Foo (left) and Hannah, with 'Twin Guardians', and the 'Eyes of the Bobolian' behind them (Photo: Shahrin Yahya/The Edge)
Anyone who has seen Hayao Miyazaki’s animated masterpiece Princess Mononoke must remember the head-rattling kodama. In the film, the tree spirits from Japanese folklore are depicted as small, pale bodies with misshapen heads and three oddly shaped holes for faces. Eerie yet endearing, these iconic creatures have become the most popular and ubiquitous means of illustrating the forest protectors, which historically resembled anything from a vague visage in a trunk to an echoing sound in the woods, or simply the tree itself.
Our understanding of the supernatural world has been largely tied to nature worship and animism, beliefs still held by many indigenous peoples of today. But the question of how we might perceive these spirits in tangible form has always fascinated Sabahan ceramicist Hannah Bhatt, who recalls her childhood in Kuala Penyu surrounded by folklore.
“I’m Sino-Kadazan. My great-grandma and grandma are Kadazans. Growing up, every time you masuk kampung, [the villagers] would definitely tell you all these superstitious stories. That played a really big role in how I was raised, because I always used to wonder what these creatures would look like if we could see them,” explains the law graduate, who previously helmed a clothing brand with her husband before moving to the pottery wheel once motherhood gave her some extra time.
She and fellow Sabahan artist Venice Foo (also known as ChauXhien), a tattooist who dabbles in embroidery, beading and crochet, unveiled their first collaborative exhibition this month. Titled The Guardians of the Rainforest, it is inspired by their fascination with nature’s protective spirits and the native myths of Borneo and beyond. Each piece, a combination of ceramic sculpture and beadwork, embodies the spirituality of the natural environment as well as the interactions between man and myth, visualising how acts of offering, rite or passing down superstition may be seen through a more otherworldly lens.
Having initially met because of tattoos — she gladly shows us her elaborate handpoked body art, courtesy of Foo — Hannah tells how she invited friends to paint on her works during an exhibition last July to raise funds for a town in Sabah, and that Foo was among them. “She hung beadings on the sculpture, which I thought was really special and beautiful. For some reason, beads, clay and thread just gel well together. They make it look alive.”
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The collection of 14 works exude an energy that is equal parts inviting, ethereal and hauntingly beautiful. Much like the beings they represent, Hannah and Foo’s creations charm the viewer with whimsical pastels and intricate adornments, yet the uncanny visages and palpably hand-formed shapes are a reminder of how humanity understands, honours and interacts with the fantastical forces beyond our ken. Hannah’s raw yet precious structures harmonise with Foo’s creative intuition, seen in the elegant webs, seaweed tufts and crystalline blooms decorating the sculptures.
For the two East Malaysians with indigenous blood — Foo is Chinese but traces her roots back to several tribes, including Orang Sungai and Kadazan — infusing these statues with their heritage was especially crucial. “The belief system for the Kadazan is called Momolian, which is the idea that everything has a spirit — rivers, trees, rocks,” says Hannah. “It is also the biggest reason we celebrate Kaamatan, when we pay respects to the spirits for our bountiful harvest of paddy. It’s still very deeply embedded in our culture, but not many practise it, so we thought it would be interesting to be able to share it with people from Kuala Lumpur.”
A key work from the collection, named Eyes of the Bobolian, is influenced by the high priestesses of the Kadazan faith, tasked with connecting mortals to the other realm. True to her role, this omniscient mask is placed upon a wall at the head of the display space, overseeing the domain. Her eyes are themselves faces, speaking to Hannah’s signature surrealist style, one trained on the physical world while the other views the non-corporeal. A mossy crown adorned with painstakingly bead-woven circles signifies the priestess’ responsibility towards her village.
Rather than have each creation be directly analogous to a specific entity, the pair opted to take a more holistic approach that would resonate with an audience’s preexisting views, while still incorporating touches unique to Borneo and themselves. “A lot of the stories have different versions, especially if you’re from different tribes. Those from the Borneo rainforest are also relatable to Sarawakians, though they may have their different variations. We kept them as more general interpretations of how we felt, say, a water or meadow spirit would look,” Hannah elaborates.
In addition to blessings, there is also wisdom to be gleaned from these beings, and their favourite piece is one such educator. “[The Tidewalker] is neither land nor sea, and I sculpted watery ridges into it since it’s always going with the flow. It’s meant to teach us to embrace change,” says Hannah. Likewise, The Red Blossom Caterpillar, based on the Catbus character from Studio Ghibli classic My Neighbor Totoro, advises to “trust where the universe leads us”, guiding viewers with its gentle assuredness (and sassy side-eye, Foo points out).
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Taking an experimental and organic approach during the creative process made the challenge of giving solid shape to the intangible especially fun. “We don’t do any sketches or drafts,” says Foo, “I just let Hannah do her thing first, then after she paints, fires and sends it to me, baru I start working on it. The whole process is like playing — we didn’t really plan anything carefully. Even the holes where I attached the beading, Hannah just randomly poked them in a way she felt made sense.”
On top of the exhibition, launched on March 1, Hannah and Foo will conduct workshops every weekend until the 16th, where participants can sculpt their own vessel or creature and learn to bead and decorate it over three hours. They share how the activity gave them a chance to try their hand at the other’s specialisation, after which both arrived at the same realisation: “It’s hard!”
Asked how the artistic scene in Sabah compares to the capital city, Kota Kinabalu-based Foo admits, “Audiences here have a more open mind towards contemporary works. Most of the time in KK, the things that sell or people like to see can be quite stagnant and repetitive. It is growing, but it’s still slower paced compared to KL. That’s also one of the reasons I visit here often, to see shows.” She further remarks how more Sabahan artists should gather to collaborate, a goal they wish to promote through their current show as well. “I really want people to see what these two crafts can be together. A lot of our friends from the creative industry — photographers, fashion designers, tattooists — come to our shows, so I hope it convinces them to experiment with their peers too. There are so many possibilities.”
Speaking on the impact they hope to have on the public, the ceramicist expands, “I want [visitors] to be curious. Even if you don’t believe in folklore, I think just in general, nature responds. We have earthquakes and global warming, so it’s something worth thinking about. We want to encourage people to make better choices, because we believe in the ripple effect — everything you do has an effect and comes back to you.” Foo concurs, “The title is meant to portray our pieces as the guardians, but I think through this show, if we manage to encourage people to care more, we can become guardians ourselves. Humans shouldn’t just take from nature. We need to protect it.”
The Guardians of the Rainforest runs until March 23, Tuesday to Sunday, at House of OMA. To register for the workshops, email [email protected].
This article first appeared on Mar 10, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
