By Nurhafizah Tan
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Incorporating artistic elements into prayer attire not only adds a distinctive touch to everyday designs but also plays an important role in keeping the country’s heritage art alive and appreciated.
Taking this approach, local artist Farah Mohan, who is known for her contemporary batik works, has ventured into translating her paintings and batik art onto prayer attire through the Embun Fajar collection, a collaboration with telekung brand Siti Khadijah.
Farah said her first attempt at designing prayer attire offered a different dimension and sense of fulfilment compared with her previous works, including sculptures, decorative lamps and canvas paintings.
“Previously, art enthusiasts would often ask when I would create designs that could be worn, such as scarves or clothing. When a work of art is worn and incorporated into everyday life, particularly during worship, it gives it a deeper meaning than simply hanging it on a wall.
“That is why I see this collaboration as a good platform and starting point for me to venture into fashion design,” she told Bernama.
Elaborating on the inspiration behind the design, the 34-year-old artist said the concept was drawn from her own experience of seeking tranquillity in the early hours of the morning.
“The idea came when I was struggling to find fresh inspiration. One morning, as I woke up waiting for dawn and prepared to wake my child before continuing with work, I felt that this was the only time when I could truly find peace.
“That gave rise to the concept of dawn, and what better complements dawn than the softness of morning dew? The design also incorporates rose and lily motifs, which symbolise contrasting qualities of gentleness and strength,” she explained.
The Kedah-born artist said translating visual art onto prayer fabric required meticulous attention to detail and took about one to two months to complete, particularly due to technical challenges during the production process.
“The brand wanted something different, using five fabric panels that had to be joined together. The main challenge was ensuring that the stems and floral patterns aligned at every seam and that the colours matched.
“Several initial samples had to be rejected before we achieved a truly neat finish,” she said, stressing that the success of the design was the result of the team’s hard work.
Meanwhile, the telekung brand’s founder, Padzilah Enda Sulaiman, said the effort to translate batik canting art onto prayer attire was aimed at elevating the value of traditional local textiles so that they would not be lost to time.
“We must continue to uphold batik. Otherwise, it will become merely part of history, despite its immense artistic value.
“Our collaboration with Farah Mohan came about because we share the same appreciation for art. When batik canting motifs are worn during prayers, they create a different sense of fulfilment and tranquillity for the wearer,” she said.
The collection also features women’s and men’s attire, scarves and prayer mats, in addition to batik canting telekung, which is limited to just 100 pieces.
-- BERNAMA