Qistina Wood Craft @ Beranang, Selangor
Operating Qistina Wood Craft from the back of his house in Beranang, Selangor, is wood carver / sculptor, Rostam Affandi Abdul Rashid. It was a bold step taken by Rostam back in 1994, leaving a cozy government job to venture full-time into wood crafting. It’s all the more surprising to learn that this engineer had no prior professional training in wood craft. This self-taught artist believes it’s God’s gift.
In the early days, Rostam produced home furniture, but due to the Malaysian economic downturn in 1997, he had to look for something more salable and affordable. Moving into his present residence in Beranang in 2000, Rostam was inspired to turn to contemporary art. The lush garden further pushed his creativity and he found the motif in the Heliconia flower that he had been searching for. Besides Heliconia, other motifs that Rostam continues to work with are gigantic leaves and koi fish.
With some twenty years of experience working with wood, Rostam, who used to work with Chengal (Neobalanocarpus heimii) only, has recently started working with Angsana and Mersawa. In addition to this switch, Rostam continues to come up with fresh designs to stay on top of his competitors.
A number of unique handmade wood art pieces by Rostam has found a place in the homes of the Who’s Who in Malaysia, including cabinet ministers. This Malaysian wood carver’s special trademark is the ice-cream scooping carving technique. It is a contemporary ethnic carving with neo-traditional concept. He disclosed the highest price fetched was a RM6000 piece sold recently.
Qistina Wood Craft
Add: 29, Jalan Kesuma 7/18, Bandar Tasik Kesuma, 43700 Beranang, Selangor.
Tel: +6019-2619885
Blog: http://qistinawoodcraft.blogspot.com/
email: rostam_affandi@yahoo.com
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