'Trace/Us' reflects on family and the imprints left by loved ones

The Star

15-05-2025

Everyone grieves over the loss of their loved ones in different ways.
For arts practitioners Leysha Al-yahya and Theyvapaalan S. Jayaratnam, they came together to produce a touching and nostalgic video essay series.
Made as a tribute to Leysha's late grandfather, Abu Bakar Mohd Noor, and Theyvapaalan's late father, Jayaratnam Seevaratnam, the Trace/Us video project weaves together journal entries, love letters, photographs and personal stories to bring their loved ones back to life as they explore grief, identity, loss and life.
Thanks to a grant from the Krishen Jit Fund awarded last year, the two artists and their crew spent a week in George Town, Penang working on the project. Leysha retraced the footsteps of the man who would one day become her grandfather, while Theyvapaalan searched for the ghost of her father long gone. Both men had roots in Penang.
The resulting 20-minute video essays, which were screened in at Narrow Marrow in George Town last month, will be played concurrently on a loop at Triptyk in Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur from May 16-18.
The 'Trace/Us' team – (from left) Leysha, Iwaz, Armanzaki, Theyvapaalan, and Ng – will be presenting its video essay series in KL from May 16-18. Photo: Handout
Leysha and Theyvapaalan will join an artist talk on May 18.
In a recent interview about Trace/Us and its origins, Leysha shared that she discovered her grandfather's journal while clearing out his old house in Kulim, Kedah after his passing in 2009.
'It had these important dates from his life jotted down between the 1950s and the 1970s in Penang, and for the longest time, I was just holding on to it, wondering what I should do with it, because it was so interesting that what seemed like random dates to me were significant events in his life,' shares Leysha, 32, a playwright and theatre producer.
This project unfolded through a series of serendipitous discoveries and unexpected coincidences, each one weaving together in a way that felt perfectly timed.
For Theyvapaalan, 33, everything came together when it needed to.
A screenshot from Theyvapaalan's video essay. Photo: Handout
'I was rummaging around my parents' room looking for a car grant when I found these letters stashed away. I immediately recognised the writing as my father's, but the format was really odd; I never knew he wrote letters like this.
'I posted about them on social media and Leysha reached out to suggest that we work together on something,' says the multi-disciplinary artist.
Same people, different sides
Through the journal and letters, Leysha and Theyvapaalan were able to see different sides of the people they knew and loved.
'It was fascinating to explore the remnants of these people that we knew, because I knew him as my grandfather, but to learn about him as this young man coming out of school, someone who had just lost their father, someone who was trying to make ends meet, someone who fell in love, it was a powerful experience,' says Leysha.
'Working on Trace/Us has been such a beautiful experience that I think this is one of those defining projects of my life,' she adds.
A young Leysha as a toddler seen with her grandfather Abu Bakar Mohd Noor. Photo: Handout
Creating something so personal and cathartic was deeply exciting for Theyvapaalan – especially in a moment from the video essay that reveals her father's quiet, often overlooked poetry, even as her mother was long seen as the artistic one.
It was a classic case of discovering a man's softer side – a heartwarming find.
'But in his letters, he was writing high poetry, full of yearning and love, so I'm glad I got the chance to see my father through this lens and show a side of him that others have never seen before. I made sure to get my mum's permission, though!' says Theyvapaalan.
While working on the project, both artists felt they came to understand each other's loved ones and uncovered parallels that seemed almost destined.
'There was a strong sense that they were with us throughout this project,' says Theyvapaalan.
A still from Leysha's video essay. Photo: Handout
The Trace/Us team included Kenny Ng as producer, Iwaz as sound artist, Armanzaki Amirolzakri as producer/technical coordinator, and Ghali Foster as graphic designer.
Iwaz brought a thoughtful and innovative touch to the project with his unique soundscape, which accompanies the video essays.
'He took snippets from the journal and letters and input them into software that can produce notes and keys from the written samples, so it's literally music from their handwriting,' says Leysha.
Through this project, Leysha and Theyvapaalan hope to highlight the contributions that one single person can make towards a community, a society, and in turn, their country.
Trace/Us will be screened at Triptyk in Kampung Attap, KL from May 16-18 (noon to 7pm). Entry by donation: RM25. There will also be an artist talk with Leysha Al-yahya and Theyvapaalan S. Jayaratnam on May 18 at 8pm.