Miri - Talun is a local tree where its bark is used by the Sarawak`s Lun Bawang community to make traditional handicraft like hats and vests.
But a member of the community, Bell Su`ut, has found a new use for Talun`s bark and inadvertently has provided a new perspective for the art of the Lun Bawang people.
Over the last 13 years he has produced over 200 pieces of drawing comprising of traditional, contemporary and abstract subjects on the bark of Talun (Artocarpus hirsuta) instead of the canvas.
"It is just one of the ways for me to express my appreciation to my community," said this 41-year-old gentleman.
Bell`s art has been featured prominently during the Lun Bawang`s festival, the Irau Aco, held annually in early June in his hometown of Lawas.
During this year`s festival, Bell`s depiction of the Lun Bawang`s traditional way of life on the Talun bark were given as souvenirs for the prominent guests to promote the rich heritage of his community.
AN ART PRODIGY
The English lecturer at Sarawak Teachers Institute here considers himself as an art prodigy. "I love to draw even before I started schooling. I used to look for things around me for inspiration and I will try to draw it," he said.
His talent in drawing and painting was noted while studying at a primary school in Lawas.
"I got involved in art competitions and would always be the first to be asked by the teachers to do mural paintings for the school," said Bell.
"Even during school holidays, my art activities never stopped with friend and relatives keep asking me to either do murals or certain paintings at their homes," he added.
Even after completing secondary school, his interests towards painting continued.
When he received an offer to enroll at the Sarawak Teachers Institute here, he had high hopes of majoring in arts but unfortunately the subject was only offered as an elective.
BRUSH AND CANVAS HIS COMPANION
Bell went on to complete his three-year training and was teaching for some years before returning to his alma mater as an English lecturer.
In those days, during his free time the paintbrush and canvas are his close companion and starting from just mere sketches, Bell has moved to other forms of paintings and medium including painting on Talun barks.
His depictions are all about the natural surroundings and the lives of the locals.
"Even my living quarters look more like an art workshop now," he added.
Bell`s dream of earning a degree in arts finally came true when in 1992 he received an offer to study arts at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).
The Sarawak Lun Bawang Association (SLBA) helped to fulfill his dreams by sponsoring his studies and in 1995 he graduated with a degree in Fine Arts.
EXPOLORED NEW GROUNDS
It was during his university days that Bell started expanding his horizon and contemplated to do something new.
"Any artist would want to be different and I am not exempted," he added and realised he need not go far to be different when his community`s heritage provided him the inspiration.
"Drawing on a tree bark is part of the artistic ability. The bark from its natural state can be transformed into a work of art that is later appreciated by people from other communities," noted Bell.
Based on his research, tree bark painting had been in practice since the ancient days as done by the Australian aborigines and thus it is not really a new idea.
"It`s not new but there is always rooms for renewal," he said referring to what he has done.
He had also learnt a number of techniques in tree bark painting, ranging from burning, tearing, pasting and using all kinds of colour medium from oil to acrylic paint.
"I even found natural colours, such as yellow from turmeric or rattan fluids or red from a local jungle fruit and I will continue experimenting further on this," he said.
Bell even learned to extract black pigment from a type of jungle leaf and this idea came from a semi-nomadic Penan in Lawas.
ESTABLISHED ARTIST
The down to earth father of two is not ready to accept any suggestion that he has reached the zenith in art. He emphasises that he is only experimenting with art.
"For me, I am just trying to contribute something for the society. In the past, my community was known for producing hats and vests from tree barks. Why not I contribute something different based on the same heritage," he said.
Some of his works can now be viewed at the Miri Public Library while quite a number has ended up in the hands of overseas art collectors. By Hamdan Ismail
Source: http://www.bernama.com (October 21, 2008)