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BATIK SAMBAL SERAI

Among the wide array of Bidayuh ethnic food, Sambal Serai is the simplest yet significant dish. As lemongrass is readily accessible around their property, the popularity of Sambal Serai escalated in the Bidayuh culture. It has a delectable aroma due to the variety of ingredients - lemongrass, anchovies, onion, garlic, shrimp paste and a little salt. Anchovies need to be fried crispy before adding all other ingredients and combining them together. This basic sambal is indeed very flavorful to eat with white rice and is also an appetizer.

It is now an era for us to enable the development of batik motifs in Malaysia. Apart from flora and fauna motifs, which are somewhat typical themes in batik, the notion of emphasizing traditional foods as one of Malaysia's batik motifs is refreshing. Sambal serai is unusual among Malaysians, particularly to non-Sarawakians. Thus the concept of using this dish as a batik motif will promote information among Malaysians regarding variety of traditional dishes from different cultures. Knowledge gained through this will lead to building a balanced community to develop a strong nation. Moreover, this is also a useful incentive to re-emphasize the different kinds of traditional dishes among millenials and also to preserve this valuable heritage of Malaysian culture.

As for my design process, I drew and painted a realistic drawing of Sambal Serai served in a round bowl which is then located onto an oval rattan tray.The tray is placed on a wooden table and several miniatures of rafflesia is arranged around the tray to potray the image of Sarawak. Afterwards, a tiny square unit is extracted from the realistic drawing for the pattern development process. The small unit that I have choosen consists of parts of the Sambal Serai itself, the silver bowl, the rattan tray, a part of red chilli and cucumber. The motif on the small square unit is then geometrisized to simplify the complex lines of the painting.

The pattern creation process used the mirroring technique to replicate the same geometrisized component continuously until the entire pattern has been completed. Consequently, from only seeing a portion of the bowl, it has now become a sequence of Sambal Serai in a full bowl repeatedly in many quantities.

Colour does not only set a mood, but is also gives the first impression in the general judgement of visual concept. Inspired by De Stijl art movement, the pattern comprise the primaries, black and white. I alternate the colours in the pattern to produce greater contrast between the subject and the geometric abstraction. The colour contrast shifts viewers’ perception into appreciating the geometric configuration as a Batik composition, with radial organization centering on the circular element in symmetrical order.

In today’s world, where we look at our yesteryears for solace, assurance and sense of purpose. It is a opportunity for the millennials to rediscover their identity through fresh eyes and reinterpret the traditions of their culture into something relatable, timeless yet true to identity.