Husband-and-wife duo Nabil and Hana of Parti Design Awangan with their Pagar Tupai at The Spine in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
DISCARDED onion skins, avocado seeds and coffee grounds may seem like everyday kitchen waste, but in the right hands, they can be a valuable resource.
Local art entrepreneurs Dian Azura, 39, and Masitah Babjan, 66, are using such discarded food waste to produce completely natural dye.
Their innovative project, “Scaling up scraps,” focuses on extending the lifespan of bio-waste by transforming it into natural dyes for fabrics, thereby turning rubbish into treasure.
The Parti Design Awangan team putting finishing touches to the Pagar Tupai.
“The process is akin to revisiting how dye was created before synthetic dyes were invented, by using natural ingredients available to us.
“We then use the dye on fabrics and we can work on various patterns on different kinds of fabrics,” said Dian.
The duo showcased their work during the Tukang: Design and Craft Festival 2023/24, held at The Spine in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, over five days last month.
The event, organised by Tourism Selangor with Petaling Jaya City Council as the strategic partner, aimed to promote the talents of Malaysian artists and provide an immersive experience in art and crafts.
Ng (back row, centre) with (from left) Intan Rafiza, Azrul Shah, Saipolyazan, Mohammad Fahmi and Aznan posing with the six project winners.
The exhibition’s highlight featured six winning designs, among which were works of Dian and Masitah.
Prior to the festival, a pitching competition called “Reka Lestari” (based on the circular economy concept) was held, garnering 30 proposals from local artists to present their artworks.
Six winners were selected and awarded with RM10,000 grants to create their artworks within three months.
This year, the theme centred on sustainability in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations, promoting the reuse of existing resources for a more sustainable environment.
An animal sculpture made using new and repurposed wire mesh.
Waste not, want not
During the festival, the top floor of the two-storey building at The Spine was adorned with sheets of fabric with myriad patterns formed by different dyeing methods.
Pastel shades of brown, yellow and grey coloured the fabrics, some with geometrical patterns while others with asymmetrical designs.
Intan Rafiza from National Art Gallery curated the artworks.Dian revealed the four-step process of creating natural dye.
First, the fabric must be thoroughly cleaned to ensure it is free of impurities. Following this, the colours are extracted from food waste like onion peels, avocado seeds and coffee grounds by boiling these ingredients in water.
Once the colours are extracted, the fabric is submerged into the natural dye, and desired patterns are incorporated to make the fabric stand out.
Finally, the excess dye is washed out until the water runs clear.
Dian explained that sourcing waste materials could be challenging, particularly onion skins, as most restaurants use pre-peeled onions.
“We went around restaurants and find out that most ordered peeled onions. This means we have to go to the suppliers for the onion skin, which is quite time-consuming,” she shared.
Despite these challenges, they managed to collect 500g of yellow onion skins, producing 100 litres of natural dye.
Jamil showing participants how to make their own wire sculpture at a workshop held during the festival.
Dian said coffee grounds were easier to source, with 62kg collected in just two weeks.
She said that through this exhibition, visitors could try out natural dye on their own.
“Everyone can do it. One can easily repurpose old T-shirts and turn them into something interesting with natural dye.
“This would reduce waste and microfibre in the landfill.”
Immersive art and tourism
The festival also featured other winning projects, including Wayang Robot by Ahnaf Hakimi; Pagar 2-pi by Parti Design Awangan; Deru Arus by Jamil Zakaria; Dung Beetle – A Participatory “Dirt” Exploration by Cheng Yen Peng; and The Light of All Things by Khabir Roslan.
Curated by Intan Rafiza Abu Bakar from National Art Gallery, these artworks reflected the festival’s theme of sustainability.
Dian says they used onion skins, avocado seeds and coffee grounds to make natural dye.“This year’s Tukang Festival centres on sustainability, which is showcased in the artworks of the winners exhibited during the festival.
“There were art workshops, design talks, a pop-up art and craft bazaar, and music performances for the public,” said Intan Rafiza.
Selangor local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim, who launched the festival, emphasised the potential of artisan festivals like Tukang to boost the state’s creative industry and tourism.
“Art and culture significantly drive the tourism industry by reflecting Selangor’s distinctive culture and attracting tourists.
“Tourism Selangor’s effort to develop the state into a creative industry hub also aligns with its domestic tourism campaign, “Nak Bercuti? Pusing Selangor Dulu!”
“Tukang Festival empowers local artistic talents to showcase interesting and unique artworks to the public, locally and internationally,” he said.
“These innovative concepts presented by local artists can be utilised in developing products in the fashion, furniture and food industries.
“These in turn have the potential to be transformed into tourism attractions, which can boost the circular economy in the country.
“For example, tourism in Sekinchan increases job opportunities where locals can make handicrafts to be sold to tourists, enhancing the local economy and industries,” added Ng, who is also Sekinchan assemblyman.
Jamil Zakaria crafting his wire sculpture from scratch at The Spine in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
Tourism Selangor industrial development manager Chua Yee Ling said the first edition of Tukang in 2022 was a success.
“We decided to carry on with the Tukang Festival to ensure the art heritage that is significant to the Malaysian identity can be continued and shown to the public.
“For example, we had incorporated an innovative batik design by one of the winners as part of the official Selangor souvenirs.
“Tukang Festival also acts as a platform for artists to participate, understand the theme and create something new based on the theme and pressing urban issues that we want to convey,” said Chua.
Also present at the launch were Tourism Selangor chief executive officer Azrul Shah Mohamad, Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated (MBI) CEO Saipolyazan M. Yusop, state Islamic and cultural innovation committee chairman Dr Mohammad Fahmi Ngah and Petaling Jaya deputy mayor Aznan Hassan.
Masitah (left) and Dian with their patterned fabrics created using dye made from food scraps. — Photos: MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
Carving out a niche
Husband-and-wife duo Nabil Mustafa, 30, and Hana Daut, 32, presented Pagar 2-pi (Tupai), an innovative twist on the traditional Malay woodcarved fence known as Pagar Musang.
Using discarded wood pallets, they showcased modern curved designs while preserving traditional Malay patterns.
“What sets Pagar Tupai apart is its potential for curved designs, which Pagar Musang could not achieve,” said Hana.
According to Hana, Pagar Musang was commonly used in the facade of the house, doorway and windows of traditional Malay homes, especially in the east coast.
“We created Pagar Tupai and incorporated some modern techniques like using wooden nails and making the pieces easy to dismantle.
“The idea is also to showcase to the public that we can preserve traditions with a contemporary method in modern designs.
“We hope that through our innovation, we can highlight it to tourists who want to learn more about traditional craftsmanship,” she said.
Wired to last
Jamil Zakaria’s artwork Deru Arusis is inspired by nature and reflects his desire to raise public awareness about environmental issues.
His artwork depicts fishes, mice, cats and dogs, all created using mesh wire.
“I want my artwork to highlight the importance of environmental awareness in navigating the currents of modernity.
“My inspiration often comes from my surroundings and I want my artwork to represent the metaphors and symbolism of life.
“Art is subjective and means different things to different people; you don’t know how they will interpret it,” said the 39-year-old wire sculptor from Kedah.
It takes Jamil anywhere from just a day and up to two months to finish a complete wire sculpture, depending on its size.
“Some of my wire sculptures are featured at Legoland, The Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) building and in Iskandar Puteri.
“The wires that I am using here are new but some of the other artworks involve recycled items,” he said.
During the festival, Jamil also conducted a workshop for the public to make their own wire sculptures.
With step-by-step guidance, participants were taught to use hammers and pliers to shape the sculpture.
“I hope that the public would not only appreciate art but also understand the importance of the environment when visiting this festival,” said Jamil.
“We hope that similar festivals can be held so that more people, especially youngsters, can be exposed to Malaysian artists and their works,” he added.
