National Art Gallery introduces wayang kulit puppets using plastic waste

KOTA BHARU, Nov 21 -- The National Art Gallery has created an innovation by producing ‘wayang kulit’ (shadow play) puppets using recycled plastic materials.

A member of the National Visual Arts Development Board, Associate Professor Dr Lim Swee Tin, said the innovation was one of the efforts to cultivate creative ideas as well as to preserve the environment.

“This effort is realised when the younger generation is able to draw and shape ‘wayang kulit’ puppets on waste materials as another alternative, instead of using cow and goat skins.

“This initiative is not to change the original cultural heritage art, we just want to raise public awareness of the environment by using waste materials as a medium to make it something valuable and beneficial,” he told reporters after opening a workshop to make plastic ‘wayang kulit’ puppets at Min House Camp, Kubang Kerian here yesterday.

Elaborating further, Swee Tin said the innovation would be enhanced further in the future after initial attempts showed success and managed to attract the interest of the next generation.

“It is not impossible for the National Art Gallery to go a step further so that the activity of painting these puppets on other materials can be enhanced from time to time until we achieve great success,” he added.

Swee Tin said the new skills and potential of making puppets from plastic could also be commercialised and diversified, not only for performances but also for decorations and souvenirs in generating money through innovations.

 -- BERNAMA