'Pe(ng)lipur Lara' Collective
Pe(ng)lipur Lara aims to provide solace and comfort through storytelling expressed in the form of textile installations. The word ‘Pe(ng)lipur Lara’ is a wordplay derived from the Malay/Indonesian words “pelipur lara” and “penglipur lara” referring to someone who provides comfort, and serves as a storyteller of folklore and fantasies.
As a collective made of individuals with various artistic strengths and abilities, we came together to create a piece that reflects our shared values: empathy, compassion, vulnerability, and sensitivity. Combining our interests in cultural backgrounds, feminism, sensory play and existentialism, we sought to challenge ourselves, using this opportunity to venture further beyond our practice when working on this delicate topic.
Nature's Embrace
In the heart of a forest glade,
stands a tree blessed with leaves that mirror the changing seasons.
Lush and ever-blooming, each leaf holds the power to comfort.
Each time a leaf falls, a new journey begins.
It seeks out sentient beings to cling to, through wind or tide, rain or shine.
It provides solace, allowing the chosen to heal in the way they need.
When a leaf fulfils its purpose,
the tree calls its name and guides it back along the trail it once traversed.
The memories of its journey replenish its bare branches.
Magic thrums through its veins as the tree awaits the return of more leaves.