The healing arts of the Malay mystic
Farrer D (2008)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2008
Journal
Book Volume: 24
Pages Range: 29-46
Journal Issue: 1
DOI: 10.1111/J.1548-7458.2008.00003.X
Abstract
The legacy of Alfred Gell offers a rich stock of ingenious ideas to apply and extend to the thought-provoking artwork of Mohammad Din Mohammad, who combines the skills (ilmu) of the Malay martial art silat with the knowledge of the traditional Malay healer, to press life, breath, and divine power into his painting and sculpture. The artist's agency is said to open a gateway to the unseen realm. By painting calligraphic motifs derived from the Quran with his bare hands, the artist channels Allah's energy from within, energy that is embodied and suspended within his artworks, to protect the patient from spiritual attack. The artwork serves as a protective talisman during spiritually vulnerable moments, such as birth, marriage, fasting, and death. During crisis, the power stored within the artwork may be unleashed to counter attacks from ghosts, vampires, or other nefarious creatures © 2008 by the American Anthropological Association.
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APA:
Farrer, D. (2008). The healing arts of the Malay mystic. Journal of Visual Anthropology, 24(1), 29-46. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1548-7458.2008.00003.X
MLA:
Farrer, Douglas. "The healing arts of the Malay mystic." Journal of Visual Anthropology 24.1 (2008): 29-46.
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