Buddhi: A Legacy from the Hindu-Buddhist Past in Contemporary Malaysia: Budi

Abstract

The ‘BUDI – Extension of Tradition’ art exhibition was organised in conjunction with the Ipoh International Art Festival in 2021 by the Perak State’s cultural agency, People of Remarkable Talents (PORT). Carried out from 10 to 26 December 2021, this exhibition was anchored on the theme of budi (Malay), derived from the Sanskrit word Buddhi. The collective works of this exhibition were from 50 local and international artists that comprised other activities such as workshops, dance performances, music, and cultural activities besides the artworks on display. This exhibition brought forth a collection of artworks (sculptures, visual artworks, installation art, video art, lightbox photography, among others) that were somewhat crucial at the time, as the world was recovering from the pandemic. This is such that the concept of budi, which relates to being aware, awake, humble, etc., was necessary, if not vital, in overcoming and persevering through the challenging times of the pandemic. The exhibition received positive responses from the public as it was one of the early exhibitions that were open to the public for free, as Malaysia came out of a lockdown. This review was initially written as a piece of entry for the exhibition catalogue, which did not come into realisation. Changes and amendments have been made to suit the writing of the current time.