Gharib

b. Malaysia

Zul Fadzly’s practice is invested in continuing vernacular & traditional building methods, bridging it forward to current times. His sculpture, ’Bunga Tanggam’ (‘Tanggam’ Flower), is a piece born out of the need to preserve salvaged timber and traditional joinery techniques, known as ‘Tanggam’. Zul Fadzly seeks to find traces of past methods used and applies them in the exploration within his practice stemming from his experience restoring Malay traditional timber houses.

‘Bunga Tanggam’ is part preservation & part memoir as the reclaimed timber window frames hold a sentimental value for the artist. Zul Fadzly salvaged the Nyatoh hardwood material from his father’s dilapidated shop lot, undergoing refurbishment. An old shop lot that has remained unchanged since the 90s was neither extraordinary nor historically significant, which he holds dear as a fragment of his memory of growing up visiting the place. Making use of the weathered timber material as a reflection of the passing of time. ‘Bunga Tanggam’s motive takes its cue from ventilation panels or ‘Lubang Angin’ that was a common sight in Malay traditional houses. Being both a functional and a decorative feature, the ‘Lubang Angin’ often mimics natural vegetation, which the artist further abstracted for ‘Bunga Tanggam’.

‘Bunga Tanggam’ seeks to preserve and transform these forgotten materials & methods into newfound objects. Giving new meaning and life to an age-old craft, prolonging traditional Malay construction and culture.