Nirmala Karuppiah's photos are evocative and haunting

Nirmala Karuppiah's Salangai (silver gelatin, 2011) from Sanubari: Portraits In Motion on exhibit at the National Visual Arts Gallery in Kuala Lumpur till Oct 25. Photos: Nirmala Karuppiah

“There are certainly those little uncanny things that happen, moments that make your hair stand on end and you feel a different kind of energy in the air,” says Nirmala Karuppiah, a photographer and filmmaker, as she recalls the various late-night assignments she has undertaken through the years photographing traditional dance performances in Malaysia.

She reminisces about a visit to a Mak Yong/Main Puteri ceremony in a village outside of Kota Baru, Kelantan and documenting a Cantonese opera show in a temple situated beside a graveyard in one of Perak’s small towns.