My Culture Series II by Sandru. Pen on Paper, 42cm x 59cm, 2012

Sandru was one of the Indian artists featured in the Merde-Ka group exhibition in conjunction with this year’s Merdeka celebration. He explores in this piece the Indian traditional medicine man of Malaysia. The medicine man referred to by various names such as Saamiyar, Nodankatti, Kodanggi etc. was an inherent part of the life of the Indian community who came to Malaysia to seek a living as labourers, craftsmen and traders. He gave the moral and spiritual support for the community to survive in the mosquito infested squalid conditions they were living in the British colony of Malaya.