Vivid depictions of Asian rituals, symbols and rites in rich hues are typical in Malaysian watercolorist Chang Fee Ming’s latest series of prints like the one featured here, The Naga King’s Daughter II, which is steeped in Chinese, Islamic and animistic influences.  Part of his ongoing solo show Imprinted Thoughts at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, it revolves around the independent communities who live in remote parts of Asia, like those from his coastal hometown in the Malaysian state of Terengganu, to the rugged terrain of Tibet. He tells I-S more about this intriguing piece.

Medium: Watercolour, etching, relief print, screen print and pigment on stained STPI handmade paper.

What's going on in this image?
In this composition set in my hometown, we find the echoes of a multi-cultural existence-the lady's Muslim headdress, her modern floral-patterned baju, the Hindu-influenced bangau decoration of the sekoci alongside her [a bangau is a long-necked ornamental guard placed on the port side of traditional fishing boats such as a sekoci]. A pair of PAS [Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party] flags peek out from behind the bangau. The name "Langkasuka" is screen printed in Chinese text across the sky, taking the different forms recorded by Chinese chroniclers over the centuries.