Iswandiarjo swings the whip back and forth to get a better sense of the space. Amongst other pain-defying, almost inhuman feats such as eating glass. During the performance, practitioners-while in a state of trance-withstand the force of a full-bodied lashing. Whips are a common sight at Kuda Kepang (‘Flat Horse’ in English) performances. Iswandiarjo is the fifth-generation leader of Kesenian Tedja Timur, or ‘Rainbow of Arts from the East’, one of Singapore’s earliest professional Kuda Kepang groups. The whip that the 39-year-old is holding bears a striking shade of red, with an uncanny resemblance to our national flag. Today, I’m leaving the whipping in the proficient hands of Iswandiarjo. But here I am at the lift lobby of an HDB flat along Haig Road, bracing for impact. When I started my RICE internship, I never imagined I’d be getting whipped. All images by Stephanie Lee for Rice Media unless otherwise stated.
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