15/03/2026

ON SUNDAY March 15, 2026 theSunday Special V

Lotus in hand BY DAYANA SOBRI

sustainability and slowness. Her work LQYLWHV XV WR SDXVH ± WR QRWLFH WH[WXUH OLJKW DQG WKH VPDOO LPSHUIHFWLRQV WKDW PDNH EHDXW\ KRQHVW N DWXUH XQVXUSULVLQJO\ IRUPV WKH EDFN ERQH RI +DVWDUDYLQGD¶V ZRUN $PHHUD¶V FUHDWLYH SURFHVV EHJLQV LQ REVHUYDWLRQ :DWFKLQJ OLJKW ILOWHU WKURXJK OHDYHV WUDFLQJ WKH VKDSHV RI VWRQHV RU IHHOLQJ WKH VXEWOH UK\WKP RI WH[WXUH LQ QDWXUDO ¿EUHV “ 0\ LQVSLUDWLRQ ÀRZV IURP KDQGFUDIWHG WUDGLWLRQV QDWXUDO WH[WXUHV DQG HYHU\GD\ PDWHULDOV ´ VKH VDLG H HU PDWHULDO SDOHWWH UHÀHFWV WKLV SKL ORVRSK\ 6FUDS IDEULF XSF\FOHG GHQLP ODFH DQG FURFKHW IUDJPHQWV ILQG QHZ purpose in her hands. “ %HDGV HVSHFLDOO\ DUH VR LPSRUWDQW LQ P\ ZRUN , XVH WKHP WR FUHDWH MHZHO OHU\ DQG HYHQ H[SHULPHQW ZLWK WKHP RQ FDQYDV $FURVV FXOWXUHV EHDGV V\PEROLVH protection, prayer and beauty. Their FLUFXODU IRUP VXJJHVWV ZKROHQHVV ± D SHUIHFW ¿W IRU KRZ , EOHQG WKH VSLULWXDO DQG WKH WDFWLOH LQ P\ DUW ´ VKH DGGHG Every so often, she adorns her creations ZLWK VWRQHV DQG VKHOOV ± HOHPHQWV RI WKH earth that add soul to her pieces. The creation of each Hastaravinda SLHFH LV DQ H[HUFLVH LQ ERWK PHGLWDWLRQ DQG FUDIWVPDQVKLS +HU SURFHVV LV XQKXUULHG EXLOW RQ LQWXLWLRQ UDWKHU WKDQ VWULFW GHVLJQ “ ,W XVXDOO\ EHJLQV ZLWK REVHUYLQJ QDWXUH ± LWV FRORXUV WH[WXUHV DQG TXLHW GHWDLOV )URP WKHUH , FKRRVH PDWHULDOV WKDW IHHO

SKRWRJUDSKLQJ WKH ¿QLVKHG ZRUN LV GRQH by her. “ 6ROLWXGH LV QRW VLPSO\ D ORJLVWLFDO FKRLFH ± LW¶V SDUW RI P\ HVVHQFH (DFK ILQLVKHG ZRUN KROGV WUDFHV RI D VLQJOH creative presence – the pauses, hesitations DQG VPDOO SHUIHFWLRQV WKDW FRPH RQO\ IURP GLUHFW KXPDQ WRXFK ´ VKH QRWHG Sustainability as a sacred practice T KH ZRUOG SURGXFHV RYHU PLOOLRQ WRQQHV RI WH[WLOH ZDVWH DQQXDOO\ DQG WKHVH days, sustainability is not just a buzzword ± LW¶V D PRUDO LPSHUDWLYH F RU $PHHUD VXVWDLQDELOLW\ LV GHHSO\ personal. “ ,W EHJLQV ZLWK FRQVFLRXV VRXUFLQJ ± FKRRVLQJ QDWXUDO UHF\FOHG RU XSF\FOHG PDWHULDOV ZLWK PLQLPDO HQYLURQPHQWDO LPSDFW 0DQ\ RI P\ PDWHULDOV DUH UH XVHG RU UHSXUSRVHG JLYLQJ QHZ OLIH WR ZKDW PLJKW RWKHUZLVH EH GLVFDUGHG ´ VKH shared. Her production scale is deliberately VPDOO UHMHFWLQJ PDVV SURGXFWLRQ LQ IDYRXU RI D KDQGPDGH LQWHQWLRQDO DSSURDFK (YHQ SDFNDJLQJ IROORZV WKH VDPH SULQFLSOH ± PLQLPDO UHF\FODEOH DQG FUDIWHG IURP UHXVHG SDSHU RU QDWXUDO ¿EUHV S KH VHHV KHU MHZHOOHU\ DQG DUW DV EULGJHV EHWZHHQ SHRSOH QDWXUH DQG PLQGIXOQHVV “Slow down. Create with intention. )LQG EHDXW\ LQ WKH VPDOO DQG LPSHUIHFW +DQGPDGH WKLQJV FDUU\ HQHUJ\ SDWLHQFH DQG HPRWLRQDO WUDFHV RI UHDO KXPDQ WRXFK

DOLYH DQG PHDQLQJIXO Then I let the process JXLGH PH ´ $PHHUD H[SODLQHG T KHUH DUH QR ULJLG blueprints, only in stinct. Stones and beads DUH FKRVHQ IRU WKHLU WH[ - ture and individuality; IRUPV HPHUJH VORZO\ JXLGHG E\ HPRWLRQ and touch. When the ¿QDO SLHFH LV UHDG\ LW LV SKRWRJUDSKHG LQ QDWXUDO OLJKW ± KRQRXULQJ WKH VDPH VXQOLJKW WKDW ¿UVW inspired it.

that connect us to the natural world,” is her PHVVDJH WR RWKHUV As the lotus in her QDPH VXJJHVWV +DV taravinda is not just a EUDQG ± LW LV D EORRP LQJ D EHFRPLQJ DQG D WHVWDPHQW WR WKH JHQWOH VWUHQJWK WKDW FRPHV IURP FUDIWLQJ EHDXW\ E\ KDQG

I N a quiet corner of Malaysia’s cre ative scene, where art and introspec tion often intertwine, one artist is UHGH¿QLQJ ZKDW LW PHDQV WR FUHDWH with intention. K QRZQ E\ KHU DUWLVWLF QDPH +DVWDUDYLQGD $PHHUD $EG D $EG

“ ,W¶V D SHUVRQDO LGHD DOPRVW OLNH DQ DUW VDQFWXDU\ $ VDIH VSDFH IRU P\ RZQ DXWKHQWLF H[SUHVVLRQ IUHH IURP H[SHFWD WLRQV ZKHUH H[SHULPHQWDWLRQ SURFHVV DQG HPRWLRQV DUH DV YDOXDEOH DV WKH ¿QDO piece,” she said. The journey within U QOLNH PDQ\ DUWLVWV ZKR FDQ SLQSRLQW D VLQJOH PRPHQW WKDW VHW WKHLU SDWK LQ PRWLRQ $PHHUD¶V DUWLVWLF DZDNHQLQJ XQIROGHG JUDGXDOO\ The journe QOLNH PD SLQSRLQW

+DOLP ZKR DOVR JRHV E\ 5D KDV WUDQVIRUPHG KHU SUDFWLFH LQWR VRPHWKLQJ IDU PRUH SURIRXQG than a brand. For her, it is a OLYLQJ EUHDWKLQJ H[WHQVLRQ of the self – a sanctuary RI UHÀHFWLRQ HPRWLRQ DQG quiet beauty. “Hastaravinda isn’t MXVW D QDPH RU DQ DUW ist identity; it’s the UHIOHFWLRQ RI P\ LQQHU ZRUOG PDGH YLVLEOH Every brushstroke, ev ery colour, every silence between lines carries VRPHWKLQJ RI PH $UW LV ZKHUH , H[LVW PRVW KRQ estly,” she shared. T KH QDPH LWVHOI WHOOV D VWRU\ +DVWD PHDQV ³KDQG´ while Aravinda is “lotus” LQ 6DQVNULW ± D ÀRZHU ORQJ UHYHUHG IRU LWV V\PEROLVP RI SXULW\ JURZWK DQG HQ OLJKWHQPHQW F RU $PHHUD +DVWDUD YLQGD ZDV ERUQ QRW IURP DPELWLRQ EXW IURP QHHG ± WKH QHHG WR H[SUHVV IUHHO\ and to connect with her own spirit. 5D KDV LQWR XQG s a RQ ry G D ´ s” QJ P Q P ± \ r

The creation of each Hastaravinda piece is an exercise in both meditation and craftsmanship.

U QOLNH PDQ\ DUWLVDQV ZKR ZRUN LQ FROOHFWLYHV RU VWXGLRV $PHHUD ZRUNV entirely alone and she prefers it that way. (YHU\ VWHS IURP VRXUFLQJ PDWHULDOV WR

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“ 0\ WXUQLQJ SRLQW ZDVQ¶W D VLQJOH GD\ RU HYHQW LW ZDV PRUH OLNH D UH alisation that art was no ORQJHU MXVW VRPHWKLQJ , HQMR\HG EXW VRPHWKLQJ HVVHQWLDO WR ZKR , DP ´ VKH UHÀHFWHG In that realisa tion lay the seeds of a creative philosophy deeply rooted in the YDOXHV RI PLQGIXOQHVV alis ORQ HQM HVV VKH tio a c de YDO

Ameera believes handmade pieces A h

carry energy, patience and the human touch that connects us to nature.

Unlike many artisans who work in collectives or studios, Ameera prefers to work alone.