Continuing the Journey Across Borders: A Collaboration with Ronnie Bahari
Paper artworks inspired by cave drawings
"Images created on pandanus paper, inspired by ancient cave drawings from Lembah Kinta, reinterpreted for Across Borders."
Introduction
Across Borders is a collaborative project between Malaysian–Danish artist Amir Zainorin and Indigenous Semai photographer Ronnie Bahari, exploring tradition, memory, and cultural storytelling. Developed between Copenhagen and Ipoh, the project continues their partnership that began with the video Cave Man (2022) in the caves of Lembah Kinta. For Across Borders, Bahari created handmade pandanus-paper artworks inspired by ancestral cave drawings, while Zainorin contributed layered text that intertwines personal reflection with collective heritage. Together, their work bridges indigenous narratives and diasporic perspectives, offering audiences a tactile and poetic dialogue about belonging, identity, and the resilience of Malaysian culture in a rapidly changing world.
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Across Borders: A Collaboration with Ronnie Bahari
In Across Borders, my artistic journey deepens through a meaningful collaboration with Ronnie Bahari, an Indigenous Semai photographer and cultural leader from Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Together, we explore tradition, memory, and cultural storytelling across distance and time.
Our partnership began during my residency at PORT Ipoh in 2022, shortly after the world emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. We ventured into the magnificent caves of Lembah Kinta, where I filmed Ronnie for the video work Cave Man, capturing the spirit of our shared exploration of natural and cultural landscapes.
Watch the video Cave Man →
A few years later, when Fadly Sabran of Kapallorek invited me to present a solo exhibition in Malaysia, I saw the opportunity to reignite this collaboration. While based in Copenhagen, I worked closely with Ronnie, who crafted handmade paper from pandanus leaves and created images inspired by the ancient cave drawings we once encountered. In dialogue with his imagery, I composed text weaving personal reflections with cultural narratives, allowing our voices to converge across mediums.
Across Borders celebrates continuity, collaboration, and the reimagining of tradition. It honors Malaysian heritage through the interplay of the visual and the textual, while also fostering dialogue between local communities and international audiences. Ultimately, the project stands as a testament to resilience, shared creativity, and the enduring ties between land, people, and culture.
Image: Ronnie in his studio at Polytechnic Ungku Omar, Ipoh, with Anna.
Ronnie in his studio
"Indigenous Semai photographer Ronnie Bahari at his studio in Polytechnic Ungku Omar, Ipoh, Perak — working on handmade pandanus paper for Across Borders (2024)."
