DR. SYAFIQ FALIQ BIN ALFAN

Syafiq Faliq Alfan, also known as Sefa, is a performing artist, educator, and cultural researcher deeply interested in the discourse on the history of Asian Traditional Performing Arts from the perspective of Cultural Evolution Theory. He earned his Doctoral Degree from the Faculty of Integrated Arts and Science at Hiroshima University, Japan, in 2022 through his research on the methodological construction of analysis towards traditional dance of Mak Yong and Noh using motion capture technology.

As an artist, Sefa has been a member of the Ipoh artist collective called Projek Rabak since 2011, where he currently serves as the director. Since 2007, he has actively participated in numerous local and international performances, focusing on the intersection of Corporeal Mime by Etienne Decroux and the improvisational techniques of Malaysian traditional performing arts. His interest in performance research centers around the body as subject and its entanglement with elements within its environment including space, audience and technology.

Sefa is also a creative writer, with notable works such as 'Melankolia Bisu' (2014) and 'Novel Eksperimental' (2013), among others.

Currently, his research interests revolve around the pragmatism philosophy and philosophy of history to enhance the historical narrative in Mak Yong and other Malaysian performing arts. He believes that further enriching the discourse in Malaysian traditional performing arts will lead to a better understanding of its role in shaping the identity of the local community.

He is also interested in looking at Digital Humanities within the intersection of discussion in aesthetics, ecology, local wisdom, identity formation and arts biomechanics through the use of media and technology (specifically motion capture technology) to understand various experiences and cultures. 

As a cultural research critical generalist, he believes the role of the performing arts extends beyond the discourse of performativity and should include discussion on the issues of sustainability, environmental impact, socio-economic, education, architecture, technology, among others. 

Potential postgraduate students should be prepared to have an integrated approach in mind to provide practical and high impact solutions in research for the benefit of society.