At 19, Airell is carving out a future for wayang kulit

At an age when many teenagers are still figuring out what they want to do, Muhammad Airell Amsyar Anuar already has years of experience carving, painting and bringing wayang kulit puppets to life.

The 19-year-old from Kampung Banggol Pak Esah in Kelantan became fascinated with shadow puppetry as a child, often watching his late uncle, Mohd Nor Salleh, make the intricate leather figures by hand.

“My interest in becoming involved in the art of making wayang kulit puppets began when I was a child, as I often watched my uncle make them,” he told Bernama. By 15, Airell had begun accepting orders from friends and neighbours.

The work, he explained, begins with the hide. Traditionally, cow or goat skin would be prepared and dried in the sun for about a week, although Airell now usually buys material that has already been processed to save time.

Customers typically provide a picture or caricature of the character they want, which he traces onto the hide before beginning the painstaking work of shaping and carving it.

Even the type of leather matters. Airell said cowhide is generally used for sturdier or more aggressive characters such as Hanuman, Ratu and pengasuh figures, while goat hide is better suited to characters including Seri Rama, Seri Dewi and Radin.

Once the carving is complete, bamboo rods are attached to the body so the puppet can be manipulated during a performance. A clear base coat is then applied before painting begins – and this stage demands particular concentration because both sides of the puppet must match.

“If I make a mistake, I have to sand it down again to remove the incorrect paint,” he noted.

The decorative patterns are created using around 20 specially ordered punches, with names including Kuku, Budu, Siam Dua, Bunga Jawa and Bunga Bismillah. Depending on its size and complexity, a puppet can take anywhere from two days to a week to complete.

Among the most requested characters are Seri Rama, Seri Dewi, Wok Long and Pok Dogol, with prices ranging from RM150 to RM700. Airell receives orders from across Kelantan, with some pieces destined for performances while others are bought as decorations or collectibles.

But his involvement in wayang kulit does not end at the workbench: Airell is also learning to carry the performance tradition itself.

He has spent about four years developing the skills needed to perform as a tok dalang, the storyteller who manipulates the puppets and gives voice to the characters behind the screen.

He also plays the serunai and has been booked to perform at cultural events, giving him experience on both sides of the screen – creating the puppets and then helping bring the stories they belong to before an audience.

For Airell, those skills are part of the same tradition his uncle introduced him to as a boy. He now hopes to develop his craft far enough to reach customers overseas, while ensuring that younger people continue to see wayang kulit as something worth learning rather than merely something from the past.

“I hope my skills will continue to be developed to the point of being able to penetrate international markets,” he said, “so that the art of making wayang kulit puppets does not fade away with time, but continues to be recognised and learnt by younger generations.”

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