The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is always held during the first nine days of the Ninth Chinese Lunar Month. In 2017, that’s October 20th to 28th. The schedule of events varies for each of the temples so if you are…
Read MoreWe are only 10 days away from the start of another amazing festival. A quick review of last year’s photos gets me beyond psyched up for what lies ahead! So here are 9 to bring us closer to the Ninth…
Read MoreOnce again, during the 7th lunar month, I returned to the City God temple on the river in Brickfields. The resident deity, Chenghuangshen, is a protector of the urban environment. Perhaps that is the attraction. Perhaps it’s also the fluid…
Read MoreKompang Jidor is the traditional art of complex drumming and devotional chanting. I was fortunate to photograph a performance by Persatuan Kompang Kg Parit Madirono in which they displayed their skills, their energy and their contagious camaraderie. The performers represented…
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Saints, warriors and wise advice are at the heart of the Malaysian story of the “Datuk”. Want to know more about this lovely deity who protects us and advises us in our daily lives? Then, come join us for a…
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The Think City space on the edge of Medan Pasar in Kuala Lumpur came to life with a performance by Kumpulan Sri Warisan Pusaka – the beloved Wayang Kulit troupe from Kelantan. Organized by Pusaka, they performed a traditional story…
Read MoreSome musings on the art of Yayoi Kusama. Kusama repeatedly invites us to engage with her expressions of self and the contradictions of beauty. I can only presume that she will accept my thanks for this moment of selfish imposition…
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OF THIS PLACE: GTF 2017 from July 28 to Sept 3 Ever wondered about all the small Chinese shrines along the street? A few years ago I started asking about them and those questions led me in to an exploration…
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I went to the rice paddies of Malaysia, to symbolize the Datuk’s associations with creating prosperity. Nothing symbolizes health, wealth and prosperity to the Malaysians like a field of rice. Here the Malay Datuk holds a kris (the sacred knife) to protect…
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A friend once told me that, when he was a little boy, his grandmother wouldn’t let him pee on the trees when he was out walking, “because the Datuk lives there”. Trees are very important to Datuk worship, giving shelter…
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