From the United Nations office in Rome, to Google’s Malaysian headquarters, her stunning sculptures have graced some of the world’s most prestigious grounds.
Her work has also been featured in the Sovereign Asian Art Prize exhibition in Hong Kong alongside the work of Asia’s other best artists.
Born in Kuching Sarawak, Anniketyni proudly showcases her Sarawakian roots wherever she goes as she weaves Pua Kumbu’s ceremonial patterns into her elaborate art pieces.
To date, many from the US, Italy, Egypt, Romania and China have been captivated by her whimsical wooden swirls that she meticulously incorporates into her sculptures to honour her Sarawakian heritage.
Interestingly, when Anniketyni was first contacted back in 2015 to feature her artwork in Rome, the sculptor paid no attention to the email as she thought it was a scam.
“I was sent an email and was actually commissioned by the UN’s Rome branch to create a piece for an annual event, however, I thought it was a scam,” quipped Anniketyni, who has had her fair share of dubious email scams.
“Then, the president of an Italian art consultant agency added me on Facebook and sent me the same text from the email,” she said as she recounted her disbelief that the UN had contacted her.
With that, arrangements were made for Anniketyni’s work to be flown to Rome in two weeks, a timeline she successfully met after spending 16 hours working tirelessly in her studio every day.
Anniketyni’s labour of love was worth it in the end as her work went on to show the world the immense beauty and intricacies of Malaysian culture, particularly that of Sarawakians.
“I still can’t believe that my work is there and I feel so honoured and grateful,” she exclaimed.
“Although many have seen Pua Kumbu in fashion, many aren’t familiar with it in fine arts, which is why I feature this traditional element in my sculptures, to preserve it.”
To achieve this, Anniketyni had to dig deep into her Iban roots by speaking and learning from family members about the cultural secrets weaved within Pua Kumbu’s fabric.
“There were a lot of discussions with my cousins and I was really keen to learn more about Pua Kumbu as you can’t easily find it on Google,” she said.
“There are many different plant and animal motifs which are used for grand ceremonies like Iban weddings. Ultimately, I was inspired by its uniqueness and wanted to carry it in my work.”
However, before Anniketyni was spreading Sarawakian pride and sculpting her way around the world – her early beginnings were filled with rough patches that took years of sandpapering.
“Most artists consider an experimental year a failure because you struggle to sell any of your work, but for me, it was a lesson and I learnt a lot from it,” Anniketyni said, as she talked about the beginnings of her art career in 2008.
“It opened my eyes and helped me understand how I could improve myself as an artist.”
Despite experiencing three experimental years, Anniketyni soldiered on, investing her time, energy and money towards developing her career, a gruelling journey that finally bore fruit in 2011.
“I’m definitely not the same person I was before I started sculpting. I’ve grown in terms of my discipline, time and even financial management,” she shared, with a laugh.
“But being an artist, you need to constantly push yourself to improve, especially once you see the results, which is why I have kept my momentum going until today.”
A self-proclaimed workaholic, Anniketyni thoroughly enjoys working in her studio from 9am till 8pm. Her passion knows no bounds as even while she was eight months’ pregnant, she was still hard at work, right up till she was two weeks away from delivery.
In fact, nothing calms this sculptor more than having a fresh pile of shavings for company and the whirling sound of power tools to spur her on towards her next international masterpiece.
Anniketyni’s spectacular sculptures can be viewed on her website or Instagram.