logo
Nuansa Seni 6.0 honours heritage artisans

Nuansa Seni 6.0 honours heritage artisans

Borneo Post5 days ago
Abdul Karim, flanked by Fatimah (sixth left) and Sharifah Suzana, in a group photo with the honourees of Nuansa Seni 6.0. Also seen are (from left) Snowdan, his wife Datin Melinda Claudia Bucking and Sharifah Hasidah.
KUCHING (July 21): Sustainability was the highlight of the 'Nuansa Seni Vol 6.0', staged at Hotel Waterfront here on Sunday night.
The programme, themed 'Two Eras, One Soul', showcased collections by local designers – both seasoned and emerging – that incorporated Sarawak's traditional heritage arts such as 'keringkam' (Sarawak Malay's embroidered scarf), songket and batik, as well as other fine crafts.
'There's no new without the old. We honour all those who give patterns to this industry, which now welcomes new, young troops who bring along with them modern elements.
'However, as indicated by this programme's name, the changes should be 'nuanced' – meaning they are not drastic to a point that they pollute and destroy this art.
'That's the essence of our theme: 'two eras, one soul'. It reflects the ecosystem that we are advocating under the 'Nuansa Seni' concept.
'The sustainability message is also evident in the connection of those involved in this arts and heritage industry; between the practitioners, the consumers, and the environment,' said programme director Dr Sharifah Suzana Wan Shukran in her opening remarks.
Models wear various styles of 'keringkam' from a collection that involves a collaboration of local teachers of this traditional textile art.
On the start-up of Nuansa Seni, she said it began as an online programme during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago.
'Our first feature was an online fashion show.
'Now, we have reached the sixth edition. That said, this accomplishment also brings with it very high expectations in upholding our creations of the past and the future.
'Without disregarding the age-old arts and culture, we can construct the Sarawak identity through contemporary practices.
'This, to a degree, is a form of information exchange,' she added.
Sharifah Suzana also spoke about a group of embroiderers whom she brought to a Nuansa Seni programme in Sibu last year.
'They brought along a few pieces of 'selayah' (smaller 'keringkam').
'Since then, that small group has sold more than 50 pieces.
'Many of you here would know that a 'selayah' can fetch a price of RM3,000, so you can calculate it – they now achieve a sales value of over RM150,000.
'So this is what we're trying to do,' she pointed out.
Many of the menswear collections featured in Nuansa Seni 6.0 represent a fusion of tradition and modern influences.
Apart from a showcase of tradition-embedded couture and series of cultural stage performances, Nuansa Seni 6.0 also honoured a number of local arts and heritage activists.
They are 'tikar bergerang' (traditional mat made from pandan leaves) grandmaster Ngot Bi; 'keringkam' experts Siti Sadiah Abang Nor Salleh, Mastura Sidek dan Noraini Zaidan; songket weavers Dayang Maslamah Abang Nor Salleh, Saanah Suhaili and Ramtiniwaiti Ramlee; traditional Sarawak Malay wedding make-up and style artist Kazuliah Mohammad Taufek; Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHE) chairperson Datu Dr Sabariah Putit; authority on Sarawak Malay arts, heritage and culture Sabri Nor; Sarawak Malay traditional couture specialist Danny Zulkifli; heritage advisor Datu Dr Rashidah Bolhassan; 'keringkam' arts activist Amirul Shazli Yusof; and traditional Sarawak embroidery and stitching arts expert Norlizawati Sane.
The dignitaries present were Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, together with deputy minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan and permanent secretary Datu Sherrina Husaini; Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah; and Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier's Department (Law, Malaysia Agreement 1963 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Air Supply concert in Kuching to boost Sarawak' music tourism
Air Supply concert in Kuching to boost Sarawak' music tourism

Borneo Post

timea day ago

  • Borneo Post

Air Supply concert in Kuching to boost Sarawak' music tourism

Abdul Karim, flanked by Ting (third right) and Snowdan, joins (from left) Samuel, Sherrina, Deborah, and Hii in a photo-call, taken after the launch. — Photo by Henrietta Liza KUCHING (July 25): The upcoming 50th anniversary celebration of legendary soft rock duo, 'Air Supply', set for September, marks another milestone in Sarawak's growing prominence as a premier destination for international live events. Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, in officially launching the concert today, highlighted its potential of attracting regional visitors and contributing to the state's tourism economy. 'There will be many who will be coming in, not just from Kuching, but also from Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and from Peninsular Malaysia,' he said during the launch at The Spring Mall here. Organised by Twig Events Sdn Bhd, the concert is set to be staged at the Sarawak Blessed Church (SBC) Hall here, this Sept 24, with the curtain-raiser at 8pm. Abdul Karim also noted that increased air connectivity, including the launch of the Pontianak to Kuching route on Sept 12 and existing daily flights from Jakarta and Singapore, should help drive international attendance. He further emphasised the wider economic ripple effects, benefitting Sarawak's hospitality and tourism sectors, and thus, he called for the development of more suitable concert venues across the state. The minister also expressed hope that the state government would invest in larger hosting venues, especially in view of the ongoing construction of the new Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) 2. 'The existing BCCK can only accommodate a 5,000-strong crowd, but the new venue will be able to accommodate almost 10,000 people. Once completed, it will attract even bigger acts,' he said. Twig Events Sdn Bhd director Deborah Tai, meanwhile, said the concerts would be a special experience for Malaysian fans. 'Air Supply has a timeless appeal across all age groups. 'In their 50th anniversary tour, we saw the opportunity to bring something iconic and emotional to Sarawak – a once-in-a-lifetime chance for fans to experience them performing live.' Following Air Supply's concert, Mandapop star Ding Dang is scheduled to perform at Stadium Perpaduan here this Oct 11. 'It's really exciting to see so many artistes showing interest in performing in this beautiful state called Sarawak,' said Deborah. Tickets for both concerts are available for purchase at The Spring Mall, until tomorrow (July 27), with the sales being conducted at the Starbucks entrance between 10am and 10pm daily. Also present at the press conference were the deputy ministers Datuk Snowdan Lawan and Datuk Sebastian Ting; the ministry's permanent secretary Datu Sherrina Hussaini; deputy state secretary Datu Hii Chang Kee, and Twig Events director Samuel Tai. Air Supply concert Kuching lead tourism

Iconic Entertainment News Outlet E! News Cancelled After 32 Years On Air
Iconic Entertainment News Outlet E! News Cancelled After 32 Years On Air

Hype Malaysia

timea day ago

  • Hype Malaysia

Iconic Entertainment News Outlet E! News Cancelled After 32 Years On Air

Ever catch a glance at the TV while your mom our aunts pick through the channels? Most likely, it'll fall onto E! News, the popular entertainment news outlet with a track record on air for over 30 years. Sadly, the E! News TV broadcast has reportedly been cancelled after 32 years on air due to the higher demand for real-time digital coverage and plummeting viewership of its 11 pm broadcast. The news outlets will still, however, air new episodes of their original series till 25th September 2025. Previously, E! News went on an indefinite hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, before returning to television screens 2 years later. Despite its comeback, E! has continued to prioritise its online news platform, particularly social media, to meet the growing demand for real-time entertainment news. This shift has left the E! News television programme somewhat misaligned with the network's digital-first strategy. E! News staff were informed of the cancellation on 24th July, as the network will still continue to have a presence on Hollywood red carpets. Original series and new episodes from the entertainment news hub will continue to air till early 2026, but will shift to digital platforms inevitably. Additionally, its 'Live From E!' coverage at The Critics' Choice Awards will air on E! on 4th January 2026. Will you miss watching E! News on TV? Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter Alyssa Gabrielle contributed to this article

Egyptian conservators give King Tut's treasures new glow
Egyptian conservators give King Tut's treasures new glow

Malaysian Reserve

time5 days ago

  • Malaysian Reserve

Egyptian conservators give King Tut's treasures new glow

by MENNA FAROUK AS A teenager, Eid Mertah would pore over books about King Tutankhamun, tracing hieroglyphs and dreaming of holding the boy pharaoh's golden mask in his hands. Years later, the Egyptian conservator found himself gently brushing centuries-old dust off one of Tut's gilded ceremonial shrines — a piece he had only seen in textbooks. 'I studied archaeology because of Tut,' Mertah, 36, told AFP. 'It was my dream to work on his treasures — and that dream came true.' Mertah is one of more than 150 conservators and 100 archaeologists who have laboured quietly for over a decade to restore thousands of artefacts ahead of the long-awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) — a US$1 billion (RM4.25 billion) project on the edge of the Giza Plateau. Originally slated for July 3, the launch has once again been postponed — now expected in the final months of the year — due to regional security concerns. The museum's opening has faced delays over the years for various reasons, ranging from political upheaval to the Covid-19 pandemic. But when it finally opens, the GEM will be the world's largest archaeological museum devoted to a single civilisation. It will house more than 100,000 artefacts, with over half on public display, and will include a unique feature: A live conservation lab. From behind glass walls, visitors will be able to watch in real time as experts work over the next three years to restore a 4,500-year-old boat buried near the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu and intended to ferry his soul across the sky with the sun god Ra. But the star of the museum remains King Tut's collection of more than 5,000 objects — many to be displayed together for the first time. Among them are his golden funeral mask, gilded coffins, golden amulets, beaded collars, ceremonial chariots and two mummified foetuses believed to be his stillborn daughters. 'Puzzle of Gold' Many of these treasures have not undergone restoration since British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered them in 1922. The conservation methods used by Carter's team were intended to protect the objects, but over a century later, they have posed challenges for their modern-day successors. Coating gold surfaces in wax, for instance, 'preserved the objects at the time', said conservator Hind Bayoumi, 'but it then hid the very details we want the world to see'. For months, Bayoumi, 39, and her colleagues painstakingly removed the wax applied by British chemist Alfred Lucas, which had over decades trapped dirt and dulled the shine of the gold. Restoration has been a joint effort between Egypt and Japan, which contributed US$800 million in loans and provided technical support. Egyptian conservators — many trained by Japanese experts — have led cutting-edge work across 19 laboratories covering wood, metal, papyrus, textiles and more. Tut's gilded coffin — brought from his tomb in Luxor — proved one of the most intricate jobs. At the GEM's wood lab, conservator Fatma Magdy, 34, used magnifying lenses and archival photos to reassemble its delicate gold sheets. 'It was like solving a giant puzzle,' she said. 'The shape of the break, the flow of the hieroglyphs — every detail mattered.' Touching History Before restoration, the Tutankhamun collection was retrieved from several museums and storage sites, including the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the Luxor Museum and the tomb itself. Some items were given light restoration before their relocation to ensure they could be safely moved. Teams first conducted photographic documentation, X-ray analysis and material testing to understand each item's condition before touching it. 'We had to understand the condition of each piece — the gold layers, the adhesives, wood structure — everything,' said Mertah, who worked on King Tut's ceremonial shrines at the Egyptian Museum. Fragile pieces were stabilised with Japanese tissue paper — thin but strong — and adhesives like Paraloid B-72 and Klucel G, both reversible and minimally invasive. The team's guiding philosophy throughout has been one of restraint. 'The goal is always to do the least amount necessary — and to respect the object's history,' said Mohamed Moustafa, 36, another senior restorer. Beyond the restoration work, the process has been an emotional journey for many of those involved. 'I think we're more excited to see the museum than tourists are,' Moustafa said. 'When visitors walk through the museum, they'll see the beauty of these artefacts. But for us, every piece is a reminder of the endless working hours, the debates, the training,' he added. 'Every piece tells a story.' — AFP This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store