Category Archives: Exhibition

BAPAKU PULANG: Growing Up with Art – Selected Works from the Collections of Nazura Rahime and Sharmin Parameswaran

 

Framing a Moment in Fathers and Daughters’ Journey with Art

Nazura Rahime and Sharmin Parameswaran are the sole daughters of Rahime Harun (1954 – 2008) and Dato’ N. Parameswaran (1948 – 2022) and grew up amidst their respective fathers’ art-collecting journeys. “Bapaku Pulang” encapsulates the early recollections of both daughters as preschoolers growing up with art until adulthood. With the exhibition, Nazura and Sharmin offer a glimpse into the selection of artists and subject matters that their fathers favour with the intention of breathing new life and meaning into the artworks.

Rahime and Dato’ Parameswaran connected through art when Rahime founded A.P Art Gallery in 1983 with his late wife, Zarina Ariffin (1955 – 2010), Nazura’s mother. Initially located at the Anak Alam Space in Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur, the gallery opened in Equatorial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, then moved to KL Hilton, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Rahime acquired a three-storey building in Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur, in 1993 that now houses Nazura’s production company, Manggis Group, which was established in 2003 with her husband, Fauzee Nasir and A.P Art Gallery since its resurgence in 2018.

Dato’ Parameswaran joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia in 1969. Between 1971 and 1981, he served the Malaysian Missions in Jakarta, New York, Addis Ababa, and Nairobi. While in New York, USA, from 1973 to 1975, Dato’ Parameswaran began visiting art museums with his wife Lyn Loh Siew Ling (1948 – 1991), Sharmin’s mother. They first met as sixth-form students at the Anglo-Chinese School in Ipoh, Perak.

“My mother was the one who was artistically inclined, and inspired my father with her appreciation for visual arts and music. I have fond memories of my childhood listening to her play the guitar singing my favourite song as a kid, ‘Angel of the Morning’. I think the start of my father’s passion for the arts came from her,” recalled Sharmin.

Sharmin was born in Kuala Lumpur in 1978. At the time, Dato’ Parameswaran was the Charge d’ Affaires for the Embassy of Malaysia in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From 1986 to 2008, Dato’ Parameswaran was Head of Missions in Switzerland, Vietnam, and Singapore.

Nazura was born in her mother’s hometown in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, in 1979. At the age of four, Nazura spent her weekends at Rumah Anak Alam – a bungalow that housed artistic activities by artists, poets, and theatre actors – and attended art lessons with resident artist K. Thangarajoo alongside artist-couple Mustapha Haji Ibrahim and Maryam Abdullah’s son, Zaihan.

Rahime was remembered as “a passionate champion of Malaysian culture” and “a highly competent art business entrepreneur and administrator”. He instilled in Nazura the greatest gift of life values, hard work, and perseverance.

When A.P Art Gallery opened an outlet in Central Market, Kuala Lumpur, in 1985, Nazura assisted her parents on weekends. Her task was to sell postcards to tourists for 60 cents. She earned RM10 a day and looked forward to spending her hard-earned income at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

“My father used to tell me every time he spoke about art: ‘Paint what you see, know and feel’. Anak Alam and Central Market were my playgrounds when growing up. Art museums and galleries across the country were my holiday destinations, where most often I would be throwing tantrums in front of these museums as I did not appreciate art as a child. Looking back on these memories, I realise that this love-hate relationship I have with art is what I treasure now, each artwork a reminder of my life. For ‘Bapaku Pulang’, I am looking to pass on the artworks knowing it will give a new meaning to others.”

In 1984, Rahime Harun attended a Diploma course in Entrepreneurship Development (Art Business) in Turin, Italy, to serve the Malaysian art market. He took the opportunity to visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. This museum houses the personal collection of Peggy Guggenheim’s 20th-century European and American art, which inspired him to own a private museum back home.

In 1995, Rahime Harun presented an exhibition titled “Pursuing a Dream – The Collection of Rahime Harun” at Galeri Petronas, Kompleks Dayabumi, Kuala Lumpur, which featured 135 artworks by artists such as Abdullah Ariff, Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, Latiff Mohidin, Siti Zainon Ismail, Khalil Ibrahim, Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Rafiee Ghani, the Matahati collective, and more.

The exhibition was held in conjunction with his 42nd birthday. The launch coincided with the signing a memorandum of understanding between Rahime Harun and Perbadanan Muzium Melaka to loan his art collection to Muzium Melaka.

As for Sharmin, her parents separated when she was eight years old. Her mother raised Sharmin until her untimely demise in 1991. Sharmin then lived with her maternal uncle and aunty throughout secondary school and college. While commencing tertiary education in Australia, she travelled to Europe and America solo – a brave endeavour for a young woman, reflecting her independent and strong-willed nature. In 2000, Sharmin graduated with a BA (Hons) in Commerce, majoring in Accounting from the University of Melbourne in Australia. She began her career in the media industry in 2003 and crossed paths with Nazura.

Dato’ Parameswaran was introduced to many artists of the time by Rahime; among them was Malaysia’s foremost wayang kulit artist, Nik Zainal Abidin, sculptor Raja Shahriman Raja Azzidin and printmaker Juhari Said.

During Dato’ Parameswaran’s stint as Ambassador of Malaysia, he has hosted several excursions for Malaysian artists abroad. An example is an excursion organised by the Malaysian Artists Association led by Ahmad Khalid Yusof to Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1993.

During the trip, artists like Rahime Harun, Zarina Ariffin, Khalil Ibrahim, Long Thien Shih, Sanip Lasman, and Ahmad Zakii Anwar, among others, visited artists’ studios, art exhibitions and cultural programmes.

An exhibition titled “Titian III” by Malaysian artists was held at the Hanoi School of Fine Art in Hanoi, Vietnam.

This moment was captured by Rahime and Zarina as exemplified in their watercolour paintings titled “Teatime” (1993) and “The Passage, Hanoi” (1993) featured in ‘Bapaku Pulang’.

Although Dato’ Parameswaran spent 39.5 years working abroad, he did make time with Sharmin to do activities he loved at home, such as visiting artists at their studios or having meals with them and discussing art. Sharmin’s lack of enthusiasm as a teenager for these types of outings corresponds with Nazura’s.

For Sharmin, visiting family members in Penang will ultimately be extended to paying visits to artists like Tan Choon Ghee, Dato’ Tay Mo Leong and Penang Art Gallery’s Dato’ Dr Tan Chee Kuan.

“My father funded my first year of university by selling art, especially as I was abroad during the 1997 financial crisis where the Malaysian ringgit plummeted.” said Sharmin.

In 2015, the National University of Singapore Museum presented an exhibition titled “Vietnam 1954 –1975: War Drawings and Posters from the Ambassador Dato’ N. Parameswaran Collection”, which showcased one of the largest known singular collection of drawings and posters from the Vietnam War” on loan to the NUS Museum for a period of three years to prospect research and to facilitate teaching.”

Sharmin explained: “Inheriting an art legacy swings between daunting and exciting. My father has passed on for more than a year, and I am still going through his collection attempting to understand his reasons and passion for collecting. ‘Bapaku Pulang’, featuring Malaysian works, is just the start of this process, where I do intend for the collection to move on to where it would be appreciated and best resonate as art will mean different things to different people.”

She also shares similar views and perspectives on art with her father. Both appreciate visual arts based on sight, emotions and develop a bond with artists by talking to and working with them. “However, where we differ is in the appreciation of mediums, with my father having a preference for traditional paintings, a medium in which he is familiar and knowledgeable with. As for myself, having grown up across analogue and digital media, I have an appreciation and excitement for progressing forms and mediums of art expressions. Not to mention, being a fan of current popular culture,” said Sharmin.

The father-daughter duo worked on a project together, culminating in an exhibition titled “At First Glance” in 2012 that was held at White Box, Publika, Kuala Lumpur. The show has given impetus to impending curatorial work for Sharmin, which has surpassed 40 art events.

In 2013, Dato’ Parameswaran established Interpr8 Art Space, an art gallery in Publika, Kuala Lumpur, with Sharmin. His interest in acquiring, collecting, and deaccessioning artworks was most active during this period. Among the solo exhibitions he organised at Interpr8 were by Nik Zainal Abidin and Haron Mokhtar.

In Nik Zainal Abidin, Dato Parameswaran found lasting friendship until the artist’s demise in 1993. Dato’ Parameswaran admired Nik Zainal’s use of vibrant colours to depict the accuracy of the characters from the Hindu epic, Ramayana.

Dato’ Parameswaran also had a strong interest in Dzulkifli Buyong’s work. In 2019, Sharmin interviewed her father to discuss the talented artist’s work. His account of the published interview reads:

“It was through the late Rahime Harun, who ran an art shop at the National Art Gallery. I used to go there very often, and we became very good friends. Rahime knew of my interest in Dzulkifli Buyong (Dzul) as the National Gallery used to feature his works frequently. There was a group show in 1986, in which Dzul was exhibiting. I went there excitedly, and of course all his works had been booked already. One work, ‘Menghafal’, was of a girl walking and memorising a book, and a cat following behind. This work had been booked by Rahime, and because he knew of my keen interest, he said to me, ‘Since you like Dzul so much, I’ll transfer my booking to you.’ That was how I got my first Dzulkifli Buyong artwork. And it was Rahime who told me to go and see Dzul. He revealed that Dzul had a series of watercolour self-portraits that few had seen. Rahime was at that time one of the best art entrepreneurs in town.”

When Sharmin asked when Dato’ Parameswaran began to take an active interest in Malaysian visual art, he replied: “It was much later in 1985. I was flying back to New York one day, with a stopover in Taiwan. On the plane there was a magazine called Salam, a magazine of the Malaysian Hoteliers Association, and outside on the cover was a Tan Choon Ghee artwork. I took the magazine, and inside there were many pictures of his works reproduced, which reminded me so much of Dong Kingman. I read the article, and it said that the person who was handling the artworks was Victor Chin of Rupa Gallery, at that time located in Old Town, PJ. When I returned from that trip, I went to find and meet Victor Chin, with the intention of buying and perhaps meeting Tan Choon Ghee. Instead, I ended up buying my first ever artwork, a stone lithograph by Victor Chin at RM400. It depicted minaret tops of the KL railway station building.”

The lifelong journey of art collecting comes with excitement and grievances – the mutual feelings that Nazura and Sharmin have in common. Having left with their fathers’ legacies, Nazura and Sharmin come to terms with everlasting memories attached or detached to/from objects of desire and, in doing so, experience grieving/celebrating a loved one.

National laureate Baha Zain captures the essence of the patriarchal figure in his poem titled “Bapaku” (1979):

Bapaku
Dia tak memerlukan kemasyhuran atau kuasa
Dan tak memuja sesiapa
Dia bagai gunung Titiwangsa
Selalu di depan mata
Tidak memberi penjelasan
Dan tidak meminta maaf.

 

Sarah Abu Bakar
1 October 2023

 

Link to exhibition catalogue here.

 

ISMAIL MAT HUSSIN
Untitled
Watercolour on paper
80 x 92cm
RM 2,800

Ismail Mat Hussin (1938-2015) was a remarkable artist whose batik paintings captured the attention of Malaysian art lovers with his technical mastery and representations of Malaysian daily lives. This watercolour on paperwork depicts a motherly figure with her four children leisurely lounging on the compound of their kampung house. This heart-warming scene of simple living illustrates the pleasures of family bonds. Ismail Mat Hussin was a member of the Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung (APS) Kelantan and Persatuan Seni Lukis Kelantan (PESENI).

 

ALI ‘MABUHA’ RAHAMAD
Egypt II, 1979 Oil on canvas 27cm x 20cm
RM 3,500
SOLD

Ali ‘Mabuha’ Rahamad (b. 1952) spent over four decades travelling the world from Singapore, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan to Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Egypt and more. Ali captures the complexities of the modern world and the intricacies of the hundreds of cultures that span the globe, such as this oil painting titled “Egypt II”, dated 1979.

Ali was a member of the influential Anak Alam collective in the 1970s and was involved with Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung. Ali is A self-taught artist known for his surrealistic style and masterful use of colours that invoke feelings of serenity, peace, and calmness amid worldly turmoil.

 

MARYAM ABDULLAH
Kinabalu, 1985
Pastel on paper
83 x 64cm
RM 8,000
SOLD

Maryam Abdullah (b. 1951) is an abstract artist most active during her years with the Anak Alam group of the 1970s. This pastel on paper titled “Kinabalu” depicts 12 multi-coloured abstract shapes and stylised icons floating against an arc demarcated by a solid colour palette of pastel pink and light blue. Her delicate and feminine interpretation of nature reflects the agenda of the time: “the desire to become one with nature”. Maryam, alongside Mustapa Haji Ibrahim, managed the premises of Anak Alam colony, Rumah 905, in the 1970s.

 

MUSTAPA HAJI IBRAHIM
Untitled, 1988
Acrylic on canvas
89 x 130cm
RM 12,000
SOLD

Mustapa Haji Ibrahim (b. 1946) is an unassuming artist who prefers to keep a low profile, loyal to the ways and views held by the Anak Alam members. In 1974, he was one of the artists who formed the Anak Alam collective. His art activities had already started before he enrolled in the Angkatan Pelukis Se-Malaysia (APS) at the Taman Budaya Studio, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, in the late 1960s. Among his solo exhibitions include shows at the British Council in 1973, Anak Alam Studio in 1979, the Equatorial Hotel in 1983 and “Mustapa Haji Ibrahim: Paintings 1968-2008 4th Solo Exhibition” at RA Fine Arts, Kuala Lumpur in 2008. His paintings reflect his passion for nature, expressed through organic shapes and forms in a harmonious colour palette.

 

MOHAMED ZAIN IDRIS
Rural Passage, 1982 Watercolour on paper 106 x 84cm
RM 8,000

Mohamed Zain Idris (1939 – 2000) was a gifted artist who excelled in watercolour, capturing the spectacular scenes of idyllic rural Malaysian landscapes such as “Rural Passage”, created in 1982. Born in Kampung Nail, Besut, Terengganu, Mohamed Zain Idris attended Sekolah Melayu Kuala Besut in Terengganu and was later honoured as the Terengganu state’s Guest Artist by the 10th Chief Minister of Terengganu, Tan Sri Haji Wan Mokhtar bin Ahmad from 1991 to 2000. During his lifetime, he held four solo exhibitions with Samat Art Gallery (1971 and 1972), at Hotel Equatorial (1984) and Hotel Shangri-La (1987) in Kuala Lumpur.

 

NIK ZAINAL ABIDIN
Wayang Kulit in Red & Green, 1989
Watercolour on paper
50 x 57cm
RM 8,000
SOLD

Nik Zainal Abidin Nik Mohamad Saleh (1933 – 1993), known as Nik Zainal, is revered for his impeccable drawings, illustrations, and paintings of the characters from the Hindu epic Ramayana. A self-taught artist, Nik Zainal moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1955 and attended informal art lessons with the Wednesday Art Group led by Peter Harris. In 1960, he was commissioned by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, to design the “Kunci Ibu Kota”, the Royal Throne for the first Yang-di Pertuan Agong and cokmar.

The late Dato’ N. Parameswaran was known to own “the biggest single collection of Nik Zainal’s works”. In 2013, Dato’ Parameswaran organised an exhibition titled “Nik Zainal Abidin: Malaysia’s Foremost Wayang Kulit Artist” that showcased more than 60 of Nik Zainal’s works in various media and wide-ranging subject matters such as figurative, Islamic calligraphy and landscape. Dato’ Parameswaran purchased his first Nik Zainal artwork through the late Rahime Harun, an art dealer and owner of A.P Art Gallery, in 1986.

 

TAN CHOON GHEE
Nagore Durgha Sheriff, Leboh Chulia Penang, 1986
Watercolour on paper
66 x 76cm
RM 8,000

Tan Choon Ghee (1930 – 2010) was an observant visual artist interested in chronicling street scenes and historical buildings. Many fine examples are manifested through his watercolour and ink renditions of daily activities in Penang, such as this immaculate work titled “Nagore Dargha Sheriff, Leboh Chulia Penang).

Constructed in the early 1800s by the Chulia community as a Muslim sacred shrine for the revered Sufi saint Shahul Hameed (1490–1579 CE), the original Nagore Dargah that houses the tomb of Shahul Hameed is in Nagore, a coast town in Tamil Nadu, India.

 

FUNG YOW CHORK
Masjid Tengkera, Melaka, 1984
Oil on canvas
49 x 43cm
RM 2,500
SOLD

RHB Art with Heart 2022 “Rising Together”

Date: September 5 – 11, 2022

Venue: Bangsar Shopping Centre, Concourse, Kuala Lumpur

Curator: Sarah Abu Bakar

Co-curator: Danial Fuad

 

Curator’s Introduction

 

RHB Banking Group’s Art with Heart (AwH22) exhibition continues with its fourth instalment, encouraging and elevating the local arts scene while enriching vulnerable communities’ lives. Over the years, the exhibition has garnered much interest from art enthusiasts and artists alike and established itself as amongst the most anticipated events to showcase the talents of local young and emerging artists.

Themed “Rising Together”, AwH22 brings equal gender representation and gives prominence to artists from diverse backgrounds and age groups, featuring over 100 artworks by 53 Malaysian artists. These numbers surpass the previous RHB Art with Heart exhibitions, reflecting the growing reach and impact of AwH22 within the arts fraternity.

AwH22 comes at a most opportune time when our local arts community works to rebuild following the prolonged COVID­19 pandemic. It has indeed been a challenging period for local artists; where a survey by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA) during the Movement Control Order period found that more than 90% of the respondents were negatively impacted by the COVID­19 pandemic, with 70% of them having lost all or most of their income.

Rising together through this adversity, the arts fraternity strengthened their bond, forging ahead with innovative and novel ways to bring inspiring stories to life through their works of art.

To add even more meaning to AwH22, the exhibition creates a unique opportunity for visitors to appreciate the works of Persons With Disabilities (PWD) artists, including those from We & I Art collective, as well as the creativity of artists diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Down Syndrome. On display are also photographs captured by a talented group of visually impaired photographers trained by professional photographers from Plus Community Partnership.

This year, AwH22 features various visually stimulating artworks in various styles, from abstract, figurative and landscape painting to sculptures and photography, that best encapsulate the theme “Rising Together”. It is with the hope that this initiative will continue to inspire Malaysians to appreciate and collect beautiful works of art while extending a helping hand to communities in need.

As we forge towards sustainable recovery, we hope that AwH22 serves as a reminder of how we continue to overcome our challenges by rising together. 

 

Abstract

There are 28 artists representing the abstract style ranging from PWD artists Ahmad Danial Ahmad Kushairi, Izzati Shahrin, Maryam Zharifa, Ong Yong Da, and Stephanie Tam; young graduates such as Afiq Zainal, Anna Azzreena, Fuji Anggara, Lim Jing, Lim Tong Xin, Mulaika Nordin, and Yazi Jaclyn (Teh Ya Zi); emerging artists Abdul Shakir (Grasshopper), Alicia Lau, Azam Nasri, Azizi Latf, Elly Nor Suria, Emelia Ong Thiran, Hana Zamri, Hardiana Hidayah Azni, Hafiz Razak, Malina Su, Nadia Nizamudin, Nizar Sulaiman and Wendy Teo; and senior artists Faizal Suhif, Farif Jalil and Suddin Lappo in this category.

 

Figurative

In the figurative segment, 12 artists express themselves through depictions of human figures, portraiture, fauna and still-life, namely PWD artists Haziq Izmi and Wan Jamila (artjamila®); young graduates Amri Ibrahim, Chua Hui Qin, Danielle Lin, Ellis Khan, Joy Ng, Sharina Shahrin; emerging artists Arikwibowo Amril, Rais Azmi, Aiman Aisamuddin, and senior artist Noor Mahnun Mohamed.

 

Landscape

Various landscape interpretations are depicted in the works of four artists: Aimman Hafizal, Khairul Izham, Kimberley Boudville and Leong Sok Yeng.

 

Photography

A group of seven visually impaired photographers from Plus Community Partnership consisting of Ahar Bin Tabe (B2), Jamaliah Mohd Yasin (B1), Rashidi Abdullah (B3), Suzie Ng (B2), the late Svivabalan A/L Selvarajan (B2), Theng Tze Young (B1) and Vivian Kwek Chu Lan (B3).

Plus Community Partnership conceptualised the SENSORY PHOTOGRAPHY™ programme, and in early 2018, a collaboration began with the Malaysian Association of the Blind (MAB) and Studio DL Photography.

The objective is to empower the visually impaired with the opportunity to explore an activity they previously had no access to. The SENSORY PHOTOGRAPHY™ programme is centred on photography as a channel for self­expression and provides photographers with an additional source of income.

All photographers named above are legally blind at different degrees of visual impairment. The classifications are:

B1: total blindness
B2: partial vision of shadows and movement
B3: severe low vision/tunnel vision

 

Sculpture

Another exciting element of Art with Heart 2022 is art expression through sculpture. On offer are artworks by Agnes Lau, who incorporates ceramic pieces in her wall sculptures and Mohd Al-Khuzaire Ali, whose artworks are produced using mixed media.

 

Link to exhibition catalogue here

 

Media coverage

The Edge, September 3, 2022, Rising together in support of the art community. Link to PDF here.

The Star, September 7, 2022, June Moh: RHB Foundation uplifts OKU artists via Art with Heart showcase. Link to PDF here.

BASKL, September 9, 2022, Danial Fuad: Bangkit Bersama di RHB Art With Heart 2022. Link to PDF here

 

Curator Sarah Abu Bakar delivering a speech during the opening night of RHB Art with Heart 2022
The opening night of RHB Art with Heart 2022. Photo courtesy of RHB Banking Group.

 

L to R: Norazzah Sulaiman, RHB Group Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer, and Mohd Rashid Mohamad Group Managing Director / Group Chief Executive Officer

Time Together: Exploring Art through Khazanah’s Collection

Galeri Khazanah’s official launch on August 24, 2022, which included a guided walkthrough of Galeri Khazanah’s

Time Together: Exploring Khazanah’s Collection through Art,

with DYMM Sultan Nazrin Shah, the Sultan of Perak.

 

Visit Galeri Khazanah here.

Exhibition photo credit to Khazanah Nasional Berhad and Nikt Wong.

www.galeri.khazanah.com.my 

Drawings Matter?

Date: October 19 – November 2, 2019
Venue: HOM Art Trans, 6A, Jalan Cempaka 16, Taman Cempaka, 68000 Ampang, Selangor

Do drawings matter? This group show by 12 contemporary artists celebrates the importance of drawing as a form of artistic expression.

Drawings Matter? focuses on the technique of “drawing” as a mean of artistic expression. Expanding from the conventional sense of “drawing” – typically understood by many as pencil doodles on paper – this exhibiti on aims to gather artists to interpret its significance.

By reassessing their approach, the selected artists offer a myriad of aesthetic exploration to offer their methodical aspects of drawing. The traditional notion of “drawing” that is composed of pen, paper and lines now seem archaic yet pertinent.

Abdullah Jones

Abdullah Jones’ abstract works are witty and are a reflection of current times. A multi- media artist, Abdullah Jones is also known for his contemporary batik paintings. His solo exhibitions included Lolong (2018) and Blues Malaya (2017) at ArtCube Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions namely Batik: Evolution of Identity – A Travelling Exhibition (2019) at University of Malaya Art Gallery; Morphosis (2018) at Galeri Prima, Kuala Lumpur; Amal Insani (2017) at Balai Seni Lukis Negara, Kuala Lumpur; and Love Me and My Batik (2016) at Ilham Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, to name but a few.

Hantu Lawan Hantu #2
Pen on canvas
64 x 64 cm
2019
RM 2,800

Hantu Lawan Hantu #3
Pen on canvas
64 x 64 cm
2019
RM 2,800

Hantu Lawan Hantu #4
Pen on canvas
64 x 64 cm
2019
RM 2,800

Hantu Lawan Hantu #5
Pen on canvas
64 x 64 cm
2019
RM 2,800

Hantu Lawan Hantu #6
Pen on canvas
64 x 64 cm
2019
RM 2,800

Hantu Lawan Hantu #7
Pen on canvas
64 x 64 cm
2019
RM 2,800

Hantu Lawan Hantu #8
Pen on canvas
64 x 64 cm
2019
RM 2,800

Hantu Lawan Hantu #9
Pen on canvas
64 x 64 cm
2019
RM 2,800

Afiq Faris

Afiq Faris explores unconventional materials and techniques such as dry medium drawing on tissue paper, inkjet print, washed and re-fix using graphite, colour pencil, marker and acrylic on tissue paper. Each of the two artworks from his Currency series is then coated with resin on wood and canvas producing a delicate drawing yet with an everlasting quality of a sculpture.

Gaya (Balut)
Paper towel, rice paper, mixed dry drawing media, resin & paint on plywood
92 x 92 cm
2019
RM 4,000

Mutu (Menthol)
Inkjet on paper towel, acrylic, colour pencil, resin, marker & paint on plywood
92 x 92 cm
2019
RM 4,000

Keunggulan (King size)
Inkjet on paper towel, acrylic, resin & paint on plywood
92 x 92 cm
2019
RM 4,000

Agnes Lau

Agnes Lau’s concern for artmaking is process-oriented. A work with endless repetition to force the audience to experience his or her own creation of time and space. As the repeated movements have no specific definition to the audience, they can engage the works freely. However, the true meaning intended by the artist lies in the creation itself, a feeling of satisfaction when Agnes completes the task.

It is a physical ceremony in which Agnes puts visuals of lines on a surface; uses a minimum repertoire of visual elements aiming for maximum visual intensity. Language is now unnecessary. The stress in her works begins to form when she engages the pencil onto the canvas; the lines begin to create rhythmic textures – a system of its own. The endless repetition performs a ceremonial passage, which subconsciously moves forward but consciously knowing its heights and widths in relation to the surroundings.

After completing her studies at Dasein Academy of Art, Kuala Lumpur in 2015, Agnes delves into her art practice which involves the search of harmony in everyday life. The ordinary yet ignored objects or activities from daily life plays a role in her study and she tries to stimulate a reflection through art making processes. Her work lies between systematic and non-systematic processes within a determined time and space. Incorporating both the conscious and unconscious mind, she allows various forms to take place in her work, juggling between drawing, painting and printmaking on different materials.

Black Lines on White Plane
Mixed media on plywood
100 x 100 cm
2019
RM 5,600

Anas Afandi

Anas Afandi graduated with a Diploma in Fine Art from the Malaysian Institute of Art, Kuala Lumpur in 2015. His artistic practice includes drawing, collage and painting inspired by his emotions, perspectives and experiences. Since graduating, Anas has been involved in a wide range of creative discipline such as artmaking, curating, writing, furniture making and music.

In 2019, Anas participated in a group show entitled SH/FT – A Contemporary Visual Art Exhibition by Cendana at White Box and Black Box, Publika, Kuala Lumpur. In 2017, Anas worked as an assistant for Shooshie Sulaiman, who participated in the Yokohama Triennale at the Yokohama Museum of Art, Yokohama, Japan.

Analogi Alam Semulajadi
Pencil, colour pencil, ink, collage on paper
21 x 29.7cm (each)
2019
RM 2,500

Anwar Suhaimi

Multi-disciplinary artist Anwar Suhaimi obtained a Master’s degree in Fine Arts & Technology from University of Technology Mara in 2014. He is the recipient of the Jury Award, Bakat Muda Sezaman 2019 (Young Contemporary Award 2019) organised by the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.

In his practice, Anwar Suhaimi experiments with natural and artificial materials “to be in awe of the elemental nature and sciences, and to become the light itself”.

His ink on paper artwork entitled Skematik Delan Masa I,II,III was created with a clock timer instrument, picturing the anti-clockwise movement of time.

Skematic Delan Masa I,II & III
Ink on paper
69 x 58 cm (each)
2019
RM 1,200 (each)

Kua Chia Chi

Kua Chia Chi also known as CC Kua held her first solo exhibition entitled Mosquito Bite at Lostgens’ Contemporary Art Space, Kuala Lumpur in 2016. She held her second solo show wittily entitled Left a Bit, Right a Bit, Up a Bit, Down a Bit at the same venue in June 2019.

In 2019, CC Kua graduated with a Master of Fine Art from the Institute of Plastic Arts, Tainan National University of The Arts, Taiwan. She obtained her BA (Hons) in Graphic Design and Illustration from The One Academy (degree conferred by the University of Hertfordshire, UK) in 2013.

She has also participated in several group shows namely SH/FT – A Contemporary Visual Art Exhibition by Cendana at White Box and Black Box, Publika, Kuala Lumpur in 2019; Walking, Road Curve, Speaking, Peeing at Whitestone Gallery, Zhongxiao, Taipei in 2018; Taipei Free Art Fair at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taipei in 2018; Di Mana (Where Are) YOUng at National Visual Arts Gallery, Kuala Lumpur in 2017; and Conjoin: Spontaneous #1 supported by Artemis Art at Publika, Kuala Lumpur in 2014.

Escalator
Ink & colour pencil on paper
31 x 23.5 cm
2019
RM 250

December 31 in Southeast Asia
Ink & colour pencil on paper
31 x 23.5 cm
2019
RM 250

I Am Sure This Is Not That Digi Guy
Acrylic on paper
21 x 29.7cm
2016
RM 200

Frolicking
Pastel on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
2016
RM 200

My Line is Not Closed
Coloured pencil on paper
35 x 50 cm
2019
RM 400

Brushing Teeth
Watercolour on paper
27 x 39 cm
2016
RM 400

Sliding Through
Ink & pastel on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
2019
RM 200

Human Train
Oil on canvas
20.5 x 61 cm
2019
RM 1,800

Small Banana and Big Banana
Oil on canvas
61 x 45.5 cm
2019
RM 2,500

Significant Others
Pencil & watercolour on paper
61 x 45.5 cm
2019
RM 1,800

Ho Mei Kei

Ho Mei Kei’s whimsical paintings draw inspiration from her experience teaching art and music to young children. Her playful take on the local education system is incorporated through the repetitive miniature doodles and artwork title such as Gariskan Mata Pelajaran Yang Paling Anda Gemari (10 Markah).

Mei Kei completed her Diploma in Fine Art at Dasein Academy of Art in 2016 and decided to become a full-time following her graduation. Mei Kei has been exhibiting her work locally and internationally such as in Indonesia (2017), The Philippines (2018) and Taiwan (2018). She held her first solo exhibition entitled 100 Markah = A+? at Taksu Gallery in 2018. She is also the co- founder of Studios Sama Sama, a studio space for fresh graduates to pursue their dream in becoming a professional artist. Apart from winning the Jury’s Prize for the Bakat Muda Sezaman competition (2017) and being selected again for the same competition in 2019, Mei Kei was also awarded twice for the Tanjong Heritage National Art Competition (2015 and 2016) and shortlisted twice for the UOB Painting of the Year Competition (2016 and 2017).

Skyline
Colour pencil on paper
43 x 60 cm
2019
RM 2,000

Izat Arif

Izat Arif obtained a Bachelor (Hons) in Drawing from Camberwell College of Art, London in 2012. In November 2019, his artworks will be exhibited at Ilham Gallery, Kuala Lumpur in an exhibition called Domestic Bliss alongside Vietnamese artist, Hoang Minh Duc, organised and sponsored by The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Izat has also participated in numerous group exhibitions that include recent shows in 2019 such as an intimacy that allies us…. organised by Sikap Group, Singapore; Genset by Gajah Gallery at Whitebox, Publika, Kuala Lumpur; Awan & Tanah (Sisters in Islam charity show) at Cult Gallery, Bukit Tunku, and more. Izat was an Artist in Residence at the NTU-CCA Singapore from October to December 2018.

When I Die, Please Remember That I Have Done My Best, And I Would Like To Be Celebrated Every 5 Years For My Contributions
Graphite on digital print
20 cm x 28 cm (each)
2019
RM 4,200

John Lim

John Lim graduated with a Diploma in Fine Art from the Malaysian Institute of Art, Kuala Lumpur in 2015. His work investigates cultural identity, the stereotypes of being Malaysian Chinese and his predicament on not being able to converse in his mother tongue.

John’s artwork entitled Tentang Cina (About Chinese) is a series of 23 repetitive inscription in Chinese characters that offer no meaning. It is a phonetic expression that translates as Cina belajar Cina or Chinese learning Chinese when read out loud.

John describes, “the improper translation is purposeful, it illustrates the contradiction present in my thought process.”

Tentang Cina
Ink on paper
13 x 23 cm and 14 x 24cm (set of 23)
2019
RM 500 (each)

Paiman

The social historical context of Paiman’s artworks are conveyed through various media such as installation, performance as well as documentation with illustrations. An example is his “installation drawings” exhibition titled Malaysia-365 days of 2008 at Wei-Ling Gallery in 2009.

For Drawings Matter?, Paiman presents a collage work on paper entitled Sarjan[A] Ekonomi 80+, which illustrates a whimsical portrait donning a striped Santa-like hat, a pair of spectacles with a finely trimmed mustache and a stylish “chin strap” beard. The figure is also wearing a superhero cape with a newspaper clipping as his uniform.

The artwork recounts a recent history, in which an economist who has helped the country through his experience was eventually awarded the highest university degree at the age of 81. The title “sarjan” (sergeant) indicates the subject as a leader, who is a scholar (sarjana) at the same time.

Paiman is the Minor Award recipient of the Bakat Muda Sezaman (The Young Contemporaries Award) organised by National Visual Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur in 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2002. In 1999, he was a resident artist for the Art Exchange Program at the First Fukuoka Asian Art, Japan.

sarjan[A] Ekonomi 80+
Collage on paper
21 x 14 cm
2019
RM 2,000

Noor Mahnun Mohamed

German-educated Noor Mahnun Mohamed creates tranquil figurative and still-life paintings with domestic objects to represent symbolism and geometric patterns to depict routine and discipline.

For Drawings Matter?, Noor Mahnun produces still-life drawings in watercolour and graphite featuring a citrus reamer, a colander, a glass bottle, a three-hole dressings dispenser bottle and a garden pressure sprayer. Also on display is a study of the Phalaenopsis Blume or moth orchids, depicting Noor Mahnun’s current preoccupation on botanical illustrations.

Her eleventh solo exhibition entitled Disco Lombok Still Life by Noor Mahnun at The Edge Galerie in 2017 was highly successful – propelling the demand for her artworks.

A painter, curator, writer and educationist, Noor Mahnun graduated with a Master of Fine Art from the Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Braunschweig, Germany in 1996.

Garden Pump & Spray Study i
Watercolour on paper
30 x 23.5 cm
2019
RM 1,800

Colander Study i
Watercolour on paper
24 x 34 cm
2019
RM 1,500

Sarsi Study i
Watercolour on paper
30 x 23.5 cm
2019
RM 1,200

Squeeze Bottle Study i
Watercolour on paper
25 x 19.5 cm
2019
RM 1,200

Squeeze Bottle Study ii
Graphite on paper
30 x 21 cm
2019
RM 750

Squeeze Bottle Study iii
Chalk on paper
30 x 21 cm
2019
RM 750

Lemon Squeezer Study i
Watercolour on paper
25 x 20 cm
2019
RM 1,200

Lemon Squeezer Study ii
Graphite on paper
30 x 21 cm
2019
RM 750

Lemon Squeezer Study iii
Graphite on paper
30 x 21 cm
2019
RM 750

Botanical Drawing Assignment 1 (Phalaenopsis O)
Watercolour on paper
30 x 23.5 cm
2019
RM 1,800

Yew Jun Ken

Yew Jun Ken graduated with a Diploma in Illustration from the Malaysian Institute of Art, Kuala Lumpur in 2015. An independent artist seeking clarity of the mind and body, Jun Ken uses art as his main mode of expression and form of experimentation.

Jun Ken aims to create worlds out of concepts that range from the introspective philosophic to the outward-facing corporal through a variety of structures and processes. Mediums such as experimental drawings, installation, photography, sound and video collage, function as studies for these abstract complex themes.

Currently, Jun Ken also produces audio recordings under multiple aliases, incorporating his deep interest towards digital production and sampling techniques in music, serving as an extension of his artistic exploration.

pluto: and look at the infinite; citric incalculable; endless
Pen on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
2019
RM 700

mouth/hollow
Pen on paper
21 x 14.8 cm
2019
RM 400

vertebrae: a coiled policy; stop; ruminate
Pen on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
2019
RM 700

Untitled
Pen on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
2019
RM 700

quicksand
Pen on paper
21 x 14.8 cm
2019
RM 400

mantra: a cyclic cascade; always will be; in clotting
Pen on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
2019
RM 700

body/memory: I saw the shaped decoration; my generation; mourning the variable
Pen on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
2019
RM 700

atom: slight spin shivering; murmuring complexity; helix sings
Pen on paper
21 x 29.7 cm
2019
RM 700

Link to pdf

Bracing the Heat by Fauzan Omar

Date: September 6 – 19, 2018
Venue: The Edge Galerie, G5-G6, Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 19 Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (permanently closed)

Bracing the Heat is the eighth solo exhibition by established artist, Fauzan Omar highlighting serious environmental issues that the world is facing today.

BURNING ISSUE

Recently-retired art educationist Fauzan Omar has reached a milestone in his art career. Finally free from the rigours of academia, 67-year-old Fauzan has devoted all his energies in the past year to come up with an astonishing 200-odd pieces of artworks that form 13 captivating sets to express his long burning concern about the dire straits of our natural environment.

In his latest solo exhibition, Bracing the Heat, Fauzan — one of Malaysia’s most respected contemporary artists — offers scorched wood collages and images of orbs as well as his signature paintings and carved motifs to reflect the flora of the Malaysian rainforest under threat from climate change.

But given his technique of intense layering of motifs and colours, Fauzan’s latest works are not overtly concerned about death and destruction. Rather, they are about nature coping with the dire consequences of mankind’s unbridled greed for land resources, and so on.

Land clearing schemes — whether legal or not — come immediately to mind. Large-scale destruction of rainforests in the name of progress to come up with modern plantations will eventually bring consequences, as Fauzan alludes to in his work. To depict bare landscapes would be too conventional a composition. His contemporary works always have a certain delicate element of beauty. To fully appreciate the full extent of their impact, the artworks have to be viewed in a proper gallery setting.

Fauzan has been involved in the arts for some 30 years, devoting most of his waking hours to educating and nurturing art students. He has been a mentor to quite a few artists, including Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, whose Made in Malaysia exhibition was held at The Edge Galerie from
Sept 27 to Oct 13 last year. The senior artist is also a close friend of Shukri’s wife and fellow artist Umibaizurah Mahir @ Ismail, who has also exhibited with The Edge Galerie (Fragile, July 20 to Aug 5, 2016). In fact, it was Umibaizurah who suggested that Fauzan show his work in our gallery.

Since retiring from Universiti Sains Malaysia last year, Fauzan has worked feverishly to transform the long-simmering ideas in his head into the works that we see today. The pieces selected for this exhibition are deemed to be the best in his new series.

ARTWORKS

Link to pdf

When I See You Again by Chong Ai Lei

Date: January 11 – 20, 2018
Venue: The Edge Galerie, G5-G6, Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 19 Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (permanently closed)

Rising contemporary artist Chong Ai Lei presented her fourth solo exhibition and the first in her home country entitled When I See You Again, which featured eight contemplative paintings recalling her childhood memories.

SENTIMENTAL AND NOSTALGIC

Unabashedly sentimental and nostalgic, the latest works of contemporary artist Chong Ai Lei, 33, mark her first solo show in Malaysia.

Despite having participated in many group shows locally and three solo shows overseas, this is the first time the fine art graduate is staging a solo exhibition in her home country.

Entitled When I See You Again by Chong Ai Lei, the show will be held at The Edge Galerie and will feature eight large oil paintings. The format of the self-portraits is either 230cm by 170cm or 170cm by 230cm. The paintings convey a nostalgic yet melancholic mood as Chong revisits her childhood home in Segamat, Johor, where she was raised. The various rooms of the house serve as the backdrop for her paintings.

Chong depicts herself wearing clothes that were owned or passed down by her mother, alongside a myriad of personal belongings and furniture. All the spaces and items tend to relate to a specific
memory.

In a work entitled Jackfruit, the artist is in a green dress, one that her mother had worn in her younger days. Chong grips a nangka by the stem as she walks past the front door of the house. The artist recalls how the jackfruit seemed always to be in season and how its smell reminded her of her childhood.

A dressing table at which Chong and her sisters readied themselves for school and a money box, the first-ever present given by the artist’s father, are both seen in Rabbit Money Box.

Indeed, Chong’s compositions are filled with a sentimentality that documents her growing years in an ordinary Chinese household.

When I See You Again by Chong Ai Lei is The Edge Galerie’s first exhibition for 2018 and it is being held with the support of leading property development company, Matrix Concepts.

ARTWORKS

Link to pdf

Latiff Mohidin: Painted Steel Sculptures

Date: December 11, 2016 – January 30, 2017 (extended)
Venue: DUO Galleria, Unit 01-21, 7 Fraser Street, Singapore 189350

Distinguished Malaysian artist Latiff Mohidin has created a monumental steel sculpture in Singapore at DUO, a contemporary twin building designed by German architect Ole Scheeren. In conjunction with the official launch of DUO on January 15, 2018, the special showcase of Latiff’s modern sculptures entitled, Latiff Mohidin: Painted Steel Sculptures was held at the DUO Galleria art space unit. Six steel sculptures in various forms and finishes were on display.

       

Disco Lombok Still Life by Noor Mahnun

Date: November 23 – December 10, 2017
Venue: The Edge Galerie, G5-G6, Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 19 Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (permanently closed)

Comprising over 50 works that feature drawings of intricate geometric patterns, quirky illustrations of squids as well as delicate portraits on paper and oil paintings of still life on linen, this exhibition demonstrates the Noor Mahnun’s wry observations of life.

MARCHING TO THE BEAT OF HER OWN DRUM

Tabula rasa: An absence of preconceived ideas or predetermined goals; a clean slate.

WIDELY KNOWN AS Anum on the Malaysian art scene, Noor Mahnun Mohamed, 53, may be petite but she ably juggles the roles of painter, curator, writer and educationist.

Born in 1964 in Kelantan, she graduated with a master’s in fine art from Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Braunschweig, Germany, in 1996.

After returning to Malaysia at the end of 1997, Noor Mahnun kicked off her versatile career in the arts with a job as graphic designer. In 1998, she staged her first solo exhibition in Malaysia and participated in group shows. In the following year, she took up a teaching post in several local institutions and continues to lecture on art theory until today.

From 2000 to 2001, Noor Mahnun was an artist-in-residence at Rimbun Dahan in Kuang, Selangor. She concluded the programme with an exhibition of paintings produced on site and inspired by the location. From 2006 to 2012, she worked as an arts manager at Rimbun Dahan.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs then offered the artist a government scholarship to take up a printmaking course at Il Bisonte, Florence, from 2002 to 2003. Upon completing the course, Noor Mahnun returned to Kuala Lumpur and ventured into curatorial work at the Valentine Willie Fine Art gallery from 2003 to 2005. During her stint there, she organised 10 exhibitions by Malaysian and Southeast Asian contemporary artists and wrote for the shows.

She has written over 30 essays and reviews of art shows in Malaysia and, in 2015, contributed an academic paper entitled Printmaking Archive for Reference, Research, and Regional Links to a Nippon Foundation Fellowships for Asian Public Intellectuals publication called Encountering Asian New Horizon: Contesting and Negotiating in Fluid Transitions, The Work of 2012-2013 API Fellows.

Her talent does not end there. Noor Mahnun is proficient in Bahasa Malaysia, English and German, and her competence in the German language saw her participate in German-Malay translation workshops with Holger Warnk and Hedy Holzwarth — who are lecturers at the Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main Institute for East Asian Philology, Southeast Asia Science — organised by Goethe-Institut Malaysia in 2007.

Noor Mahnun also designed the book cover for a publication entitled Ingin Sebebas Burung/Flugversuch, Antologi Dwibahasa Cerpen Malaysia dan Jerman Zweisprachige/ Anthologie Malaysischer und Deutscher Kurzgeschichten, for which she was one of the translators. This project was coordinated by Goethe-Institut Malaysia with Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia as the publisher.

The artist’s latest solo exhibition at The Edge Galerie is entitled Disco Lombok Still Life by Noor Mahnun. Over 50 artworks comprising oil paintings and drawings will be on view from Nov 23 to Dec 10.

The show’s intriguing title is but a glimpse of Noor Mahnun’s alternative approach to staging an art exhibition.

STILL LIFE

On the surface, Noor Mahnun’s paintings appear to be European in style — still lifes featuring a single domestic object illustrated in the academic method or figurative and portrait paintings that resemble the works of German painter Otto Dix (1891-1969), who fused elements of realism, allegory and the whimsical. However, Noor Mahnun’s depiction of the human figure on canvas is devoid of emotion, focusing on physicality rather than expressiveness. Be that as it may, her time spent in Europe seems to have influenced her painting style the most.

Self-expression appears to the central idea of Noor Mahnun’s work. It is an archive of memories, an attempt to eternalise certain episodes of her life. Her choice of subjects in Disco Lombok Still Life include the ordinary coffee moka pot; butter and steak knives; dustpan and brush; scissors; white gloves; and sunglasses. Yet, the narratives of these objects are deeply personal.

For instance, in an artwork entitled Butter Knife, the knife was a gift from one of Noor Mahnun’s architecture students in Universiti Malaya, where she was lecturing part-time in 2015. Delighted yet anxious about the gift — which symbolised the severing of friendships — Noor Mahnun offered her student a token fee as an act of preserving their friendship.

As for the painting of a pair of white gloves, the artist referred to it as the Tiara and said it signified cleanliness and professionalism. Apparently, on her travels in Japan between 2012 and 2013 as a senior fellow of the Nippon Foundation Grant for Asian Public Intellectuals, Noor Mahnun noticed that a lot of people in different professions wore white gloves — from police officers and taxi and bus drivers to bellboys.

“Apparently, when The Beatles came to Japan in 1966, the police in charge of security came up with the idea of wearing gloves to add a level of ‘propriety’ between their hands and the fans as it was the duty of each officer to hold back the enthusiastic crowd,” she says.

Interestingly, an article entitled White Gloves by Alice Gordenker was published in The Japan Times on March 19, 2013, about a fascinated reader who wrote to Gordenker to express his curiosity about the white glove phenomenon in Japan1.

Noor Mahnun’s depiction of domesticity is presented in a small, rectangular format — a reflection of a woman with a paintbrush — dainty and ordered. Evident in her work is her obsessive fascination with geometric patterns, perhaps, a therapeutic means to escape the chaos of her daily schedule of organising art events, teaching and/or writing about art.

“When I first arrived in Berlin in the early Eighties and visited the Neue Nationalgalerie, I was in awe of the architecture of Mies van der Rohe: the iron pillars, beams, columns. The building is much better seen and experienced in real life. My interest in patterns and tiles started then,” she explains.

In Dustpan & Brush, Noor Mahnun employs repetitive geometric patterns as a backdrop to the good old brush and dustpan, which is presented as a triptych. The task of creating the composition from basic lines came from her interest in architecture.

“I chose basic homeware as subject matter because I enjoy domesticity and doing chores like cleaning, sewing and ironing. I like being at home, perhaps that is why (incidentally) my work studio is located above my apartment, which is convenient,” says Noor Mahnun.

BECOMING ZEN

In an artwork entitled Rooster and Head, Noor Mahnun uses the image of the head of Buddha in Gandharan style paired with a rooster in a box.

“The Gandharan Buddha is culturally significant because it is an artistic manifestation of early Buddha statues — the Gandhara region was a meeting point of the classical Greek style and Buddhist art, a cultural crossroads of influence that I find interesting,” she says.

“But when I started the painting, pairing these two objects was purely a random (visual) act. The head was seen in Singapore in an art of ethnographic museum display exhibition. The rooster was sighted in a newspaper article. Somehow, placing the two together on a picture plane seemed apt. The readings were formed later. Could go in many ways and tangents …”

“My master’s degree paper was about Leon Battista Alberti, his idea of ‘Disegno’, written under the subject of aesthetic philosophy. He is definitely a typical Renaissance man. A humanist, author, artist, architect, linguist, mathematician, poet, priest, philosopher and cryptographer,” adds Noor Mahnun, who is a fan of the Renaissance period.

In another painting entitled Postcard from Tumpat (40cm by 120 cm), she illustrates the iconic sleeping Buddha in Wat Photivihan, a temple located in Kampung Jambu, Tumpat, situated north of Kota Baru, Kelantan. Spanning 40m, the statue is said to be the longest in Southeast Asia.

“I was trying to capture the naivety of the sculpture. Of being at peace or resting. Which brought to mind Goya’s Sleep of Reason, a favourite artwork. I was also thinking of a painting I saw in Tokyo by Takanobu Kobayashi. But of course the ‘recline’ theme recurs in the arts, the Etruscan (tomb) murals and the figures on top of their sarcophagi, for example. I find it all intriguing.”

DISCO LOMBOK

“All of my past solo exhibitions have been associated with a musical performance. I like singing and dancing. Music plays an important part in my life,” says Noor Mahnun.

Thus, disco in this show represents her student days. “The mid-Eighties through the early Nineties were spent in Germany at the height of the rave culture there,” explains the artist, who witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall as a student in 1989. In the spirit of egalitarianism, techno music unified people from East and West Berlin.

The significance of Lombok in this exhibition relates to the collaborative effort between Noor Mahnun and Dina Zaman, the writer of the book I Am Muslim. The Very Clever King of Lombok is a short story derived from a folk tale about a king on the Indonesian island of Lombok. A number of drawings displayed in this exhibition are part of the complete compilation, a work in progress as Noor Mahnun is still documenting visual research/ images to correspond with the text.

“I am hoping to use the sales proceeds of the Lombok series to visit the island as I continue to research illustrations for the short story. The Very Clever King of Lombok got me in deeper, into wanting to know more, about the Wallace Line between the islands of Lombok and Bali. I have always been a fan of Alfred Russell Wallace, so it was a good and happy coincidence when Dina approached me with the project. In Volume One of Wallace’s The Malay Archipelago, the land of the orang-utan and the bird of paradise, Chapter XII was solely about ‘Lombock: How the Rajah Took the Census’. The book itself was dedicated to Charles Darwin,” chirps Noor Mahnun.

POSTCARD, BLOOMS AND SQUIDS

Measuring 57cm by 76cm, Postcard from Delhi is a graphite drawing with a watercolour wash on paper. The postcard-size work was received by Noor Mahnun from her friend Lim Oon Soon, a graphic designer. She illustrates realistically the card as well as the message written on it in watercolour.

In its actual format, this work demonstrates Noor Mahnun’s impeccable skills and her aptitude for detail. Divided into two parts, the front of the postcard — “a reproduction of an old miniature painting” — is depicted on the left side of the paper, composed at the centre of a laborious grid pattern in graphite as background. On the left side, the artist illustrates immaculately the reverse side of the postcard, which features a handwritten message — complete with stamp and the sender’s drawing.

Also featured in this show are six watercolour paintings of females adorned with flowers, such as lady’s slipper orchids, tiger lily, frangipani and camellia. Noor Mahnun portrays herself in six personas decorated with various blooms and wearing different hairstyles. The artist jokes that being a model for her own work is easy because “my model is always punctual”.

Another quintessential theme of Noor Mahnun’s creative oeuvre is the depiction of squids and insects such as beetles, wasps and moths. Insects have been a favourite subject alongside geometric patterns since her days in Berlin.

In Disco Lombok Still Life, Noor Mahnun also showcases eight drawings of squids on paper. “The squid, against a repetitive pattern rendered in pencil, works on paper. My obsession started when I took part in My Story, My Strength: Doodle for Change, an exhibition in aid of the WCC (Women’s Centre for Change) in George Town, Penang, in 2015. At first, I wanted to convey the perseverance and patience of those women whose lives are affected by abuse,” explains Noor Mahnun.

“But in the process of doing the work, the rendering became an obsession, and I got addicted to drawing not only cuttlefish but also the patience-testing, long attention span this series demanded. I have always done patterns but not in minute detail. What was supposed to be an arduous and challenging task became a delightful occupation. I could go on rendering for hours. The ‘squid’ backfired, I suppose. It was chosen because it is languid in the way it moves. It’s smooth, slippery. But it can also swim speedily. Passive. Aggressive. The shape, phallic, has connotations. Being a printmaker, I have always admired Hokusai’s work and one of them featured an octopus and a woman. It is sensual, and I think sensibility is the right word to describe it.”

Here, Noor Mahnun is referring to The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife, a woodblock print created in 1814 by renowned Edo period Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker, Hokusai (1760-1849). The image depicts a woman wrapped in the limbs of two octopuses performing erotic intercourse with her. Inscribed above the image in Japanese calligraphy is a text, which expresses the woman and the creatures’ mutual carnal pleasure.

FROM CHARITY TO COMMUNITY

As a devoted cultural ambassador, Noor Mahnun has dedicated her time and energy to education and to spreading social awareness by collaborating with organisations such as the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, Women’s Centre for Change, Penang, and Sisters in Islam.

She has curated several art exhibitions to raise funds for charity, such as Art for Nature for WWF Malaysia, ArtAid16 Love for Sale last year and ArtAid17 Bebas (Freedom) this year in support of the Malaysian AIDS Council.

In November, Noor Mahnun will curate and participate in a group exhibition of 21 artists entitled Hell, Heaven at Cult Gallery in Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with Sisters in Islam, an organisation that promotes women’s rights “within the frameworks of Islam and universal human rights”.

Her latest endeavour is as a curatorial consultant for Think City Johor Baru, working for the Iskandar Malaysia Community Public Art programme — a joint initiative between the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Think City and Bandung Creative City Forum — which requires her expertise in residency programming gained from her experience at Rimbun Dahan.

With all these activities on her plate, one wonders how Noor Mahnun manages to find time to produce artworks or to relax. In the run-up to Disco Lombok Still Life, I had the privilege of visiting her studio and having numerous discussions over lunch, and I found that Noor Mahnun never leaves her studio without her schedule book, sticky notes, notebooks and writing tools, scribbling down every important detail (dates, appointments, to-do lists, ideas and sketches): a habit that keeps her prompt for our meetings.

Noor Mahnun is indeed a brilliant and independent woman whose career is not confined to art but also includes educational and cultural endeavours, a challenging task not many artists can accomplish.

ARTWORKS

Link to pdf

Made in Malaysia by Ahmad Shukri Mohamed: Works from 2010 to 2017

Date: September 28 – October 13, 2017
Venue: The Edge Galerie, G5-G6, Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 19 Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (permanently closed)

A diverse and thought-provoking series of works by Malaysian contemporary artist Ahmad Shukri Mohamed.

PREGNANT WITH MALAYSIAN MEANING

The Edge Galerie is showcasing a diverse and thought-provoking series of works by Malaysian contemporary artist Ahmad Shukri Mohamed from Sept 28 to Oct 13.

The 48-year-old artist has been creating art for over 20 years and his eighth solo exhibition will feature 23 new and recent works. Entitled Made in Malaysia: Works by Ahmad Shukri Mohamed from 2010 to 2017, the exhibition will be the first by the artist at our gallery.

The show comprises four series — Postcards from Malaya, Made in Malaysia, Golden Gate and Text. These artworks span seven years and depict Shukri’s efforts to “reformulate” the image of his home country and visually and metaphorically “reread our identity”.

The concept of his art is not merely about highlighting the superficial elements of Malaysian culture or things that are identified as being Malaysian. It is about the economic, social and political developments in Malaysia since independence and how the country has been projected on the global stage.

Shukri’s soul-searching works are imbued with subtle and symbolic elements that trigger a sense of recognition or even chagrin, especially among those who take a keen interest in national affairs.

Formerly a member of the disbanded Matahati group that was established in 1989 and comprised Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Ahmad Fuad Osman, Hamir Soib Mohamed and Masnoor Ramli Mahmud, Shukri has forged ahead with his own identity and a distinct style since the collective’s first group exhibition in 1993.

For instance, his Golden Gate series of meticulous paintings show how the country’s rainforest, teeming with flora and fauna, is constantly at risk of being destroyed. The threat is viewed as a dark force.

The 208.4cm by 289cm Garden of Heaven was completed in 2010. Metaphorically illustrating the Malaysian rainforest, the work signifies the perfection and uniqueness of nature. But how do we utilise, manage and preserve such resources without harming the environment?

In Shukri’s latest works in his Text series, the idyllic landscape is layered with alphabets — a collage of cutouts fixed to the canvas and presented as a blackboard: an allusion to the local education system.

The artist offers his interpretation of the political climate, reduced through a text and colour-only approach. Pregnant with meaning, it is not hard to read between the lines and fathom the thoughts behind each work.

Influenced by his mentor Fauzan Omar, a former art lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia and a respected artist, Shukri has incorporated the technique of fabric collage and layering in his work. He was Fauzan’s apprentice for years in the early Nineties.

Among the latest works is a series of images of 12 colonial postcards from various states of Malaya. The images have been transferred onto wood and presented in a variety of gilded frames. Offered as a set and entitled I Was Here, the artwork features nostalgic landscapes of the Malayan era, including a kampung house, coconut plantation, colonial buildings by the riverbank, wildlife and a historical scene from Merdeka Day, among others. Shukri has added a quirky touch by incorporating a collage of birds into it.

This series depicts Shukri’s printmaking technique in his mixed media approach to art-making. His creativity extends beyond painting. Also featured as part of his work are specially designed frames for works such as Kami yang Mengikut Perintah — Yes Boss from the Text series, I Was Here from the Postcards from Malaya series and the Made in Malaysia series.

A collection of nine watercolours derived from newspaper clippings of events are illustrated in a liberal manner in the Made in Malaysia series. Symbolic iconography, such as diamond shapes, silhouettes of handbags, luxury cars, armoured tanks, handcuffs, suicide vests and more, comprises some of the top stories published in local newspapers.

Each watercolour is presented in a unique way — every frame is lined with a fabric such as the traditional songket — with a label embroidered with the title of the exhibition, Made in Malaysia.

Shukri’s paintings are also noted for the way they are framed. The framing is done by Jinjit Station by Patisatustudio, located in Puncak Alam, Selangor. Jinjit Station is a social enterprise established by Shukri and his wife, Umibaizurah Mahir @ Ismail, a ceramic artist.

Last year, The Edge Galerie staged a solo exhibition by Umibaizurah entitled Fragile by Umibaizurah: Recent Works 2015-2016.

With the support of Matrix Concepts, The Edge Galerie presents Ahmad Shukri Mohamed’s Made in Malaysia: Works by Ahmad Shukri Mohamed from 2010 to 2017.

ARTWORKS

Link to pdf

Blooms by Tang Juey Lee

Date: April 20 – May 5, 2017
Venue: The Edge Galerie, G5-G6, Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 19 Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (permanently closed)

Malaysian artist Tang Juey Lee has been painting orchids for the past 40 years and is better known on the Singapore art scene where the press has dubbed him “Singapore’s Orchid Artist”. This show also marks the 30th year since Tang’s first exhibition in Kuala Lumpur in 1986. At the time, the artist painted mainly with watercolour on rice paper. He has since progressed to acrylic paint as his preferred medium on Chinese rice paper with gold flecks.

A PASSION FOR ORCHIDS

Dubbed “Singapore’s Orchid Artist”, 63-year-old Malaysian artist Tang Juey Lee is better known in the city state as he graduated from its Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in the 1970s.

Tang held most of his exhibitions in Singapore, where his meticulous style of painting orchids earned him many accolades. Moreover, the orchid is Singapore’s national flower. But the artist took a 23-year hiatus in the 1990s to establish his own art school and only resumed exhibiting in 2014. Collectors welcomed him with open arms, buying up all his work.

His exquisite paintings of orchid blooms, typically matched with parrots, geese, roosters and ducks, can be said to belong to the flower-and-bird genre of Chinese paintings but combined with Western Realism. Such works have a following among collectors who particularly favour the gongbi style of Chinese art, which focuses on Realist techniques.

Tang initially painted with watercolour on rice paper but progressed to acrylic paint diluted with water to achieve more vibrant and colourful compositions. In his only second one-man show in Kuala Lumpur since 1986, Tang will showcase 20 paintings at The Edge Galerie. Their prices range from RM5,000 to RM21,000 each.

“I paint what I see,” says the veteran artist, adding that he prefers to observe flowers in full bloom, particularly in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where he practises life sketching to hone his skills in rendering lifelike compositions.

Tang’s body of work comprises a variety of orchids — Dendrobium; Cymbidium or boat orchid; Oncidium, commonly known as the Golden Shower or Dancing Lady; Renantanda; Phalaenopsis Blume or moth orchid; and more.

“I have painted over 300 different orchid species in the past 40 years,” remarks Tang.

In addition to these blossoms, the artist incorporates koi, squirrels, kittens and chicks, among other things, as well as insects such as bees and butterflies into his work.

“I recently included animals in my paintings to complement the orchids,” explains Tang, who began pairing his works of flora with fauna in 2013 and using acrylic in 2015.

TECHNIQUES

Tang embraced the traditional bird-and-flower theme and enhanced his subject matter by using acrylic paint on rice paper instead of the conventional ink or watercolour.

“The materials I use are high-quality acrylic paints by Daler-Rowney and rice paper dusted with gold flecks imported from China,” he explains.

“I chose acrylic over watercolour because of its lasting quality. Its fast-drying effect, which is similar to that of watercolour, allows me to work on several paintings at one time. The vibrancy of acrylic paint works best for my subject matter.”

Viewers of Tang’s expressive paintings will feel a great sense of joy. He creates pleasant compositions by carefully placing his choice of flowers with selected animals.

In Lazy Afternoon, created specifically for the show and measuring 86cm by 96cm, Tang illustrates the red Renantanda orchid dispersed across the picture plane in harmony with kittens playing with chicks in the foreground. One of the kittens near a strawberry plant is depicted trying to catch a fish in a net. A snail is seen slithering on the ground.

Such details distinguish Tang as an imaginative and meticulous painter who not only focuses on portraying orchids in their truest form but also adds simple touches to evoke happiness and positive vibes.

The yellow-green leaves that frame the deep red blooms, which dominate the painting, offer a balanced configuration.

“One of the important elements of my work, besides colour, is composition. My aim is to create harmonious paintings that make people happy,” says the artist.

Prosperity Koi illustrates a school of nine of the fish, which have symbolic significance in Chinese culture. The offering of nine koi to new parents is considered the most meaningful gift of all because it will bless the child with two secrets of success — determination and flexibility — which are traits believed to be found in koi.

But the importance of nine koi extends beyond the story of success and harmony to include luck, wealth and protection. The number nine represents completeness and eternity in Chinese culture.

Fluttering Grace depicts an intriguing combination of the Vanda “Miss Joaquim” orchid, banana trees and a company of macaw parrots perched on tree branches. Measuring 68cm by 106cm, the artwork illustrates the landscape of Southeast Asia.

Also apparent in Tang’s body of work are visually stimulating lines and shapes. Illustrated in the 90cm by 68cm Joyful Bliss is the alluring Phalaenopsis Blume orchid with a company of budgerigar parrots either fluttering in the air or perched on a tree branch. The common pet parakeets are illustrated in pastel blue and green.

Traditionally, owning or gifting such a painting reflects a cultured mind or a person schooled in Chinese aesthetic and customs. It goes beyond displaying something that is symbolic of prosperity or merely wishing good luck.

EDUCATION

Born in Johor Baru, Tang studied at Singapore’s Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts from 1974 to 1976 and graduated with a diploma in Western art.

Under the tutelage of renowned Singaporean pioneer artist, Georgette Chen (1906-1993), Tang learnt to incorporate into his paintings Eastern sentiments with Western techniques.

Paris-trained Chen, who painted in the post-Impressionism style, taught Tang the fundamentals of Western compositions, such as perspective.

Tang himself taught at a college that he founded — Raphael Academy of Art — in Johor Baru between 1991 and 1998.

“I was the principal of the now defunct college and taught watercolour to diploma students for seven years. At the same time, I was creating artworks to sell to collectors in Singapore and Australia,” he says.

Although his passion for producing orchid paintings is immeasurable, Tang claims to not have any emotional attachment to his work.

“All of my paintings are sold upon completion. I do not keep any of my old work,” he says when asked if he has an inventory of artworks created over the years.

His tutor Chen had kept most of her paintings until her death in 1993, when the Lee Foundation took custody of her collection. Most of her paintings were then donated to the Singapore Art Museum in 1994.

GLOBAL PRESENCE

According to Tang, who has held international exhibitions since 1977, his artworks are well received in Singapore, Australia and Taiwan.

“My first and only exhibition in Kuala Lumpur was in 1986. Now, 30 years later, I have returned to show my new work,” he says.

Held at Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, the 1986 exhibition was said by the artist to have been supported by Joyce Kuok, then wife of business tycoon Robert Kuok.

Entitled The Dream Landscape Series, the show comprised around 30 watercolour orchid paintings and was officiated at by the then Urban Development Authority chairman Tan Sri Murad Mohd Noor.

Tang was also commissioned by hotels and restaurants in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia to paint for them.

His artworks are in various private collections abroad as well as in the hands of public institutions and corporations, including the Singapore Art Museum, Singapore Changi Airport, Citibank, Gulf International Bank, Shangri-La Group and Royal Holiday Inn in Singapore.

ARTWORKS

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