Player Count One: Studies of Bung Sadung in Fortnite
Player Count One: Studies of Bung Sadung in Fortnite (2025) was commissioned by Goolagatup Heathcote as part of the 2023 Digital Art Prize. It exhibited at Goolagatup Heathcote in February-March 2025 as part of a duo show “Fall Damage”, in collaboration with artist Jason Phu.
“Using topographical data of her mother’s ancestral homeland in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, Baker’s custom Fortnite map honours and memorialises the Bung Sadung mountain range and its surrounding villages, which are known as the heartland of Bukar Bidayǔh people. Escaping from the political reality of having no right to own ancestral land due to Malaysian racial laws, her custom map and inventory items are the first in a series of works made in and for Fortnite, that allow her the pleasure of living and building on her virtual Indigenous lands.”
Artwork details:
1. Tiyan Baker, Building a longhouse at the site of the first Bukar Bidayǔh settlement, 2025, digital video, sound, bamboo, nuts, bolts, sisal rope, wire
2. Tiyan Baker, Ancestral longhouse - view from inside topography at night, 2025, digital print mounted on dibond.
3. Tiyan Baker, Ancestral longhouse - view from inside topography at midday, 2025, digital print mounted on dibond.
4. Tiyan Baker, Ancestral longhouse - birds eye view in the morning, 2025, digital print mounted on dibond.
5. Tiyan Baker, Ra-ung (sunhat): custom umbrella design for Fortnite, 2025, polystyrene, resin, acrylic paint, canvas, wooden dowel, bamboo, various lace trim and ribbon, wooden beads, bias binding, seaweed twine
6. Tiyan Baker, Ra-ung (sunhat): custom umbrella design for Fortnite, 2025, digital print mounted on dibond.
7. Tiyan Baker, Durian bomb: custom shockwave grenade design for Fortnite, 2025, 3D print, cast resin, dye.
8. Tiyan Baker, Top view of Bung Sadung and surrounding villages, 2025, digital print mounted on dibond.
3D Artist and Technical Lead: Jean Luc-Schmid
Seamstress: Rhona Manning (my mum)
Player Count One: Studies of Bung Sadung in Fortnite , 2025, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Ra-ung (sunhat): custom umbrella design for Fortnite, 2025, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Durian bomb: custom shockwave grenade design for Fortnite, 2025, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Building a longhouse at the site of the first Bukar Bidayǔh settlement, 2025, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Top view of Bung Sadung and surrounding villages, 2025, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Ra-ung (sunhat): custom umbrella design for Fortnite, 2025, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Player Count One: Studies of Bung Sadung in Fortnite, 2025, detail view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Ancestral longhouse - view from inside topography at night, 2025, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Ancestral longhouse - view from inside topography at midday, 2025, installation view, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
Ancestral longhouse - birds eye view in the morning, 2025, installation view, installation view, Goolagatup Heathcote, WA. Documentation by Aaron Claringbold.
I live and work on the lands of the Awabakal and Worimi people.
This sovereign land was never ceded.
The land I live on always was and always will be Aboriginal land.