Space age heroes take wayang kulit back to the future

 

Darth Vader as Sangkala Vedeh.

PETALING JAYA: The venerable wayang kulit (shadow play) is going back to the future in the hands of contemporary visual artist Tintoy Chuo, who has melded pop culture icons with an ancient art form.

The sounds of the “serunai” and “gendang” waft through the air as two outlaws brandishing swords traipse across a stretched white canvas.

Suddenly a swarm of bats appear, and coalesce as the sky turns a deep red. Out of the writhing mass of flapping wings, emerges “Ksatria Kelawar” (the bat knight).

Yes, it’s Batman, come to save Gotham City as another battle between good and evil begins.

The Batman wayang kulit puppet is its own bat-signal.

Chuo has made wayang kulit puppets of heroes from famous modern tales, like the Justice League of DC comics, and characters from the Star Wars film, while incorporating modern technology to enhance the viewing experience.

Behind the scenes view of a Tok Dalang and musicians at work.

He was inspired to begin this fusion after noticing declining interest for the wayang, which had once served as a form of entertainment for generations of Malaysians.

A Storm Trooper from Star Wars as ‘Hulubalang Empayar’.

“It is truly one of the cultures of Malaysia that makes up the identity of this country. If it’s not preserved, it will be lost and if more of our cultures disappear, eventually this country won’t have an identity.” Chuo told FMT.

To maintain the art form’s essence, he seeks the guidance and approval of his master Dain Othman, also known as Pak Dain, who is the 13th accredited ‘Tok Dalang’ (master puppeteer) of the Kelantan traditional Malay shadow play art school.

The Mandalorian as Sang Mandalor.

The master puppeteer who hails from Kampung Morak Kelantan, is a former teacher and has spent 30 years honing his skills in the wayang kulit.

The Ksatria Kelawar.

Through their collaboration, student and master have created several performances using some of the most beloved pop icons of our time.

Chuo has no aspirations to be a “dalang” himself, but hopes their work inspires others to take up the art.

“With every performance, I really hope that we can inspire people to learn about the artform and want to become ‘dalang muda’ (young puppeteers) so this art can thrive and survive.” - FMT