There’s meow to cats than being funny on viral videos. Cats have a rich history with humans that can even be traced back to Ancient Egypt. They've been said to have nine lives, associated with Ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet, seen as good luck in the form of the Japanese Maneki Neko, and used as a reference in Malay proverbs.
To bring the cat (or ‘kucing’ in Malay) in these proverbs to life, Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) teams up with popular Japanese artist Juno for Paw-verbs on the Lawn. Anyone who has followed Juno (@mofu_sand) on Instagram will be familiar with her adorable cat illustrations, depicting her love for the feline. And now, you can see it in the flesh as 30 of her vivid cat illustrations are featured as standees on the lawn of the heritage centre in Kampong Gelam from March 10 to May 30. This marks the first physical showcase of Juno’s cat art in Southeast Asia.
Photograph: Malay Heritage Centre
While you strike a pose next to the Instagram-worthy cat standees, prepare to be schooled too. The display also features 10 common Malay proverbs that highlight how the animal is used metaphorically to convey different human behaviour, as well as life lessons handed down from generation to generation. It’s no surprise that the cat has a special place in Malay literary culture and in the hearts of many Singaporeans as it is revered by the Malay-Muslim community.
Similar to English proverbs such as “as happy as a clam”, “as loyal as a dog”, and “as busy as a bee”, the cat has been portrayed as shy, elusive, intimidating, authoritative, restless, quick and even quarrelsome. Examples include “serta lalu kucing, tikus tidak berdecit/When the cat is around, the mouse will not squeak” to signal the arrival of an authoritative person, or “malu-malu kucing/like a shy cat” to describe someone who is pretending to be shy.
Besides the roping display, look forward to a performative storytelling session titled The Lure of the Feline by theatre maven Gene Sha Rudyn, which explores the relationship between cats and Nusantara Malay across the ages. There are also exclusive @mofu_sand cat illustration button badges to be won when you partake in a treasure hunt to Find the Paw-Verb – details will be released weekly on MHC’s Instagram page (@malayheritage) from March 16 onwards. For more information on Paw-verbs on the Lawn, visit malayheritage.org.sg.
