Page 25 - GHH KATALOG (PRINT)

Pangrok Sulap is a Malaysian collective of artists, musicians and social activists with a
mission to empower rural communities and the marginalised through art. “Pangrok” is the
local pronunciation of “punk rock”, and “Sulap” is a hut or a resting place usually used by
farmers in Sabah, Borneo.

Since 2013 woodcut prints have become the Collective’s main tool in spreading social
messages, through large scale exhibition works as well as handmade merchandise
including cloth badges, tote bags, t-shirts and commissioned banners for events. The
Collective are strong advocates for the DIY concept hence the slogan ‘Jangan Beli, Bikin
Sendiri’ (Don’t Buy, Do-it-yourself).

Work often focuses on telling the narrative of rural communities of Borneo, endangered
ways of life, forests, and flora and fauna and captures light hearted moments of human
interaction, as well as exploring more hard hitting content such as human rights, political
corruption and environmental exploitation. Created collectively by its numerous members,
many hands create an aesthetically cohesive style and voice.

A strong element in Pangrok Sulap’s process is community participation. The Collective
collaborate with community members to collect indigenous narratives and experiences
and create artworks that tell their stories. Members of the public are encouraged to join
in the communal production of art works and the printing process; a performance for
which the Collective plays original and contemporary folk music while participants are
invited to dance in circles on the woodcut performing the traditional ‘Sumazau’ folk dance
of Sabah. The crowd’s weight transfers ink onto the finished print, which is then revealed
on the spot.

Earth Printworks,
1st Floor Block K Lot 63, Plaza Utama Alamesra,
Kota Kinabalu, 88400 Sabah, Malaysia
Instagram : @pangrok_sulap
contact@pangroksulap.com