Malaysian artist uses banana fiber and clay to make bricks

Cheng is dedicated to sustainability, using locally sourced clay to create eco-friendly bricks. Photos: The Star/Art Chen

Artist Cheng Yen Pheng, 42, gets excited whenever she comes across discarded banana tree trunks or clay soil around her neighbourhood. These rather mundane items are valuable for the local artist who is known to turn natural resources into material for her artistic creations.

Recognising their potential, Cheng upcycles banana fibre into paper and also incorporates the fibre into clay bricks that she makes.