Presenting Ratapan Lautan (Lament of the ocean) by Pangrok Sulap
Ratapan Lautan (Lament of the ocean) by Pangrok Sulap
As we seek new ways to highlight our iconic fishes, we are delighted to showcase Ratapan Lautan (Lament of the Ocean), a striking woodcut by Pangrok Sulap.
Pangrok Sulap is a Malaysian collective of artists, musicians and social activists with a mission to empower local communities and the marginalized through art. Tackling major issues of our times, it creates art to inform, inspire, and drive change.
Ratapan Lautan invites us to see the beauty and diversity of sea life while highlighting the many forms of seabed destruction, from the multi-decade scourges of fish bombing and cyanide fishing to the enormous current scale of coastal construction and industrial bottom trawling.
Look closely at the image, and you’ll spot seahorses, pipefishes, seadragons and other Iconic Fishes along with dolphins and a turtle on a healthy coral reef. We also see the devastation caused by bottom trawling and other forms of destructive fishing - not always evident to people on the surface - and realise the fragility of the sea creatures and their habitat. In the distance, a lone traditional fisherman casts his line in an empty sea.
To make this print, Pangrok Sulap worked with the fishing community of Kampung Tajau Laut in Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia. Local fishers and villagers, once involved in destructive practices, came together in workshops to carve, dance, print, and share their evolving relationship with the sea. Today, some of them are replanting corals, tending and protecting the reefs that sustshain their livelihoods.
The fishermen shared stories of new perspective, “a profound awareness that the sea is the source of life that must be protected. Through this artwork, the campaign against bottom trawling and uncontrolled overfishing resonates more strongly, and the community has come to recognize the importance of balance and strict stewardship in safeguarding the ocean for future generations…This work emphasizes the role of the community as the heartbeat of change. Only through collective awareness can the narrative of the sea be transformed, from lament to hope. Here, art is not merely a spectacle but a summons; not simply a crafted image, but a voice demanding action.” - extracts from Pangrok Sulap artists’ statement.
We invite you to explore the full artist statement, with photos from the workshops in the fishing community, (www.iconicfishes.art/s/ArtistStatement), and watch the mini-documentary (4min28) on The Making of Ratapan Lautan (https://makertube.net/w/qQiThe9QJ7rVhSe3B93SAT).
This powerful artwork shows us that art and conservation can interact beautifully, Inspired by Iconic Fishes!
Feeling inspired? Here’s how you can get involved!
Visit www.iconicfishes.art/participate to explore our Inspiration Kit. It’s packed with fun facts and visuals.
Create new art and/or share existing art inspired by iconic fishes
Post it on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky or the Fediverse, tagging @iconicfishes with #IconicFishes, so we can find and share your post. Not on social media? Email the art to iconicfishes@projectseahorse.org
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