The Tuba Diary
Tuba Island, Langkawi
2025 - 2026
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The journey made possible by you
Straight from the mud. I am currently developing a site-specific project on Tuba Island, Langkawi for Bakat Muda Sezaman (Young Contemporaries) by the National Art Gallery.
This project isn’t about making art in a vacuum. I want it to be a two-way street—a place where the villagers and I trade secrets. Instead of just showing up and placing a sculpture in a village I am here to listen and learn. I’m here to see life through the eyes of Tuba Island, I bring the pencils and the community brings the history. Think of it as a knowledge-sharing party where the island is the classroom.
A Note on the Process
Please excuse my messy documentation. My goal isn’t to write a perfect thesis, it is to capture the raw vibe of this place and the incredible wisdom of the people who live here.
The Tuba Diary is an ongoing archive—a collection of unscripted moments, analog scans and stories from the field. While my official Working Title for the Bakat Muda Sezaman 2026 exhibition remains 'in-development' behind the scenes, this diary is where I invite you into the Director’s Cut of my research.
Most of what you will see here is direct photo documentation of my process and the occasional raw video. No heavy editing, no fancy filters, just the real and unpolished reality of the work. I might not always use the right artistic terms, but I’m showing up, getting my hands dirty and learning as I go. At the end of the day, I’d rather share a story that’s a bit rough around the edges than one polished until it loses its soul.
Deep Water & Buffaloes
To tell you the truth, this is my first project that involves community coordination, a specific place and other non-human living things (including the buffaloes who clearly run the show here)— all in one package.
I am taking this project seriously and I want to make the absolute best out of it. Because of that, I will committed to a self-initiated residency on Pulau Tuba. This project is a challenge for me (Challenge Accepted!), but I believe staying here is the only way to truly understand the rhythm of the tides, the depth of the stories and the spirit of the land.
Why Fund This Project?
This isn't art that sits quietly in a white room. You are supporting a site-specific, community-led practice where the process is the artwork. You’re helping prove that art can happen anywhere—even in a paddy field and in the quiet corners of Tuba Island. Your support validates that these spaces are just as significant as any museum.
Real-world Social Impact:
Your support helps build the humble pondok which serves as a physical hub for the people of Tuba. You aren’t just funding my research, you are funding a space for knowledge exchange that stays on the island long after the exhibition ends.
Direct Support, No Middleman:
Every support goes directly into the field—for the timber, the island transport and the makan that fuels the collaboration. You are seeing exactly where your "fuel" is going through the raw, unedited updates in the Tuba Diary.
Investing in Creative Growth:
Let’s be real. most artists are great at talking to blank walls and drinking too much coffee in a quiet room. By supporting this, you’re helping me transition from a studio hermit to a field researcher. You’re funding the evolution of an artist who is trading a comfortable chair for a muddy pair of boots and a steep learning curve.
To help me navigate these practical challenges, your support goes directly toward:
The Survival Kit: Research materials, tools and the island transport needed to get the materials from point A to point B without falling into a mangrove.
The Makan Fund: Sharing knowledge is hungry work. This pays for the food and drinks at our community gatherings. Because let’s be honest: you can’t have a breakthrough if your stomach is growling louder than the discussion!
The Making Fund: This helps the islanders and me turn these raw sketches into a final work for the island.
Let’s see what we can build (and eat) together!
Norfatihah Yusof
SEASON 1
SEASON 1
In the heart of Tuba Island, the silence of the paddy fields is about to be broken. No gallery walls. No fancy filters. Just one artist, a few pencils and a village full of secrets.
But before the art began, there was the chaos: legends as mentors, the reality of buffalo dung and an unplanned crash course in chicken-chasing. When you step out of the studio and into the mud, everything is a wildcard.
[Status: Streaming Now]
Cast & Crew:
Cast & Crew:
Every expedition needs a steady hand on the rudder and a crew to keep the engine humming. This project wouldn't be afloat without:
The Mentors
An endless gratitude to the mentors who provided the brain-reset I didn't know I needed:
Azzad Diah, Wong Hoy Cheong, Mark Teh, Sharon Chin, and Zikri Rahman.
The Lead Stars: The Villagers
The heartbeat of the project. The people of Tuba Island who opened their homes, shared their story. I want to appreciate every single person I’ve met-every bit of information, every shared memory and every small piece of advice has been a building block for this work. Whether it was a long story over coffee or a quick tip on the jetty, I am carrying those fragments with me.
Salbiah Hamid (Mak Mah), Mohamad Bakri (Pak Uteh), Zatin Hamid (Pang Lang Tin). Nur Asyikin (Mak Lang Shikin), Kak Fishah, Pak Cik Sali, (and many more whose stories continue to unfold) .
Teaching me that the smallest detail is often the most important.
The Creative Squad
My fellow artists and field-mates. The ones who walked the narrow paths with me.
The Organizer/ The Backers
The ones keeping the boat floating and the lights on.
National Art Gallery (Balai Seni Negara): For the Bakat Muda Sezaman platform. https://www.artgallery.gov.my/en/homepage/
Bon Ton Resort, Langkawi: Their support provided the grounding we needed to process the wild energy of the field. A huge thank you for the hospitality and for being a true patron. https://bontonresort.com/
Fuel Provider (You!): To anyone who has picked up a sketch, a print or a piece of merch, fueling the mission—you are the wind in these sails. You aren't just a supporter; you are the reason this journey continues and the reason these stories get told.
Director of Photography / Chief Mud-Wrangler: Norfatihah Yusof
I’m the one behind the camera, the notebook and (occasionally) the buffalo dung. I’m doing my absolute best to document every gritty, beautiful second of this process so you can follow the journey from the comfort of your screen. If the shot is shaky, I was probably being chased by a monkey or stuck in a mangrove.
Photography & Documentation: Norfatihah Yusof (unless stated otherwise).
Location: Tuba Island, Langkawi.
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