Podcast Summary: Localisation of Islamic Arts in Malaysia

Podcast: New Books Network – Nordic Asia Podcast
Host: Julie Yuwen Chen, University of Helsinki
Guests: Dr. Wahyuni (Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Malaya), Dr. Zul Afiq Zakaria (“Dr. Zhu”, Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Malaya)
Date: September 8, 2025

Overview

This episode explores how Islamic art has been locally adapted in Malaysia, distinguishing it from its Middle Eastern roots. The conversation delves into the philosophical, aesthetic, and cultural dimensions of Malaysian Islamic art, focusing on its unique integration with local Malay values and the role of technology in both creating and preserving tradition.

Guest Introductions

Dr. Wahyuni

• Coordinator of Visual Art Program, University of Malaya
• Focus: Malay aesthetics, especially the intersection between arts, biomechanics, and Malay cultural tradition.
• Current Research: How movement in Malay exercises (such as traditional dance and silat) embodies historical and symbolic meaning in visual art.
• Quote:

  “I’m very proud to be a part of the team member of Faculty of Creative Arts… we are diverse in the expertise of Islamic and Southeast Asian art to the contemporary visual culture.” (01:23)

Dr. Zul Afiq Zakaria (“Dr. Zhu”)

• Artist, designer, researcher, and academician
• Focuses on the intersection of tradition and experimentation, with a strong philosophical underpinning in his approach to Islamic art.
• Quote:

  “At heart I’m someone who spends a lot of time thinking about beauty, about meaning, philosophical, where art fits in the world where we live in today… where silence often reveals more than noises.” (02:56)

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Foundations of Islamic Art in Malaysia

(05:15 – 08:20)

• Malaysian Islamic art shares spiritual foundations with Middle Eastern Islamic art—centered on tauhid (the oneness of God)—but is culturally distinct.
• Unlike the geometric, calligraphic art of the Middle East, Malay Islamic art localizes these themes with indigenous symbolism and nature motifs.
• Three core values in Malay Islamic arts:
  • Relationship with God (Allah)
  • Relationship with nature
  • Relationship with humans

Notable Quote:

“Everything in the arts is in unity, is connected and reflects the perception of Allah… for the Malay, they more interpret all the nature in the outward in philosophy… the value relationship with Allah, with nature, and with humans.” – Dr. Wahyuni (05:35)

• Historical transition: Islamic principles blended with pre-existing Buddhist and Hindu influences after Islam’s arrival in the 13th century.
• Local expression is visible in architecture (e.g., Masjid Kampung Lao mosque), where traditional motifs replace Middle Eastern domes and arches.

2. Philosophy, Culture, and Aesthetics in Islamic Art

(08:46 – 14:13)

• Dr. Zhu explains how culture, philosophy, and aesthetics interact:

  • Culture provides context—practices, values, symbols.
  • Philosophy investigates meaning and beauty.
  • Aesthetics bridges the two, evaluating artistic experience.

• Comparison with other cultures:

  • Western art: Often focuses on imitation or emotional clarity (Plato vs. Aristotle).
  • East Asian aesthetics: Emphasize emptiness and impermanence.
  • African traditions: Beauty through function and ritual.

• In Islamic aesthetics:

  • Rooted in tauhid; all beauty reflects the divine.
  • Art serves as ibadah (worship), aligning with adab (proper conduct) and Sharia.
  • Non-figurative forms (geometry, calligraphy, arabesque) flourish to avoid idolatry (shirk), expressing unity in diversity.

Notable Quote:

“Islamic aesthetics begins not with the human eye, but with tauhid… Beauty is not autonomous. It’s a manifestation of divine order and balance.” – Dr. Zhu (09:45)

• Critique: Western observers may misinterpret Islamic abstraction as restrictive—yet it’s deeply connected to spirituality and ethics.

Memorable Reflection:

“Art is not art for art’s sake, but art as ibadah, which means worship or remembrance… that is the basic core of the philosophical of Islamic art.” – Dr. Zhu (11:45)

• Open questions:
  • How does Islamic art transform spiritual perception?
  • How have globalization and colonialism influenced or distorted Islamic aesthetics?

3. Role of Technology in Preserving and Evolving Malay Islamic Art

(14:33 – 20:24)

• Dr. Wahyuni integrates technology into research and preservation, drawing from her background in industrial design.
• Study case: Senaman Melayu Tua (Malay ancient exercise), a lesser-known tradition blending movement, culture, and spirituality.
• Motion-capture technology is used to record and analyze the aesthetic dimension of traditional movements, revealing underlying symbolism (e.g., animal motifs like elephants for power, chickens for warrior spirit).

Notable Quote:

“To preserve it for the generation in the future, I found out there’s a technology of motion capture. So I use that … to see the unseen aesthetic.” – Dr. Wahyuni (15:53)

• Technology’s broader role:
  • Digital archiving of material culture, e.g., 3D scanning of traditional Malay craftsmanship like boatbuilding.
  • Addresses the loss of traditional skills as younger generations gravitate towards modern design.
  • Technology brings aesthetic understanding to new audiences, reinforcing cultural continuity.

Memorable Reflection:

“Now is the time that we can use the advantage to preserve the technology… this is how the technology help us to do some of the high resolution photography, 3D scanning… to preserve the culture.” – Dr. Wahyuni (19:55)

Selected Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Everything in the arts is in unity, is connected and reflects the perception of Allah… the value of the relationship between the nature with the God and the human.”
  — Dr. Wahyuni (05:35)

• “Islamic aesthetics begins not with the human eye, but with tauhid… All beauty is reflection of the divine.”
  — Dr. Zhu (09:45)

• “Art is not art for art’s sake, but art as ibadah, which means worship or remembrance… that is the basic core of the philosophical of Islamic art.”
  — Dr. Zhu (11:45)

• “To preserve it for the generation in the future, I found out there’s a technology of motion capture. So I use that… to see the unseen aesthetic.”
  — Dr. Wahyuni (15:53)

• “Now is the time that we can use the advantage to preserve the technology… this is how the technology help us to do some of the high resolution photography, 3D scanning… to preserve the culture.”
  — Dr. Wahyuni (19:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:23] – Wahyuni’s introduction and research overview
• [02:56] – Zhu’s introduction and philosophy on art
• [05:15] – Foundations of Malay Islamic art and localization
• [08:46] – Philosophy, culture, and aesthetics in Islamic art
• [14:33] – Technology’s role in arts preservation and research
• [19:45] – Digital archiving of traditional Malay craftsmanship

Conclusion

This episode provides a rich exploration of Malaysian Islamic art as a living, evolving tradition. Both guests emphasize the importance of understanding local context, philosophy, and the fluid relationship between tradition and technology in the arts. Their insights underscore Malaysian Islamic art as both a deeply spiritual practice and a dynamic, adaptive cultural force.