Arts 8
Lesson 1: Elements and Principles of Arts
and Crafts in Southeast Asia
Elements and Principles of Arts and Crafts in Southeast
Asia Southeast Asia pertains to the huge peninsula of
Indochina and the extensive archipelago that is sometimes
called as East Indies. Southeast Asian arts are predominantly
influenced by religious belief and are often expressed natural
scenes and themes from their aesthetic tradition. Many of their
artworks are influenced by their cultures thus expressing
themes out of their daily scenes and norms.
Southeast Asians do not have a strong tradition of art
theory for they are always more concerned with doing the
actual work of producing beautiful things. Because of their
contacts with foreign civilizations, the peoples of Southeast
Asia once thought of having lack of inventiveness, but later,
discoveries particularly in Myanmar and Thailand inspired
some scholars to argue against the accepted theory. These
scholars contended that the Southeast Asian people were
cultivating plants, making pottery, and working in bronze
about the same time as the peoples of the ancient Middle
East.
The western half of the mainland of Southeast Asia has
always been thickly forested, so it was natural that the first
material to be used for artistic purposes should have been
Indonesia
Indonesia experienced a long history with each period leaves
distinctive arts, from prehistoric cave paintings to
contemporary arts of modern Indonesian artists. The most
common fabric in some Southeast Asian countries is the
batik which is thought to be derived from the word ‘ambatik’
that can be translated into ‘a cloth with little dots’.
The “drop” action refers to the process of dyeing the fabric by
making use of a resist technique: covering areas of cloth with
a dye-resistant substance to prevent them from absorbing
colors. Indonesian batik has many colors and patterns.
Natural materials such as cotton or silk are used for the cloth,
so that it can absorb the wax that is applied in the dye
resisting process. The fabrics must be of a high thread count
(densely woven). It is important that cloth of high quality have
this high thread count so that the intricate design qualities of
batik can be maintained.
Malaysia
Malaysian batik can be found in the east coast of Malaysia
such as Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. Since there are
large number of Javanese immigrants in Malaysia, especially
on the southern part, batik in Johor clearly shows Javanese
influences.
The most common motifs of Malaysian batik are leaves and
flowers. Designs that show animals are rare because Islam
norms forbid animal images as decoration, except the
butterfly theme.
In Thailand, sky lanterns are traditionally made from oiled
rice paper on a bamboo frame. The general design is a thin
paper shell about 30 cm to a couple of meters across with
an opening at the bottom. The opening is about 10 to 30 cm
wide and is surrounded by a stiff collar that used to suspend
the flame source. The source of hot air may be a small
candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material.
The Thai name is khom loi.
Myanmar
Myanmar has ten most famous traditional arts and crafts
which is called Pan Sel Myo (10 flowers):
1. Panchi – the art of painting that shows live animals and
inanimate objects with the use of different colors.
2. Punpu – the art of sculpture which produced figures and
floral motifs made of wood.
3. Panbe – being tempered in the iron in the oven to make
the desired elements. It is a kind of blacksmith.
4. Panyun – a vehicle that produces materials. It may either
be a bamboo, wood or thick black paint.
5. Panpoot – making wooden utensils, turning on the lathe
5. Panpoot – making wooden utensils, turning on the lathe
turner.
6. Panyan – it constructs building with brick, stone and
concrete.
Activity 3: See The Difference!
Using the Venn diagram, compare and contrast the two
pictures in terms of the elements of art.
Collage Making
Collect pictures related to the different artworks of Southeast
Asia. You may print it or cut it out from the unused magazines
or books then paste it on a ½ size illustration board. Show your
understanding, appreciation, and creativity through collage
making.
Rubrics
Reflection Journal
Reflect on the lessons you have gained in this module. You
may include your most significant learning and its impact to you
as a learner. Write it in your activity notebook.
Lesson 1: Appreciating Southeast Asian Artworks
and Artifacts
Activity 1: ANALYZING AN ARTWORK
In a one-whole sheet of paper, use the prompts below to
write something about the artwork shown in the picture.
I SEE… (What colors do you see? What shapes are visible?)
__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
I THINK… (What elements of art are used? What Principles of
Designs are used?)
__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
I WONDER… (What is the mood of this artwork? What
message does it tell you?)
________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Southeast Asian Artworks
Batik
According to the Cambridge dictionary, batik is a method of
printing patterns on cloth, in which wax is put on the cloth
before it is put in dye ( a substance for changingits colour), or
cloth that is printed in this way. Batik, on the other hand, is also
considered as an art that translates one’s imagination into a
piece of fabric.
Certain batik designs are reserved for brides and bridegrooms
as well as their families. Other designs are reserved for the
Sultan and his family or their attendants.
A person's rank could be determined by the pattern of the batik
he/she wore.
There are two categories of batik designs:
1. Geometric motifs – is a fun trend that focus on the simplistic
beauty of mixing certain shapes, lines, and curves tog
2. Free form designs – Modern patterns of Batik use linear
treatment of leaves, flowers and birds. Since the patterns are
free-form, the design depends on the designer and the
guidelines they use.
There are two main types of batik that are produced there:
1. Hand painted is where the designs are drawn on the fabric
with hot liquid wax by using a metal object called CANTING.
When the wax outlines are done, artists use the brushes to
paint the dyes within the outlines. The use of brush allows for
the creation of shaded and multi-hued designs.
2. Block printed is done by welding together strips of metal to
form a metal block. The metal block is then dipped into
molten wax and pressed against the fabric in order to make a
pattern.
Merlion of Singapore
According to the most prevalent theory, Singapore was
founded by a Malay prince who saw a lion when he first
stepped foot on the now sovereign island, before he
established a new settlement there. The country’s name
pays homage to those beginnings: “Singapura” traces its
roots back to Sanskrit, more specifically to the word “Singa”
for “lion” and “Pura” for “city” – which also explains
Singapore’s nickname as the “Lion City”.
More than that, the lion head also symbolizes bravery and
strength, while its chimeric element embodies the passion to
leap forwards, all qualities greatly valued among
Singaporeans. The Mer- part of the symbol, a direct
reference to the sea, refers to the lower part of the statue: its
fish body. According to leading experts, it traces back to the
origins of Singapore as a humble fishing village and a
seaport – back when the city was still called “Temasek”,
which, in Javanese, translates to “sea town”.
Wayang Kulit Puppet
The WayangKulit is a traditional theatre form that brings
together the playfulness of a puppet show, and the elusive
quality and charming simplicity of a shadow play.
Its origin remains a mystery, though it appears to have a
strong Javanese and Hindu influence. Today, it is spread out,
in various forms and guises, across Asia -from Turkey and
China to Indonesia and of course, Malaysia.
The puppets come in all sizes, ranging from 25 cm to 75 cm.
The puppets are usually made out of buffalo and goat hide
and mounted on bamboo sticks. The characters are usually
represented by several versions in a set.
Activity 4: Keep Me!
Take a photo of an old object found in your locality. Post it in
your activity notebook. Give a brief description about it.
Answer the guide questions below.
Example:
1. Describe your chosen object.
2. What is the importance of this object to our Filipino
culture?
3. In your own little way, how can you help preserve
these artifacts?
Take a good look into the picture. Spend a minute to observe
and feel it. Then, complete the following statements below.
Write your answer in a separate sheet of paper.
Collage Making
Collect pictures related to the different artworks of Southeast
Asia. You may print it or cut it out from the unused magazines
or books then paste it on a ½ size illustration board. Show your
understanding, appreciation, and creativity through collage
making.
Rubrics
Collage Making
Collect pictures related to the different artworks of
Southeast Asia. You may print it or cut it out from the
unused magazines or books then paste it on a ½ size
illustration board. Show your understanding, appreciation,
and creativity through
collage making.
Rubrics