Symphony of the Forest – Uniquely Sarawak

Summary

This painting is created by following a modified process to the otherwise traditional batik method which is common in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is a laborious and delicate method to produce a painting on fabric. The first step is canting which is using melted wax to draw the outline of the subjects on satin silk and then paint with Remazol dye.

Symphony of the Forest illustrates a pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills and a few other unique plants found in Sarawak. Rhinoceros Hornbill is the State Bird of Sarawak. It is the largest bird found in the Land of Sarawak and can live up to 90 years! Rafflesia is the largest flower in the world. The pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. The Midin fern is eaten as a popular vegetable in Sarawak.