An art exhibition titled ‘Spirited – Human Art of the Non-Human’, portraying how tribal communities communicated their hopes, fears and coping strategies amidst uncertainty and the natural world, was inaugurated at the Homestead, Wawasan Open University (WOU) on 15 December 2023.
Jointly organised by WOU and The George Town Institute of Open and Advanced Studies (GIOAS), the exhibition displays a selection from David Goh’s tribal artwork. The collection spans the Nusantara region, comprising art pieces from Peninsular Malaysia to Papua New Guinea. It also features tribal textile pieces, Ikat, from the collections of Puan Sri Dr Lim Suan Poh and Tan Sri Andrew Sheng, and a piece from Tan Yu Kai’s collection.
GIOAS is an independent, non-profit institute within Wawasan Open University (WOU) dedicated to exploring societal ideas and complexities. Emphasising the pursuit of peace, human prosperity, happiness, and well-being, the organisation operates without the limitations of geographical boundaries or religious affiliations.
Tan Sri Andrew, also the Chairman of GIOAS, shared that the idea for the tribal art exhibition emerged during a visit to David's impressive art collection warehouse with his wife, Dr Lim Suan Poh, and Tan Yu Kai. He expressed, “As avid art collectors interested in tribal art, we felt it fitting to showcase these hidden gems to the public.
“We realised that there are people in Penang like David Goh, who loves collecting. And it is characters like him who actually bring to life the kind of imagination, creativity and entrepreneurial energy that created Entopia, the butterfly farm in Telok Bahang.
“Just over a year later, Yu Kai's efforts as curator have culminated in what we witness here today,” said Tan Sri Andrew.
Touching on celebrating Penang's glory, Tan Sri Andrew attributed Dato’ Seri Stephen Yeap's beautiful heritage home, the Homestead, formerly inhabited by his family, as the hub of culture and arts in Penang. In his forward for the book, ‘Spirited – A Human Art of the Non-Human’, Tan Sri Andrew remarked about the century-old Homestead, saying, “This stunning and historic building will continue to host a plethora of other events – this exhibition is just one of the many more to come.” Dato’ Seri Steven is the chairman of Wawasan Open University Sdn Bhd.
Previously, the Homestead hosted the Koay Jetty photographic exhibition in August 2022.
Dato’ Seri (Dr) Anwar Fazal, chairman of Think City and guest-of-honour at the launch, recalled the adoption of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the General Assembly on 13th September 2007, merely 16 years ago. “After two decades of negotiations and four countries who voted against this resolution and scores more who abstained, the resolution was finally accepted.
“It provides a framework for reconciliation healing, peace, as well as harmony and cooperation based on the principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights non-discrimination and good faith.”
Calling this exhibition an intellectual delight, Dato’ Seri Dr Anwar said, “Today we celebrate Tribal Arts. Tribal is not trivial. Too often it gets relegated by so-called ‘modernisation’ which tends to be destructive and eradicates the habitats that try to capture the essence of heritage.”
Tan Yu Kai, 27, who curated the exhibition through the lenses of humanity, approached the artworks with profound philosophical curiosity, posing questions to the audience. He asked, “What current inequities are revealed by examining the historical displacement of indigenous people? What have we stripped from the world? What have we lost in our gains? Are our lives fundamentally better than theirs?
“To put it plainly, we all owe our lives, lifestyles and livelihoods to indigenous peoples, the very people that our society sidelines and exploits. People who through creation and consumption of art, remember the ancestral knowledge, value systems, worldviews and could help us reclaim a way of embodying our relationship with the natural world,” said Tan.
Yu Kai and David’s shared admiration for Alfred Russel Wallace forms the basis for their advocacy for environmental justice. Following Wallace’s tradition, Yu Kai opined, “Blind pursuit of material progress ought not to occur at the cost of flagrant environmental and cultural degradation.”
Yu Kai, formerly a research fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, holds a Master’s in Earth & Environmental Sciences and a bachelor’s degree with triple majors in Biology, Anthropology and Earth & Environmental Sciences under the Freeman-Asian Scholarship from Wesleyan University. Currently pursuing a Doctorate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan, he specialises in marine mollusc macroevolution.
Among those present during the launching ceremony were Dato’ Seri Steven Yeap and his wife, Datin Seri Irene Yeap, Dato’ Cheok Lay Leng, the general manager of Penang Hill Corporation, Lee Khai and Joe Sidek.
Visitors will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in each artefact, exploring the stories behind them. The displayed art pieces include totem poles, ritual staffs, ancestral figurines, face masks, intricately designed wood carvings, and a diverse collection of butterflies and beetles from various localities. The impressive Atoni Mask from Timor-Leste will also be available for viewing.
This free exhibition showcases over 30 exquisite art pieces dating from the 18th to the 20th century. Hosted at the Homestead, Wawasan Open University on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, it is open to the public daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. until 16th January 2024 (closed on public holidays). The curator, Tan Yu Kai, will conduct special guided tours on the 27th of December at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.