Aswar's coconut-shell calligraphy

Fadli, Contributor, Batam

At 84, Aswar Rauf speaks in a rather weak and trembling voice. However, he has good sight, hearing and memory; he is still able, with great skill, to cut coconut shells into pieces that he will later shape into Arabic characters and assemble to produce a calligraphic arrangement of a quotation from the Muslim holy book, the Koran.

Born in Tawawi, Sawah Luntoh regency, West Sumatra, on Sept. 6, 1921, Aswar was formerly a civil servant in the government information office when Adinegoro was information minister. After the war of independence was over, he moved to Tanjung Pinang on Banten island and became an artist whose paintings were sold in nearby Malaysia and Singapore.

"I started creating calligraphy on pieces of coconut shell when I saw that some people could use copper, gold and other metals for their calligraphy.

Then I remembered that my teachers at INS (the equivalent of a modern-day high school) in Kayu Tanam, West Sumatra, had told us to produce handicrafts that others had not made, and which could be made from easily available using unwanted material. I always remember my teachers' words," said Aswar, who claims to have a passive knowledge of Arabic, English, Japanese and German.

It was back in 1948 that Aswar felt bored working as a civil servant in the government information office in Bukit Tinggi. One day he met Adinegoro and told him that he intended to retire and pursue further studies in the United States. Adinegoro appreciated young Aswar's enthusiasm to study. He allowed him to retire and gave him a supportive letter of reference.

"My mentor, Adinegoro, told me that I could use it as a recommendation when I contacted foreign embassies for assistance. So, I went to Rengat in Riau as I wanted to proceed to Singapore by sea," Aswar said.

He planned to work in a tanker that traveled round the world, so that he could go to the U.S. for free. Unfortunately, his plan never materialized.

"I was called upon by the war of independence to do something for this country. When I got to Rengat, a group of young men smuggling weapons from Malaysia to Indonesia asked me to join them. I agreed and abandoned my plan to go to the U.S.," he said.

After the war of independence was over, Aswar opted to remain in Tanjung Pinang and began to earn a living as an artist to feed his family of seven.

"I kept thinking about what I should create that other people had not created, and for which material was easily available. When I saw coconut shells dumped all over the place, I tried to produce calligraphy with them," Aswar said.

He began creating calligraphy on coconut shells in 1980, using a grinding machine. "The first calligraphy I made read "Bismillahi irrahman nirrahaim" (in the name of God, the Merciful and All-Caring). It was not bad. I supplemented the calligraphy with a Minang (West Sumatra)-motif ornamentation," he said.

A Malaysian friend of his happened to see the calligraphy and told him that it would fetch a good price if it were sold in Malaysia.

"The friend took it to Malaysia and sold it for Rp 5 million. I never thought that it could fetch such a high price," said Aswar, who subsequently decided to devote himself to producing coconut-shell calligraphy.

In 2001, President Abdurrahman Wahid visited Tanjung Pinang. The Riau islands regency and asked Aswar to lend them a few pieces of his calligraphy to be displayed in the regency administration building, which the president was due to visit.

"When First Lady Shinta Nuriyyah saw it, her interest was aroused and she asked then regent Huzrin Hood what they were made of. She was surprised when told and wanted to buy them. She bought two pieces for Rp 40 million," said Aswar.

Aswar spent the money on a haj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Aswar's pieces are more popular in Singapore and Malaysia than in Indonesia.

"God willing, I will have a solo exhibition of my pieces in Kuala Lumpur in September this year. A friend of mine owns a gallery there and will sponsor it. At present, I have a collection of 20 pieces. I will make another 20 for this exhibition," Aswar said.

He agreed that his coconut-shell calligraphy was not that popular in Indonesia because of its high price.

"Many people wonder why the price is so high while the basic material used is only a coconut shell. They forget that to make coconut-shell calligraphy you need great perseverance, meticulousness and patience," he said.

He added that for a particular commission he would need five to 20 shells and a piece would take about 15 to 30 days to complete.

"I don't have a fixed price for my calligraphy. Each item costs from Rp 1 million to Rp 10 million," he said, chuckling.

Aswar said he collected, at no cost, coconut shells from vendors who sold coconut drinks. One of his sons collected them and then ensured that all the shells were dried in the sunshine.

"I just hope that some younger people might become interested to learn how to make this kind of calligraphy. My eldest child seems to be interested in it," he added.