30: Casting a spotlight on indigenous produce using art | Syarifah Nadhirah, co-founder of Paperweight Studio and author of Recalling Forgotten Tastes

Syarifah Nadhirah: “Prior to Paperweight Studio, I was already leaning towards botanical drawings and paintings. At one point, it struck me to do more research and learn more about our local ecology because there’s so much we can learn from just in our own backyard. There are so many things that we overlook. We try to illustrate more plants that are endemic to our country to educate people as well along the way… Through the book, I wanted to show that there are so many types of food that are available beyond those that are available at our supermarkets. These are plants that have existed since time immemorial. We tend to overlook that and it is time to revisit them.” Nadhirah, co-founder of Paperweight Studio and author of ‘Recalling Forgotten Tastes’, shares about using art to advocate for Orang Asli rights, plus: *The start of Paperweight Studio* *Why focus on local flora and fauna in design* *Cultural motifs* *Malay money packets vs Chinese money packets* *Problems & discrimination that Orang Aslis face* *What we can learn of being sustainable from the Orang Aslis* *Seasons of the Malaysian forest* *Food of the Orang Aslis*