In Aku Tahu Asal Kau Jadi (I know the origin from which you spring), Izat Arif’s expected duties as an artist, a contemporary Malay man, and a father, converge.

Since the birth of his son, Izat has employed various techniques to form a circle of protection around him, to ward off evil spirits and supernatural dangers that he (inconveniently) has been made to believe exist: he has recited various powerful Quranic verses to his son around the house; in turn, he listens to the song Father and Son (1970) by Yusof Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) to calm himself.

By shifting his attention to the sculptural representation of the Tiang Seri—the main pillar and “spine” of the Malay house—Izat's duties as a father and his artistic practice merge into a single endeavour. The Tiang Seri is a metaphor for the head of the family and carries the responsibility and symbol of all that is good and bad concerning the home and the family that dwells within it. Various rituals are performed to determine its placement, and then its erection. Though typically reserved for families of aristocratic and royal standing, one can learn about these rituals and customs from a book entitled Tajul Muluk, which offers a guide to the geographical rituals that determine an area’s suitability for construction.

Izat's presentation journeys us through his attempts to pay heed to ritual and tradition, all the whilst grappling with their uneasy and contradictory practice in our present time through the lens of a contemporary artist. Across the series, he pays homage to the Western aspirations of the new contemporary Malay, offering new tangkal (amulets) and revised manteras and recitations that harness traditional knowledge for adaptation today. “Live, Laugh, Love”. Such is the way that Izat meditates on the various methods one might employ on “the road to salvation”.