Tuba Diary
Tuba Island, Langkawi
2025 - 2026
Embedded Files
The initiative serves as an exploration of the island's living history
[Status: Streaming Now]
Your contribution just saved us from a growling stomach and kept the research moving. I promise to use this to find the best stories on the island (and maybe a very necessary Kopi-O for my friends here). Every bit helps me dig deeper into Tuba.
[Status: Streaming Now]
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]
After my first trip to Langkawi, I didn't come back with answers. I came back with a brain full of noise and a camera full of ghosts. I wanted to tell the story of a place, but the place wouldn't stop talking to me.
[Status: Streaming Now]
They say the land forgets if you stop listening. In Pulau Tuba, the paddy fields lie silent—abandoned for nearly twenty years, caught in the tension between what they once provided and what they have become.
[Status: Streaming Now]
This is the part I’m most passionate about. I’m moving into the heart of Tuba Island to co-live with the villagers. Just real life, shared meals and late-night stories. This is where the magic happens.
[Status: Streaming Now]
My deepest gratitude goes out to everyone who supported this project.
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.
Pn. Salbiah Hamid (Mak Mah), En. Mohamad Bakri (Pak Uteh), En. Zatin Hamid (Pang Lang Tin). Pn. Nur Asyikin (Mak Lang Shikin), Kak Fishah, Pak Cik Cali, Che Jah, En. Ishak Don (Pak Ngoh Ak), Pn. Fatimah Talib (Mak Ngoh Temah), Pn. Jesmina Ishak (Kak Mira), Che Zan Yaakob (Kak Zan), Pn. Sitiamah bt. Darus (Mak Tiamah), Zohari Abdul Rahim (Pak Jo), Pn. Derasham bt. Musa (Mak Sham) ..
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.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse