring, and creates wholeness while living in a world where it is easy to lose and to drown oneself too much information and stimuli that leads to being dislocated from the self.
My drawings and paintings also reflect my interest in natural yet otherworldly environments that are like an interface or in between dimension where the personal internal world and the external world, the realm of imagination and of reality can come together and are a meditation on my physical travels, as well as traveling through ones own internal landscape and life.
Melissa Lin, ‘Anam Cara’, charcoal on canvas, 84” x 57.5”.
Melissa Lin, ‘Land Escape,’ acrylic on canvas, 20” x 15”.
Melissa Lin. ‘Reverie’, acrylic on canvas, 31″ x 20.5″.
Melissa Lin, ‘The Walk’, charcoal on linen, 67” x 55”.
Artist Bio
Melissa Lin is an artist and astrologer who loves how both disciplines deepen, teach about and reveal the mystery and richness of life and living. Art for her is a process of becoming and of encouraging the intrepid traveler on the way to wholeness and experience, not only for the individual self, but also for the health of the community and collective. Art can be the voice that returns us to our best selves and to the world.
My work extends many of the ideas of portraiture and psychological exploration. The power of the portrait image always fascinates me. But rather than create anachronisms for their own sake, I choose to use such imagery and technique as a point of departure for exploring a world that is idiosyncratic, personal, and capable of transcending time and place. The surfaces of the paintings are varied, but they are always alive. The multiple layers of consciousness are explored as I create, construct, reveal and expose areas of the work. I see myself not just as a portrait painter but rather as a commentator of the histories and experiences of people I know and the community in which I live. I see myself as a contemporary history painter.
During recent years my work has focused not just on portraiture but also on nature as a means of documenting a region that I am visiting. In 2011 I was invited to be artist in residence on a field trip to Rwanda. I joined a team of scientists in the Volcanoes National Park a region that straddles the border between Rwanda and the Congo. These scientists examined the impact of environmental changes on gorillas in the region, and on how environments have changed in the recent past. Inspired by this residency my work looked at the experiences of the people I met in Rwanda and the human- environment interactions researched by the scientists. Many of the paintings are based loosely on real environmental scenarios. The day-to-day challenges faced by those living in poverty, the clearing of forests for subsistence farming and its impact on the mountain gorilla, the impact of the population on the land, and how implementing sustainable forms of development can have beneficial impact the local communities. In these human narratives I try to convey at least a small fragment of the complex story of the people I met in Rwanda. For me, these images I am creating function as reflecting pools of our times.
Helen Dalton is an Irish painter. Her portraits were described by Aidan Dunne in the Irish Times as “exceptionally sympathetic”. She has been awarded residencies in USA, Costa Rica Spain, Ireland and Rwanda. Her residency at Rimbun Dahan in July 2014 was funded by the Irish Arts Council.
The first Southeast Asian Choreolab at Rimbun Dahan took place from 1 to 9 May 2014, as a 9-day residential camp for 15 emerging contemporary choreographers from the Southeast Asian nations. It was facilitated by Janis Claxton, an Australian choreographer based in Scotland, and supported by British Council.
Participants:
Nget Rady (Cambodia)
Yon Davy (Cambodia)
Otniel Tasman (Indonesia)
Rizki Suharlin Putri (Indonesia)
Chai Vivan (Malaysia)
Fauzi Amirudin (Malaysia)
Hii Ing Fung (Malaysia)
Lee Ren Xin (Malaysia)
Ea Torrado (Philippines)
Sarah Marie Samaniego (Philippines)
Shahrin Johry (Singapore)
Chan Sze Wei (Singapore)
Aditep Buanoi (Thailand)
Đỗ Hải Anh/Yumi (Vietnam)
Colleen Coy (East Timor)
*
Aims
To encourage emerging Southeast Asian choreographers to
Develop regional networks among their peers and with regional dance institutions, for knowledge sharing, artistic collaboration and touring;
Experience works of art, cultures, places and histories beyond their home, to increase international understanding and help contextualize their artistic practice;
Adopt new choreographic tools, physical disciplines, thematic and conceptual approaches to enrich their artistic practice.
Format
The 15 participating choreographers (4 from Malaysia, 11 from elsewhere in Southeast Asia) and the international facilitator were provided with accommodation, food, local transport and airport transfers at Rimbun Dahan. All study sessions took place in the dance studio or in surrounding spaces at Rimbun Dahan. The program will consist of 7 work days with 2 days of study-tour to arts institutions in the Klang Valley, including the National Academy of Arts and Heritage (ASWARA), Temple of Fine Arts, Damansara Performing Arts Centre, Five Arts Centre and Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. Classes and other sessions were conducted by Jack Kek, Joelle Jacinto, Lim Sae Min, David Lim, Rathimalar Govindarajoo, Alla Azura Abal Abas, and Lim How Ngean.
About Janis Claxton, Facilitator
Choreographer, producer, dancer and teacher Janis Claxton was born in Australia and is now based in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she is artistic director and co-producer of the award winning contemporary dance company Janis Claxton Dance. With more than 25 years of international experience she has worked both independently and with companies and organisations in several countries. She has performed with The One Extra Company (Australia 1984-86), Michael Parmenters’ Commotion Company (NZ, 1990) and her work is strongly influenced by Erick Hawkins who invited her to join his company in New York (1992). Janis has choreographed solo and company works, community projects and children’s theatre including for Janis Claxton Dance, BeijingDance/LDTX, National Dance Company of Wales, Beijing Dance Academy, Lung Has, Grid Iron and Travelling Light.
With a passion and commitment for movement research Janis’ reputation as a teacher traverses the globe. She has taught extensively in professional, community and educational dance settings including Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Beijing Dance Academy, Dance Academy Arnhem, London Contemporary Dance School and Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. As an arts educator she has taught dance extensively in schools developing programs integrating dance with mathematics and literacy in primary schools. She has run 3 month full time professional dance training programs with a staff or 8 teachers and musicians.
Since 2009 Janis has had an on-going artistic relationship with China and has worked with major organizations and independent Chinese artists. She has choreographed for BeijingDance LDTX, Beijing Song and Dance Company and Beijing Dance Academy and her works have been presented at the DaDao Live Art Festival, Guangdong Modern Dance Festival, Beijing Dance Academy and Shanghai Expo. In 2012 Janis Claxton Dance collaborated with BeijingDance/ LDTX to open Beijing Dance Festival which was presented as part of the UK NOW Festival. Janis has a passion for continuing explorations, collaborations and networking with Chinese and Asian dance communities.
During the Southeast Asian Choreolab 2014, Janis largely worked on introducing the group to TACTICS, a framework for developing partner-based material, originated by New Zealand choreographer Michael Parmenter.
In March 2014, Basque artists Naiara Mendioroz and Javier Murugarren spent a short residency at Rimbun Dahan. During their stay, they developed a duet work, also using the traditional wooden Basque musical instrument, the txalaparta, and the recently developed metal drum instruments, the hang.
They gave an open studio presentation of the work they created. They also experimented with using materials from the garden at Rimbun Dahan in the creation of costumes.
About Naiara Mendioroz
Graduated from the Official Ballet School of Pamplona (Spain) in 2000. In 2003, she graduated at the SNDO “School for New Dance Development” in Amsterdam. Following her graduation from SNDO she was awarded the DanceWeb scholarship for Contemporary Dance taking place at the Impulstanz in Vienna, Austria. She has danced for and toured internationally with various choreographers including Eleanor Bauer, Boris Charmatz, Nicole Beutler (piece based on Lucinda Child’s work), Frey Faust, Keren Levi, Peter Greenaway, Pere Faura, Paz Rojo, Mette Ingvartsen, Juan Dominguez, Beth Gill, Kate Mcintosh, Jefta Van Dinther and DD Dorvillier among others. She also works as a movement assistant for Nicole Beutler in the piece “The Garden”. Parallel to this, she has collaborated in a Dance project in N.Y teaching dance to women victims of domestic violence and at the moment she prepares her next project in Spain.
About Javier Murugarren
Formerly a sea sciences student in the Canary Islands, Javier arrived to the performance world in 1996. A pivotal encounter with El ojo de la Faraona dance company resulted in a decision to pursue performance and movement research. This brought Javier to Amsterdam, where he received a bachelor degree (2008) in dance and choreography from School for New Dance Development (SNDO). Javier’s work draws on a range of performance practices, including improvisation, choreography, cabaret, music, puppetry, video, and costume design. The distinctively eclectic and cross-cultural style of his costume designs has earned them a description as “post-folkloric punk”. Javier understands the performing body as “a mutant tool for an ongoing process of learning and adaptation.” His work has been presented in numerous countries, including Japan, Korea, Hungary, Turkey, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Spain and the Netherlands. He is a founder member of Instant Collective (2006), an Amsterdam-based performance collective. He also organizes Inkietas, an annual urban performance festival, in his hometown of Estella, in the Basque country of Spain. Other collaborative works have been made with Compaignie faim de siècle / Ibrahim Quraishi (Paris/NY), Trust company (South Korea), Duda Paiva (NL) and Azart-Ship of Fools (NL), Meekers (NL) and Maas (NL)
The gift of time and of spaciousness by the Rimbun Dahan residency has opened up new possibilities of exploration for my drawing and painting practice.
About Naiara Mendioroz