Hanif Khairi

Sculptor Hanif Khairi produces abstract form sculptures made from sustainable materials such as recycled wood and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic to achieve the concept of “assimilation” for his Kepiting (The Whimsical Crabs) series. Elegantly shaped, each sculpture is intricately constructed using an amalgamation of small units of wood and colourful plastic, much like the process of building blocks for a modular design. The components are bound together using fastening devices such as clamps and once the desired form is attained, the curing process of lamination commences. Inspired by one of his travels to Indonesia, the Kepiting series originated from the Indonesian word ‘crab’. Unaware of its meaning at the time, Hanif Khairi soon learns that the term differs from Bahasa Malaysia’s ‘ketam’. Amazed by this discovery, Hanif Khairi feels compelled to “portray the correlation visually”. Thus, Hanif Khairi expresses his interpretation of assimilation between both cultures and linguistics by uniting diverse objects, colours and shapes through the fabrication of the Kepiting series.

Titled Kepiting Busuk, this table sculpture is a delightful work of art. Its layered quality also resembles kek lapis, the Indonesian traditional delicacy. Malaysia’s multi- coloured version of the finely layered cake is made popular in Sarawak. Hanif Khairi’s Kepiting series is a rendition of diversity at its finest.