KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 1 -- The Bajau Laut community living on the pristine waters of Semporna in Sabah have an exceptional talent for reading the sea.

These sea nomads have lived off the ocean for centuries but were rendered stateless after the formation of modern-day Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

As a result, Bajau Laut children grow up without formal education, relying instead on nature to guide and sustain them.

Inspired by this connection, mixed media artist Denis Chai poignantly captures the lesser-known routines and rites of passage of Bajau Laut children in his latest exhibition, Dancing with the Waves.

Interestingly, in almost all his portraits, the children are depicted with unusually long necks - each adorned with d...