Dunia Through Shadows, with Fairuz Sulaiman

Shadows reveal much more than they conceal.

Living alongside us in this dunia are characters that are hidden in the darkest . A shadow gives them a space to appear. By shining a light on what lies beneath, we might uncover new truths about ourselves and the world we live in.

This guided session led by Fairuz Sulaiman explores shadow through mask and puppetry as seen in some of Ahmad Zakii’s works. What is being revealed and withheld by the shadows, masks and cigarette smoke of his subject matter. Each shows something only by showing it partly.

The session opens with an introduction to shadow, from its place in wayang kulit and ritual performance to the shadows we carry unconsciously every day. Participants then craft their own mask and puppet by hand, considering what each might show, hide or call forth. Both are then brought into the light, where they transform. Moving before a light source, participants discover how a form expands, softens and changes with every shift in distance and angle. The characters that were hidden take shape, linger and dissolve, never the same twice. Participants give them movement and voice, and begin a dialogue with them.

The session closes with a conversation on what the shadow revealed in Zakii’s works and ourselves.