AFTER 30 years, Siow Ho Phiew, 67, remains passionate about his art – that of making the head of the lion of the Chinese lion dance.
Working from a warehouse in Subang, Selangor, Master Siow, as he is known, is a self-taught craftsman who learnt to make the head component of the traditional dance art by trial and error.
Today, he is bending rattan to make a frame for the head.
“I have been interested in the lion dance tradition since I was a kid.” said Siow.
Even though Malaysia is still feeling the effects of Covid-19 and the lockdowns it induced, Siow and his team at Wan Seng Hang Dragon & Lion Arts continue to do brisk business because of overseas demand for the costume.
“The pandemic should not be a reason to stop making the lion dance head as a culture. We continue promoting the culture so that it will not be lost,” he said.
Siow said Malaysia was among the places that celebrated Chinese New Year in the traditional way, and the lion dance was a vital component of the celebration. – January 23, 2022.
Master Siow Ho Phiew paints a lion head at the Wang Seng Hang Dragon And Lion Arts warehouse in Subang, Selangor. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.Master Siow Ho Phiew is a self-taught craftsman who learnt how to make lion heads by trial and error. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022. The frame for the lion head is made of rattan. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.A work in progress in Master Siow's warehouse in Subang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.Technology meets old traditions in the Wang Seng Hang Dragon And Lion Arts warehouse in Subang, Selangor. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.Lion heads are packed and ready to go. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.A brush is used to daub on the many colours of the lion head. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.Work to make a lion head starts with drawings. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.Siow HB is her father Master Wong's apprentice in the craft of making lion heads for dance. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.The stages of making a lion dance head are laid out, from the bare frame to the fully painted, finished product, at the Wang Seng Hang Dragon And Lion Arts warehouse in Subang, Selangor. - The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 23, 2022.
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