Nowhere Kitchen #14

Theme: Homecoming

Joining us at the table for our 14th edition of Nowhere Kitchen, are our fellow Malaysians from Borneo - Raziman Sarbini, dancer/choreographer and Aiwei Foo, artist/writer. Both have ventured geographically and culturally to hone their craft.

The juxtaposition of their artistic practices - one in rhythmic movements of the body and the other in contemplative meditation of the mind, shares a common spring of emotions and expressions that is truly Malaysian.

To that, they bring unique perspectives to interpret the theme of the night - "Homecoming" and perhaps find out what "tanahairku" means to them.

A bunch of like-minded individuals have come together to curate the Nowhere Kitchen experience at temu house.

There's always a great topic during dinner.

There's always great speakers to kick start the discussions.

But, it's also on you.. the audience to be part of this collaborative dinner experience.

We need you to participate in this dinner by bringing a little bit of your pantry leftovers (not a half eaten sandwich please!)

The NK team will document these items and start working their magic in the kitchen. Trust us, they work wonders!

Meanwhile, at the front of house... our speakers will kick start some interesting conversations! And boy have we got a great line up for you this time round!

Raziman Sarbini

Born in the town of Limbang, Sarawak, dancer/choreographer Raziman Sarbini is of Kedayan ethnicity. In 2013, he completed his Diploma in Dance and graduated with a Bachelors in Dance (Performance) Honours in 2015 from the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA) Malaysia. He was a former member of ASK Dance company for several years.

In 2019 he graduated with MFA in Dance at NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a full scholarship from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation. After graduating, Raziman began working with Akram Khan for the Kung-Fu musical Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise at The Shed, New York, and most recently joined Akram Khan Company for the creation of Father: Vision of Floating World in Bangladesh that featured as part of the Netflix documentary series MOVE.

Aiwei Foo

Aiwei Foo, born in Borneo, is a multi-disciplinary artist with a background in Fine Art and Fashion Design. Her creative process focuses on the mundane aspects of everyday life, where she explores the sustainable and mindful integration of art into everyday existence. She works with limitations in various disciplines, including visual arts, photography, moving images/video works, performance art, music, texts, textiles, tea ceremonies, and food.

Aiwei started her own label titled 'See You Tomorrow' back in 2006, creating bespoke articles from old or unused objects. However, she discontinued the label. During her Master's Degree in Fashion and Clothing Design at Aalto University, Finland (2011-2013), she continued her quest and research in sustainability in everyday life by renewing old objects and proposing slow fashion as opposed to the fast-paced fashion industry, with a thesis titled 'The New Old: A Post Fashion Consumption Practice.’

Aiwei expresses different thoughts through different mediums, choosing what she believes is appropriate. In recent years, her works have focused on experiential art forms, such as 'Advanced Dining,' a curated culinary experience with art installations, tea ceremony, and improvisational performances for the guests.

Aiwei's most recent work in 2022 was a visual-phonic tea ceremony with musician Kent Lee in Kuala Lumpur at the Godown. This artist partnership, known as 'Shaman Tearoom,' aims to contemplate the presence of stillness and fluxes in life, integrating contemporary art, lyrical poetics, healing ambiance, tea ceremonies, sound art, and sensory experiences.

Aiwei also worked on commissioned projects for brands, including various illustration projects for Hermes and artworks for Aesop.