HENRY Ranggau Muda is a force to be reckoned with.
At 73 years of age, this Iban artist and master craftsman is still going strong and at a pace which would leave many others half his age gasping for air as they try to keep up.
Retirement has done little to slow this former teacher down. A lively man with a silver crown of hair and a ready smile, his twinkling eyes lit up with a fervent energy during a recent interview with thesundaypost as he spoke with passion about his art and the myriad of experiences which shaped his life.
But for those who know him, this intensity comes as no surprise at all as it has been a character trademark of his for his whole life.
Burgeoning artist
Originally from Sri Aman, Henry came from a large family, so growing up, he hardly had anything to call his own. As a young lad, he learned very early how to make his own toys from whatever materials – usually items people no longer had use for – were in hand.
One of the first things he made was a gasing (top) when he was eight years old. He was inspired to try after carefully observing an older man using a machete to fashion one using a method he had not seen before.
All the tops he had before would break after a while, so this time, Henry was determined to create a gasing which would last a long time.
He found a piece of belian (ironwood) half buried in the mud along the riverbank and managed to retrieve it.
Painstakingly, he whittled the belian into the shape of a top, using an old knife blade his mother had thrown away but he had rescued.
After soaking the rough top in mud to soften its hard outer layer, he patiently sandpapered its rough surface, using tree leaves, until it was as smooth and polished as glass.
So focused was he on getting it just right that he would fall asleep polishing his top and begin polishing it again the moment he woke up.
Today, aside from a few small scratches and dents, the top still looks as good as 65 years ago when he made it.
Attention to detail
In many ways, this simple story about how Henry made his first top still represents his whole philosophy and mindset in creating his art today — many decades later.
He does not follow any guideline, letting his intuition and his creative muse guide his direction. He draws inspiration from everything around him – from the simple to the intricate – and prefers to take his time to appreciate, study and understand them all.
His travels along the length and breadth of Sarawak have also allowed him to observe first-hand the traditional arts and woodcraft of the state and incorporate it into his work.
For someone not adverse to picking up discarded wood and other items he sees as potential materials for his art projects, and bringing them home in his small jeep, Henry’s small open-air workshop tucked next to his car porch, is neat and clean.
Planks of wood, cardboard boxes and paint tins are stacked tidily on shelves and the floor is swept clean of wood shavings and sawdust.
He knows where every tool and instrument is because everything has its proper place. He also remembers where and when he obtained them.
He is not one to throw away anything which can be saved and used later. Pieces of wood can sit undisturbed in his workshop for years until the right purpose has been found for them. Some of them have been in his workshop for over two decades.
“Look at this piece. Feel it. Look at that grain,” he said as he brushed a thin layer of dust off the body of an unfinished guitar he has been working on.
Some of the wood he uses were odds and ends rescued from a furniture factory he used to work at.
Henry could not bear to see them thrown into the fire-pit, so he took them home with the permission of the factory owner.
He candidly admits he has a number of works in progress, some which have been in progress for a number of years. Commissioned pieces tend to follow strict deadlines but when it comes to personal projects, the deadlines get a bit elastic.
The journey – planned and unplanned scenic detours and all – is to be enjoyed as much as the end result.
“I don’t hurry when I do things. I take my time to enjoy it,” Henry said as he laughed when asked how long does it take to complete an art piece.
Master craftsman
Although he has dabbled in many mediums such as photographs, bronze, clay and paintings, it is his wood carvings and sculptures that he is recognised and has won awards for.
He knows wood and how to coax, tease and shape it to his bidding. He will not be intimidated by its size, hardness and shape. Yet, he also would not dictatorially impose his will on it as he feels every piece deserves to be respected, and so, will take as much time as he needs to ensure the best can be brought out of it.
Henry’s in-depth knowledge of wood as an art medium as well as his fearlessness in bringing his visions to life was put to the test when he decided to enter into a state-level woodworking contest in 1989.
Working with a single block of rengas, he sculpted a 26-inch high wood carving he called Naga Laut or sea dragon. It was the first time he had worked on such a large piece but it paid off. He won first place for the Iban artist category as well as for best overall. From then, he never looked back.
Among the large pieces he has made was 16 mastheads about 38 inches in height each to grace the dragonboats for the Bintulu regatta in 1994, and a 12-foot long by 4.5-feet high Ukir Kerawang, depicting a hornbill for the 1994 Gawai Kenyalang Mardi Gras which is now housed in the Tun Jugah Foundation museum.
One of Henry’s most accessible art installations called Majestic Fury can be found along the Waterfront just opposite Hilton Hotel. Carved from solid belian, it was put up in 1993 and continues to draw much attention today, more than 20 years later, for its depiction of a hornbill in its feathered glory.
His latest project took place earlier this year when he worked with Maori Tohunga Whakairo or master carver James Rickard on a 16-foot long belian wood carving of a hornbill which was presented to the state government upon completion.
It took them five and a half days, at times working from 8am until 9pm to finish the art piece, using only hand tools.
The single-minded focus and intensity Henry displayed from an early age continues to serve him well later in life.
Cool uncle
Presently, in between commissioned projects, he occupies his time making customised guitars. He uses mostly local wood like nyatoh.
Each finished piece is kept on specially made shelves in his living room. While technically they are musical instruments, Henry approached making them with the same focus and attention-to-detail he has with his other art projects – and it shows.
Everything – with the exception of the wiring, pickups and accessories – is made by hand. Like that first gasing he made many years ago, they are also made to last. He made his first guitar in 1995.
If anything, Henry is the cool, fun, and slightly eccentric uncle whom all the nephews and nieces adore, and whom if you were not related to, kinda wished you were.
One cannot help but get infected with his child-like enthusiasm for life and all the adventures it has to offer. Indeed, if anyone needs convincing evidence that age is just a number and life is one big adventure, Henry would be it.
His love for life and willingness to take risks have led him along some unconventional but fulfilling paths.
For thesundaypost, the clearest message it took away from the few short hours spent with him was that Life is to be Lived and you should never underestimate where you might go if you would just begin.
Henry is a clear testament to that.