Ulek Mayang is a traditional folk dance that originates from the state of Terengganu. It is about the story of a sea princess, Tuan Puteri Mayang Sari that fell in love with a simple fisherman by the name of Awang. He was brought into her realm and that left his body lifeless on the shore - like in a comatose. His other friends enlisted the help of the bomoh to berid of the grasp the sea princess had on Awang. The sea princess was assisted by her 6 other sisters to help in this struggle to retain Awang in her realm. In the end, the eldest of the sea princess stepped forth and demanded all to end for that which is the sea cannot be in union with that which is on land. The song ends with this phrase…
Yang laut balik ke laut,
Yang darat balik ke darat.
In my version, I redesigned the costume of the princesses to reflect stars and clouds. This is because my friend Honey Ahmad was once told that the number 7 is very significant in Southeast Asian tales, and may relates to the 7 stars of the big dipper constellation that fishermen use to navigate the seas in our region. So, I thought it would be so much more spectacular to have that idea.
Also, In my version, I borrowed parts of this story from Ninot’s Aziz’s novel where the father of the princesses, Raja Kayangan, came down to bring them home. So, in my painting, the Raja Kayangan, shape-shifted into the form of an Elasmosaur to bring them home with his long neck into the skies. Shape-shifting is a common occurrence in many local folktales.