Bagaimana acuan, begitulah kuihnya (How is the mould, so is the cake), 2021

Mixed media assemblage – Traditional kuih mould, plaster, silicone, clay, air dry clay, modelling clay, acrylic paint, food colouring, tapioca starch, written specimen cards

Dimensions variable

Bagaimana acuan, begitulah kuihnya is a Malay proverb that describes the relationship between the mould and the form it produces. It defines the parent as the one who solely moulds the child, with the expectation that the child would turn out exactly like the parent. Yet, there are several factors, within and beyond the control of the parent that directly and indirectly impacts the development of the child.

This experiment aimed to create several generations of castings and moulds from a single mould, and examined the variations as a result of reproduction, through the study of material properties in understanding parent-child relationships. A traditional kuih bahulu mould, a family possession, was used to produce the first generation of castings which then becomes a mould to produce the next generation of castings.

Raw materials such as clay, silicone and plaster were used to challenge the material compatibility of moulds and castings; for example to produce a clay casting from a plaster mould require force in its removal which sometimes results in a broken plaster mould. Variations from the first generation of castings to the next are recorded in specimen cards that highlight the material challenges and changes the mould or casting experiences.

The outcome of the experiment is presented as family tree that charts the generational progression from the master mould, from the centre, to the final row of castings, to the left and right, akin to the biological lineage from the grandparent to the parent to the child. From a distance, the castings appear the same but upon closer inspection reflects the realities of parent-child relations which are not only mutually influential but affected by the external environment.