The Pohon beringin (banyan tree), also known as the tree of life, is considered a gateway between the material and unseen worlds. The tree’s lush crown of leaves and its unruly roots distil the spiritual essence of the sun’s nourishing rays and direct it deep into the earth. Continuously spreading its roots across the span of its life, the pohon beringin creates an underground network that disperses cosmic forces into the earth, opening up channels of communication with the supernatural. Shooshie Sulaiman views her artwork as a manifestation of kefahaman katulistiwa, or the lore of the equator. To know pohon beringin is to grasp the petanda, or cosmic sign, connecting all life in the universe.
Sulaiman’s artwork is accompanied by a children’s storybook that illustrates the power of the pohon beringin. In the story, the mousedeer Sang Kancil and her friends—the tortoise, the porcupine and the frog—use the tree as a spiritual transmitter to convey the pleas of the coucal bird, But-But, to save her children.
Venue: Lazarus Island
When: 20 Mar - 31 Dec 2023,
By: Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
