THE NATIVES OF SARAWAK HAVE THEIR OWN CONTINUING TRADITION OF CRAFTSMANSHIP IN WOODCARVING. THEY CAN FASHION WOOD INTO ALL KINDS OF OBJECTS FOR DECORATION PURPOSES ANDD OTHER ARTEFACTS. IN THEIR CRAFTSMANSHIP THE NATIVE MALAYS, MELANAUS, IBAN, BIDAYUH, AND ORANG ULU ARE WORKING ON THEIR OWN DIFFERENT DESIGN MOTIFS AND CULTURAL STYLES AND INFLUENCES. SOME
OF THE DECORATIVE ITEMS AND ARTEFACTS ARE BEING APPRECIATED AS WORKS OF ART AND PURCHASED AS SOUVENIR ITEMS BY BOTH LOCAL RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS. WITH A GROWING MARKET DEMAND THERE IS A PROSPECT FOR WOOD CARVING TO DEVELOP NOT ONLY AS A FORM OF ART BUT ALSO AS A COTTAGE INDUSTRY OR ON COMMERCIAL SCALE. IN
ORDER TO ENCOURAGE THE LOCAL WOOD CARVERS AND TO GENERATE INTEREST IN WOOD CARVING AS A FORM OF ART, A SCULPTURE AND CARVING EXHIBITION AND WORKSHOP WERE JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE SARAWAK SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE WITHIN MALAYSIA FROM 11 - 25 JUNE 1988. WOOD
CARVERS FROM BELAGA, BARAM, SRI AMAN, MUKAH AND KUCHING TOOK PART AND DEMONSTRATIONS WERE GIVEN ON THE CARVING OF KELAMIN (LARGE HUMAN FIGURES), SHIELDS, DOORS, PARANG ILANG, MASKS, BURIAL POLES, BAMBOO, CARVINGS, KNIFE HILTS, PANELS, STOOLS, SICKNESS EFFIGIES, FISHING CHARMS, SAPE AND SO ON. A
WORKSHOP AND DEMONSTRATION ON WOOD CARVING BY A VISITING AUSTRALIA SCULPTOR, CARVER AND ARTISTS, BRUCE RADKE WERE HELD FROM 11 - 18 JUNE 1988 UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT. |
