The Centre for Contemporary and Traditional Art at Rimbun Dahan, Malaysia
Text and Photography by W. Ruth Kozak
On a small acreage just outside of Kuala Lumpur a Malaysian architect, Hijjas Kasturi, and his Australian wife, Angela, have developed a lush garden retreat for artists and writers.
The Centre for Contemporary and Traditional Art at Rimbun Dahan, (the name means “laden branch”), includes a botanical garden planted with indigenous Southeast Asian trees and plants, four studios, accommodation for artists, a large dance studio, an underground gallery, a restored village house, and a classic car garage (Hijjas collects vintage Jaguars).
On a recent trip to Malaysia, intrigued by the concept of this unusual retreat, I arranged for a visit.
At the entrance to the grounds Angela and two dogs warmly greet me. Accompanied by the newest resident artist and his partner who have just arrived from Melbourne, she takes us on an extensive tour of the grounds and surrounding botanical gardens. Angela writes for the Malaysian Nature Society’s magazine The Malaysian Naturalist, and guides tours at Rimba Ilmu, the botanical gardens of the University of Malaya.
Before we set off on our walk around the compound, she explains the objectives of Rimbun Dahan, which supports the development and conservation of both traditional and contemporary art forms: from visual art to theatre to dance and music.
“We accept mainly artists from Malaysia and Australia for the year-long residency. Although foreign artists, mainly those from S.E. Asia, are accepted for short-term residencies,” she said. “It also provides residencies for visual artists, students of architecture and ecology, authors, musicians and other creative individuals, allowing them an opportunity to explore and develop their artistic work.”
Established in 1994, the program sponsors at least two visual artists every year to live and work there, culminating in an annual exhibition in the underground gallery. The program is supported by the Hijjas Kasturi Association architecture firm, and is a token of appreciation to Malaysia and Australia for the opportunities that have been provided for the Hijjas family.
The Hijjas family home, designed by the architect, dominates the compound. Built to compliment the traditional Malay kampong house (which was relocated to the compound and restored), the modern house merges the modern and traditional using environmentally friendly materials, solar panels and pond water for flushing and watering.
Inspired by gardens in Australia where local plants are used to create a specific sense of place, Angela landscaped the acreage with a wide range of indigenous forest species and other plants from South East Asia.
After their children left home, The Hijjas’s decided to compliment their private collection of art housed in the underground gallery by “collecting” artists.
“There are no government grants for artists or performers,” explains Angela Hijjas. “Although some prizes are awarded for popular artists who have struggled a lifetime to fulfill their talent, there is little support for the artists struggling to develop their visual art, musical skills or theatrical talent.”
Thus the concept of the Hijjas family’s unique residency program began.
The landscape, as well as the architecture of Rimbun Dahan, creates a sense of location and culture. A stone lion draped with a garland of sweet-smelling frangipani and sprigs of nutmeg guards the entrance to the herb garden. The gardens are landscaped Malaysian style and include indigenous plants from Southeast Asia. As we stroll the winding pathways under the canopy of tropical trees, we’re introduced to many varieties of palms, fruit and forest trees such as the tall keluih (a type of breadfruit), betelnut and durian.
In the herb and spices gardens we enjoy an abundance of savory tastes and smells of coriander, mint, clove and nutmeg. Many of the flowers and other plants such as the kunyit (tumeric), leaf are used to embellish Malaysian cooking. The plants in the herb garden are from Indochina, Burma, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and India. Some are also from tropical America. Many have medicinal value such as aloe vera, areca catechu, carica papaya, Madagascar periwinkle, betel and common cooking spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and basil. The garden also contains poisonous varieties of plants such as the lethal datura.
“One bit of this mixed in your tea and you’re a goner!” Angela says.
Accompanied by the trilling chorus of birds like the yellow vented bulbuls who occupy the treetops, we explore and admire the ornamental and flowering shrubs: rare orchids, lilac-colored clerodendron bungei, creamy white bunga kemboja (frangipanni), several varieties of flowering ginger and the national emblem of Malaysia, crimson hibiscus.
The flowers attract butterflies, flocks of birds, and bats that feed on the bright colored seeds of the alpinia and succulent figs. There are nesting boxes provided in hollows of old trees. A particular species of banana, the pisang belali gajah, also provides food for the wildlife that is encouraged to use the garden.
Two types of monkeys, long-tailed macaques and dusky langurs, hang out in the rambutan trees eating the fruit. A large colony of macaques live in the compound and while they forage for food their little ones are left in the ‘nursery’ on the assam gelugor trees by the house. The young monkeys frolic on the topmost branches where the foliage is dense enough to allow handholds in case of falling. Because of damage caused by the mischievous roving bands, electric fencing has been installed around the roof.
There are also many tropical squirrels and palm civets who are mostly nocturnal and solitary. Wild boar often come to the orchard to graze on fallen fruit. Various species of lizards inhabit the compound, such as the crocodile-sized water monitors. The dogs keep check on the population of these biawak, which are sometimes seen basking in the sun or swimming in the reflective pools near the Hijjas’ house.
The cobbled and gravel pathways wind through the lush tropical greenery and lead us to a grassy compound where the artists’ studios and residence are located. There are usually three or four artists living in residence. They benefit from the unique atmosphere of Rimbun Dahan, and the rich experience that emerges from bridging cultural difference as they develop their own artistic skills.
Beyond the artists’ studios, we step back in time into a beautiful traditional 19th century Malay house (Rumah Uda Manap), which was relocated from Perah. Made of hardwood and belian shingles, the house has been lovingly restored with the help of some resident artists. It was built by Chinese-Indonesian craftsmen at the request of a rich Malay man for his Indonesian bride and has been passed down the matrilineal line according to custom. Photographs of the original owner’s family are on display in the house.
We take off our shoes, as is the custom, and enter. The house overlooks the garden of the Rimbun Dahan and is furnished in Malay style, representing a unique blend of Chinese decoration and Malay architecture including hardwood carvings by Chinese artists. Resident artists contributed much of the restoration in the century-old village house, including several of the carved panels that depict mythological animals and a colorful painted carving of an inverted sky dragon.
A highlight of the tour is a visit to the art gallery. Angela explained that to conserve ground space and to be better able to control the humidity, the gallery was built underground. Each artist in residence contributes two paintings or sculptures to the permanent collection.
Every year Rimbun Dahan hosts Art for Nature, a unique showcase of artistic works created by Malaysian and international artists in support of nature conservation. First held in 1997, half of the proceeds from sales of the artworks in this exhibition go the artists for sales of their work and half to the Malaysian chapter of the World Wildlife Fund.
The botanical garden at Rimbun Dahan is open to the public whenever there is an art exhibition. Private group tours can be arranged with contributions going to the Malaysian Nature Society.
For information about the artist’s residency program and nature tours go to:
Rimbun Dahan at www.rimbundahan.org
For more information about WWF, Malaysia’s conservation and wildlife protection program, see www.wwfmalaysia.org
For information about the Malaysian Nature Society visit www.mns.org.my
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