PETALING JAYA, March 15 — Art in Malaysia definitely has room for improvement with so many talented creatives out there but nary a space to develop their skills further. What we have now are scattered artists, each doing their own thing, limited by resources and space. Rizal Sufar and his nephew Izat Arif were just hanging out at a mamak, chatting about this when they decided to change the rules of the game and start their own collective.

To define what they do is to constrain them with a label. Kedai, now on its first anniversary since its inception has seven artisans who are constantly coming up with brilliant concepts and finished products. “It is very tricky to define what we are. I think the best way to describe us is that we are a collective of minds moving forward together doing what we love for the good of others,” said Izat.

Many mistake the artists at Kedai as carpenters, because they are often seen sawing away at wood or drilling into upcycled pallets with sweat trickling down their brows. Usually, when someone tells you that he/she is a designer, you would picture the person working on an iMac in a pristine office with air conditioning. This is not so at Kedai, where tools are seen everywhere, hand-drawn sketches of art installations are pasted on the wall and not a single computer can be seen.

Nephew Izat Arif and his uncle Rizal believes in getting their hands dirty

“I like to get my hands dirty. I can recall life before the digital world where artists used to get paint on their hands. Working in advertising back then, we did a lot of hands-on work. I am fortunate to live in the era where I saw the transition between manual labour and digital technology,” said Rizal.

In a modern world where technology gives fast results, handcrafted art is forgotten. Woodworking, sewing, decorating and other hands-on work are delegated to others. These skills are replaced by gadgets or menial workers. Somehow or other, facing the computer monitor became a norm while working with your hands turned into something qualified designers don’t do.

Rizal and Izat want to change that through Kedai which is basically a platform for anyone to do what they love without having to rely on others or computers. Opened since last March, they prepared the space and sourced for artists. Initially, Kedai made small items such as wooden pencil stands. One of their first projects was to create a signage for Yasmin Ahmad’s tribute in Ipoh. Most of their initial crafts were sold.

Besides custom woodwork, Kedai encourages you to explore your own ideas (left). Hard work pays off because you did it on your own (right)

“They are one-off pieces. None of us have a background in carpentry or woodwork. We just do what we feel is right. All of us have university degrees in various industries. But whatever we create are our masterpieces because we put our heart into it and we kept trying whenever it didn’t quite work out right,” said Rizal.

At the beginning, Kedai’s payment model was based on a percentage of the artisan’s takings they received when they sold an item. After awhile, Kedai’s co-founders Rizal and Izat decided to just give the artisans a salary. Coming from backgrounds such as musicians, illusionists, businessmen, footballers, photographers and more - Kedai’s family is a hodgepodge of passionate young people, determined to make a mark in the world by doing things they love.

One of the artisans, namely 24-year-old Mohamed Hidayat Mohd Nasir plays the electric guitar in an indie rock band, Pita Hati. His love for music, especially the guitar translated into his dream of making his own guitar. Musical instruments have wooden elements and this became his reason to start working with wood. Initially, he started out by making small items, but later he got better at woodworking.

Kedai as a collective encourages the team to display their talents. From time to time, Rizal and Izat will host ‘live’ events where the team members perform for Kedai Sebelah, the family-run cafe which is an affiliation of Kedai. Performances such as flow art by the illusionist who is also a Kedai team member opens up an avenue to develop the love for that art further. Another artisan, Muhammad Anuar Abdullah who aspires to be a football coach, lives and breathes football. Specially for him, Kedai is looking at the possibility of having sporting events.

Here is where things are really D-I-Y

The sky is the limit at Kedai. Each and every team member contributes to the collective through their love for art. To them, it is doing what they love, having fun and enjoying each other’s company. There is no hierarchy at Kedai so everyone is open to each other’s ideas. Whenever you see something, it is not just the effort of one individual but ideas merged into one masterpiece.

“We just play it by ear. Each of us contributes to the design and concept, whether it is furniture, architecture or an art piece. There is no fixed direction, we are all about collaborating,” said Izat. Because everyone has an opinion as to what goes where, the place has become a home. There would be a stool somebody contributed, a vintage antique they put there. Each item has its own story.

Kedai Sebelah, the cafe run by Afiq Iqbal, Izat’s cousin shares the same philosophy... “It is not mine or yours but ours.” The furniture and decor of the cafe is fully done up by the guys at Kedai. Because Kedai and Kedai Sebelah are the family’s blood, sweat and tears, you can feel team spirit and a sense of home when you observe the concept of the cafe. Blood may be thicker than water but whoever shares the same ideas and collaborates with Kedai will also eventually become part of the family. Of course there would be arguments at times but like any other team, they will solve problems together and ultimately make the right decision that suits the philosophy.

Kedai Sebelah, which is literally next door to Kedai is a result of collective minds

From customised interior design to ‘live’ performances, Kedai and its F&B sister company Kedai Sebelah break away from the typical independent cafe scene by inviting any Tom, Dick and Harry to collaborate - no matter what kind of socio-economic background or qualifications. What they look for is heart in their collaborators. In a neighbourhood where mostly mom and pops stores co-exist with government buildings, Kedai and Kedai Sebelah are a nonconformist collective that is unique.

Rizal is a self-professed street kid who struggled to make ends meet when he was younger. Spending two decades in advertising, defying societal norms and corporate bureaucracy turned Rizal into an inspiring figure who is not a ‘Yes man’.

“We are not a business. For us, this is our life and passion. We do what is best for the community and we prioritise family. For Kedai Sebelah, it is not just the food but our grandmother’s recipes in some of the local dishes we offer. All of us are very enthusiastic about what we do and have different point of views when it comes to art,” said Izat.

“The limit to creativity is ourselves but Kedai is about being in one place, collaborating and creating good for others. Every day is different for us, different problems and we adapt accordingly. We do not have accounting background so sometimes we face problems trying to figure out finances. But we always ask and learn,” he added.

Kedai D-G-03, Jalan SS6/20A Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia www.facebook.com/kedai.co  www.instagram.com/kedai_co Telephone: 012-302 0595. Email: kedaicollective@gmail.com

Kedai Sebelah D-G-02, Jalan SS6/20A, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia www.facebook.com/kedai.co  www.instagram.com/kedai.sebelah Email: hellokedaisebelah@gmail.com. Operating hours: 9.30AM to 12AM

(Clockwise from bottom left) : Izat Arif, Mohamed Hidayat Mohd Nasir, Muhammad Anuar Bin Abdullah, Emir Nazren bin Mohamad Faisal, Shah Izwan Hj. Sallehudin and Rizal Sufar