By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Mar 4: Master’s student Britto Augustus from Curtin University Malaysia transformed the Miri City Council (MCC) Lutong Community Library into a living canvas of culture with his contemporary comic installation Apai Alui Becomes A Shaman, held from 10 to 28 Feb. The exhibition reinterpreted the legendary Iban folk character Apai Alui through dynamic comic panels, attracting community members, cultural advocates, and policymakers into an immersive dialogue between Sarawak’s heritage and modern visual storytelling.
Hailing from Tamil Nadu, India, Britto’s practice-based research explores how indigenous narratives can be preserved and reimagined. By translating Apai Alui’s wit and wisdom into a contemporary format, he offers a fresh lens on Sarawak’s storytelling traditions that resonates with younger audiences and international readers alike.
The exhibition’s closing ceremony was officiated by Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, who lauded the initiative as a prime example of Sarawak’s growing creative economy.
“We aren’t just looking at drawings on a wall; we are witnessing the evolution of Sarawakian storytelling.
“For the Orange Economy to thrive, we need practitioners like Britto who connect culture with innovation through practice-based research,” he said in a statement.
Highlighting the project’s global relevance, Ting added that seeing Apai Alui interpreted through the lens of an international creative practitioner provides Sarawakians with renewed appreciation for their own traditions.
Interim Head of the Department of Media and Communication Terry Justin Dit said the exhibition exemplifies the university’s commitment to community-engaged scholarship.
“This project bridges the gap between high-level research and the community it represents. By bringing creative work out of the classroom and into public spaces, we make research accessible, meaningful, and impactful,” he noted.
More than an art display, the installation transformed the library into an interactive cultural hub, demonstrating that heritage is a living narrative, capable of evolving across mediums and borders.
Curtin Malaysia’s Head of Library Christina Urai Dang, senior lecturer Dr Noraisikin Sabani, representatives from the Dayak Association Miri, and staff of the MCC Lutong Community Library were also present, reflecting strong collaboration between academia and the local community. — DayakDaily
