Suriani Suratman, a cultural anthropologist, is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore. She started her journey with pottery in 2001 at the Centre for the Arts, National University of Singapore under the tutorship of Master Potter Iskandar Jalil. She continued to study with Iskandar at his studio in Jalan Senyum from 2003 and at Jalan Bahar Clay Studios from 2005. She currently practices at Jalan Bahar Clay Studios where she also teaches ceramics.
"Sebarkan! comprises of an installation and five singular works. It is inspired by the idea of pollination of seeds of the Angsana tree (Pterocarpus indicus Willd; (https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/0/3093). I remember the angsana tree in my science class when we learnt about pollination. We had to collect the dried fruit pods of the angsana tree and paste them in our journal, as an example for wind pollination. They look like discs with thin wings around the discs.
Pollination is a process for trees/plants to reproduce themselves over and over again. I believe values are crucial for us as human beings for our biological and social reproduction. There is need to spread values pertinent in social relationships and our connection with nature. I see parallels between dispersion of values with seed pollination. Both are processes of growth and reproduction. Sebarkan! is about transmitting values from one generation to another over space and time.
The making of the ceramic angsana seed pods is a collaboration with five students from Tasek Academy and Social Services Art Lab Programme. In many ways this was a process of germinating in the students an interest and skills in pottery through experiential learning.
To create the notion of pollination i.e. the state of dispersion, some 150 of these ceramic pods are suspended at different heights. Hovering in the air will cast shadows and add to the experience of movement like the seeds that are pollinated by wind. On the floor is a spread of about 500 of these pods. Displaying them in this way allows the reading of the work as a multitude of individual seeds crossing spaces, hovering and landing. This says much about how values move and travel over time, space and generations. Having these pods on the floor is vital in signifying the beginning of another cycle of growth and reproduction.
The singular works are based on the form of angsana seed pods that have been halved. It allows for a reflection of what ideas, knowledge, stories or memories can be contained in the vessel-like form to be shared and passed on."
