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Inspiration
of Borneo - Mystery of Life & Death Series What the artist finds most fascinating, she says, is that these natives have flourished in isolation from technology and modern civilization and have developed a culture beautifully adorned by ornate designs and deeply rooted in numerous traditions. Although the artist's palette for this series is mostly dark, points of illumination in each painting give viewers a glimpse of the mystery of a culture progressively fading from the heritage of its younger generations. |
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Desire I Diptych 115 cm x 220 cm (45 1/4" x 86 5/8") Oil on canvas This painting depicts the traditional folk tale of two warriors from opposing tribes who fight to win the hand of a maiden. The figures with stylized tendrils on either side of the diptych represent the warriors-one from the upper river, and one from the lower river. The figure in the lower center of the composition is a dragon motif from a woman's tattoo. Liew utilizes the contrast of dark and light, hard and soft, to convey tension throughout the composition. Dashes of bright red symbolize bloodshed, while the glowering shield motif on the far left represents the wall that has formed between the two warring tribes. The jagged peaks at the top and the deep green background in the middle of the painting suggest the mountains and the river, respectively, that form the environment of the tribal war. |
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Inspiration
of Borneo: Mystery II (1994) Diptych 140 cm x 220 cm (55 1/8" x 86 5/8") Oil on canvas Corporate collection: Malaysian Liquid Natural Gas (Sarawak, Malaysia) In Mystery II, Liew explores the Borneo interpretation of Mother Earth and the strengths of women. The egg and the embryo in the upper right corner symbolize the mystery of the beginning of life. The reverse s-shaped dragon motif on the far right represents the female counterpart of creation from which stems vitality, fertility and rebirth. A Kayan Kajang leg tattoo of a mirror on the far left, which resembles a mask or face, suggests the persona of Mother Earth. Motifs of ferns and other plants in the center background represent the abundance of the earth and the prosperity of Malaysia's Baram River. |
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Mystery of Life & Death - Illumination Diptych 140 cm x 220 cm (55 1/8" x 86 5/8") Oil on canvas When people contemplate what is around the bend in the path of their lives, fear often inhabits their thoughts. This piece is Liew’s visual portrayal of the unknown and its ominous qualities. Liew remembers trips with her father to Borneo and her startling encounter with strange totems in the thick of the jungle. Thus the totem figures and the dark blue in this painting represent fear of the unknown. The illuminated motif is a male throat tattoo that symbolizes fertility in the Borneo natives’ culture. Here it serves as a representation of hope. Even in the face of uncertainty, Liew believes one can always have hope in God. |
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Birth of the new generation 36" x 36" Oil on canvas Lucy Liew considers this series a diary of the trips to Borneo on which she accompanied her father, a photographer. In composing the subject matter, Liew delved into the traditional folklore and the intricate tattoos of the native peoples of Borneo to uncover the depth and richness of their culture. For the natives of Borneo, tattoos are more than decorative embellishments; they define a person’s gender and status. They also secure the bearer’s identity in the afterlife. The natives believe that in the next world all things are reversed, so that the black tattoo marks shine brightly in the dark and enable the spirits of the deceased to find their way. What the artist finds most fascinating, she says, is that these natives have flourished in isolation from technology and modern civilization. |
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The Identity |
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Cycle of Creation and Destruction 47" x 79" Oil on canvas At one time, the river was the only means of transportation for the native peoples of Borneo. Because it served as a channel for wars, headhunting parties, trade and migration of the different tribes, the river has become a central part of the natives’ culture and tradition. It symbolizes the cycles of life and death, creation and destruction. This piece illustrates the impressions I gathered on my trip up the Rejang River. During my journey, I got a real sense of the danger and adventure the river holds and the people who have built their lives around it. I could also relate to the stories and the feelings born out of the river. “Adventure of the Mighty Rejang River” depicts both the cultural and the ecological significance of this body of water. The tattoo motifs on the far upper left of the painting represent the native peoples who live along the river. The leaf-like image on the lower left is a boat symbolizing the importance of trade to the natives, who barter many forest-yield items such as rattan, resins, illipe nuts, mild honey and beeswax for brass, iron, salt and cloth from the coastal markets. |
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Desire II 47" x 79" Oil on canvas The Borneo natives’ ancestral tribes often battled amongst themselves to acquire more land. In this piece, Liew uses tattoo motifs (a dragon eye in the lower left and a dragon in the upper right) to symbolize the warring tribes. The green represents the forest in which the natives’ ancestors fought. The red symbolizes their lust for more land and the resulting bloodshed. |
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Labor of Love |