MALAYSIA EMERGING ARTIST

(MEA)-AN INTRODUCTION
HENRY BUTCHER'S YOUNG
CONTEMPO ART AUCTION
EXCERPTS FROM 'KALEIDOSCOPE'
MEMOIRS OF P.G LIM
WHO WAS CHAMP AKA JENG
KUASA, TANAH DAN HARAPAN-LEAVING
TELL TALE MARKS
JENNIFER P. LINGGI AND THE NEW
SABAH STATE GALLERY
17
#
Ambassador Dato Mohd Yusof Ahmad
Editor-In-Chief
Salam Sejahtera dan salam 1Malaysia!
Selamat bertemu kembali dalam .
Balai Seni Visual Negara (BSVN) terus mengekalkan momentum
dalam memainkan peranan memacu industri seni visual tanah
air. Pelbagai aktiviti pameran dan program sokongan seni
telah dianjurkan untuk memastikan keberadaan seni visual di
dalam membantu pembangunan negara sentiasa disedari.
Maklumbalas dari khalayak mengenai program-program
dan pameran kami adalah baik. Saya bersikap terbuka di
atas apa-apa komen-komen yang membina. Saya percaya,
komen-komen positif akan membantu BSVN meningkatkan
lagi prestijnya dan memberi inspirasi kepada kami untuk
berusaha dengan lebih gigih.
Dalam usaha untuk meningkatkan hubungan baik diantara
BSVN dengan pihak galeri dan pelukis, saya sering menerima
jemputan untuk merasmikan pameran seni atau program-
program seni yang berkaitan sama ada oleh pelukis ternama
mahu pun pelukis yang sedang meningkat naik. Saya
percaya ini merupakan peluang terbaik untuk kami berkongsi
pengalaman, ilmu dan mencurah idea dalam merancakkan
aktiviti seni visual tempatan.
Saya juga melihat perkembangan yang sihat dalam seni visual
tanah air apabila pelbagai program seni dianjurkan oleh
pihak swasta, persendirian mahupun institusi awam. Program
Art Expo Malaysia 2012 (AEM 2012) yang akan diadakan di
MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC) bermula
pada 27 hingga 30 September 2012 misalnya merupakan
salah satu program yang berpotensi untuk menjana ekonomi
melalui industri kreatif dan menjadikan Kuala Lumpur sebagai
Hub Seni Budaya di rantau Asia. BSVN sekali lagi menjadi
penganjur bersama dalam acara ini. Penganjuran program-
program sebegini telah membantu menjana ekonomi negara
sekaligus memupuk kesedaran kepada khalayak.
Dalam pembentukan seni moden dan kontemporari
Malaysia, BSVN sentiasa berusaha mempamerkan pameran
yang berkualiti. Karya-karya yang dipilih beserta tema yang
sesuai akan dikaji dan diperhalusi sebaiknya oleh pasukan
kuratorial kami agar pameran kami sentiasa relevan dengan
perkembangan ilmu seni moden dan kontemporari Malaysia.
Wacana-wacana kesenian, perdebatan ilmu dan pemupukan
kesedaran tentang Hak Cipta karya pula merupakan aktiviti
sokongan yang amat penting dalam membentuk minat
kepada pelajar, pensyarah, pendidik dan penyelidik seni
serta memberi kesedaran kepada setiap pengkarya tentang
kepentingan mendaftar apa jua karya seni. Sehubungan itu
satu sesi ceramah telah diadakan pada 7 September 2012 lalu
oleh Perbadanan Harta Intelek Malaysia (MyIPO) di Auditorium
BSVN bersempena dengan pelancaran pameran Kuasa,
Harapan dan Tanah sebuah pameran yang berkisar tentang
kemerdekaan tanah air.
Pameran-pameran terbaharu kami termasuk TERBAHARU-
Recent Acquisitions yang mempersembahkan 100 buah karya
terpilih dari 370 buah karya pelbagai disiplin seni yang julung-
julung kalinya dipaparkan kepada khalayak. Para pengunjung
akan dapat melihat karya-karya terbaik oleh pelukis
tempatan yang baru dibeli oleh BSVN. Proses perolehan karya
merupakan satu proses yang panjang dan karya yang benar-
benar berkualiti sahaja dipilih untuk dijadikan
khazanah negara.
Lain-lain pameran memberi penekanan terhadap aliran-aliran
dalam ilmu seni seperti pameran fotografi Waktu dan Ketika,
pameran Kartun TULEN Malaysia dan pameran Saksi dan
Bukti yang menekankan kepada proses penghasilan karya
sebelum karya akhir dipersembahkan kepada khalayak.
BSVN juga telah menerbitkan sebuah buku berjudul GRAFFITI
KL sebuah dokumentasi mengenai gerakan kumpulan pelukis
seni graffiti di Malaysia. Buku yang pada awalnya diinspirasikan
oleh mendiang Jeng atau lebih dikenali sebagai Champ
Teh memaparkan sejarah penubuhan kumpulan pelukis seni
graffiti tempatan yang boleh dijadikan rujukan atau panduan
kepada mana-mana penyelidik yang inginkan maklumat
tambahan mengenai seni graffiti di Malaysia.
Kesemua yang saya sebutkan diatas hanyalah sekelumit kecil
tanggungjawab saya amnya dan kakitangan BSVN khususnya.
Kami akan terus berusaha untuk memberi perkhidmatan yang
terbaik kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia dan memastikan
aspirasi kerajaan melalui seni dapat dicapai dengan
jayanya. Saya juga tidak lupa untuk mengucapkan terima
kasih kepada Kementerian Penerangan, Komunikasi dan
Kebudayaan (KPKK) diatas sokongan yang diberikan selama
ini. Semoga kita terus maju dan bergerak seiring dalam menuju
sebuah bangsa yang berjaya.
Greetings of peace and 1Malaysia greetings!
We meet again in .
The National Visual Art Gallery or Balai Seni Visual Negara
(BSVN) continues its momentum in its role to expand the
nations visual arts industry. Various exhibitions and
sustainable artistic programmes were organised to ensure
an awareness of the existence of visual arts in promoting
national development.
We receive positive feedback from the public regarding
our programmes and exhibitions. I am open-minded about
any constructive comments with the belief that all positive
comments will help BSVN to augment its performance and will
inspire us to double our efforts more diligently.
In the endeavor to develop good relations between BSVN
with the gallery and artists, I often receive invitations to
perform official duties at arts exhibitions or related artistic
progammes, either from renowned artists or those whose
names are on the rise. I believe this to be the best opportunity
for us to share our experiences, knowledge and to brainstorm
ideas in stimulating local visual art activities.
I also observe a healthy development in the countrys visual
art when a variety of art programmes are organised by the
private sector, individuals as well as public institutions. The
programme Art Expo Malaysia 2012 (AEM 2012) which will
be held at the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre
(MECC) beginning 27-30 September 2012 will be one of the
potential programmes to generate the economy through
creative industry thus making Kuala Lumpur the Cultural
Hub of Asia. BSVN will once again be the co-organiser in
this event. Organising these programmes have helped in
generating the national economy and at the same time in
fostering public awareness.
In the formation of a modern and contemporary Malaysian
art, BSVN constantly tries to hold quality exhibitions. Suitable
works of art and themes chosen are considered and fine-
tuned as best as possible by our curatorial team so that our
exhibitions are always relevant with the development of
modern and contemporary Malaysian art. Cultural discourses,
knowledgeable debates and nurturing awareness on the
copyrights of works of art are also important sustainable
activities to inculcate the interest of art students, lecturers,
educators and researchers and to provide awareness to
every artist on the importance of registering whatever art
work. Related to this, a talk was held on 7 September 2012
by the Malaysian Intellectual Property Office (MyIPO) at the
BSVN Auditorium in conjunction with the launching of the
Power, Hope and Land exhibition, which was about the
nations freedom.
The latest exhibitions include NEW-Recent Acquisitions
which showcase 100 arts chosen from 370 works of art from
various disciplines to be shown for the first time to the public.
Visitors will be able to view the best works of art by local artists
which were recently acquired by the BSVN. The process
of acquisition of these works of art has been a long one to
ensure only truly quality works are chosen to become national
treasure.
Other exhibitions gave attention to the channels in art
disciplines like the photography exhibition Waktu dan
Ketika (Time and Moment), cartoon exhibition Kartun TULEN
Malaysia (Malaysian AUTHENTIC Cartoon), and the exhibition
Saksi dan Bukti (Witness and Proof), which stressed upon
the process of producing a work of art before the final work
is presented to the public. BSVN has also produced a book
entitled GRAFFITI KL, a documentation of Malaysian graffiti
artists. The book which was first inspired by the late Jeng or
better known as Champ Teh, describes the history of the
formation of the local graffiti artists group and can be a
reference or guide to researchers who are seeking additional
knowledge on graffiti art in Malaysia.
All that I have mentioned above are only a small part of
my general responsibility and the BSVN staff in particular.
We will continue our efforts to render the best service to all
Malaysians and to ensure that the governments aspirations
are successfully achieved through art. I would like to express
my deepest appreciation and thank you to the Ministry
of Information, Communication and Culture (KPKK) for its
ongoing support. May we continue to progress and move
together in achieving a successful race.
Tiga Artis di Pameran Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts 1861-2011, Paris
| Rahimidin Zahari
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PUBLISHER
Balai Seni Visual Negara (BSVN)
National Visual Arts Gallery Malaysia (NVAG)
Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture Malaysia
No 2. Jalan Temerloh Off Jalan Tun Razak 53200 Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA
P : 603 4026 7000 F : 603 4025 4987 W : www.artgallery.gov.my
| EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ambassador Dato Mohd Yusof Ahmad l EDITOR Tan Seihon |
ASSISTANT EDITORS Hasimah Nyok, Osmihamidy Osman, Norsharzeela Shaharuddin
| HEAD DESIGNER Shamizar Rahim | DESIGNER Norhaslina Ahmad Kamsin |
PHOTOGRAPHY Mohd Khazrul Sharuddin, Mohd Yuzaini Ahmed, Mohd Adzim Abd Wahab,
Intan Idarina Mohammad Kusaiirry & Mohammad Hisyamuddin Ramli | Translation of Editor's
Notes by Zuriyadi Sarpin
senikini is designed by Nuzaihan Mustapa
Charles Cham : The Man Behind the Painted Faces | Tan Seihon
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Zainal Abidin Musa-Painting at His Own Happy Pace | Anis Rozalina Ramli
Alism-Ali Nurazmal Yusoff | Azzad Diah
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27
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Chin Kon Yit Revisited | Shelby Switzer
10
Who was Champ aka Jeng | Joanne Teh
08-
09
Malaysia Emerging Artist (MEA)-An Introduction | Tan Seihon
11
Art for All 2012 | Tan Hui koon
Seni Ukiran | Siti Maisarah Bakar
17
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Artistry (Pt 2) | Tan Seihon
Henry Butcher's Young Contempo Art Auction
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15
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21
24-
25
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Waktu dan Ketika-Pameran Fotograf BSVN
Rogue Art presents: Narratives In Malaysian Art
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C O N T E N T S
can be accessed at
senikinibsln.blogspot.com
Any feedbacks and comments please email to
us at : sharzeela@artgallery.gov.my and
hasimah@artgallery.gov.my
The publisher, National Visual Arts Gallery
Malaysia, holds the copyright to
all editorial content.
SENIKINI (ISSN : 1985-7233) is published
four times a year by the National Visual Arts
Gallery Malaysia.
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2012 SENIKINI Malaysian Art
Now Printed in Malaysia.
COVER ART for
#17 is a
mural by Aisyah
Baharuddin,
They & Rat.
'Untitled'
paint, spray paint &
stencil (2012)

Kuasa, Tanah dan Harapan-Leaving Tell Tale Marks | Qasim Riza Shaheen
Jennifer P. Linggi and the new Sabah Art Gallery | Jerome Kugan
BSVN Sana-Sini
Introducing Jiet Wong | Tan Hui Koon
'Dialogue 2'-Bringing Southeast Asia Closer
Excerpts from 'Kaleidescope' Memoirs of P.G Lim
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Dialog Seniman Kontemporari-Arca (1) | Kamariah Abdullah
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'Terima Kasih Daun Keladi'-Nuriman Amri | Tan Seihon
G A L L E R Y
COMING SOON
Portraits of Malaysians about Malaysia
www. ar t gal l er y. gov. my
Tiga Artis di Pameran Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts 1861-2011, Paris
| Rahimidin Zahari
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www.artgallery.gov.my
www. a r t g a l l e r y. g o v. my
www. a r t g a l l e r y. g o v. my
G13 Gallery & Gaya Art Space presents 'Dialogue
II', a collaboration exhibition that brings Malaysian
and Indonesian artists together in an environment of
exchange and discourse.
The aim of 'Dialogue II' is to hope that the neighbours
will get to know one another a little better and
that the art flourishes as a result. With the works in
Dialogue II, you will gain the privilege of looking at
the differences or similarities of the artworks produced
in two different Southeast Asian countries. Beyond the
visual feast, whats more important is to talk about
it, engage in the dialogue itself, and to learn a little
bit about the person next to you. Art is a vehicle that
breaks down the barrier.
The Malaysian artists participating in the show
includes EH Chee, Stephen Menon, Jeganathan
Ramachandram, Calvin Chua and Faizal Suhif.
They are joined by four Indonesian counterparts
Nyoman Sujana Kenyem, Putu Sudiana Bonuz, I
Wayan Sujana (Suklu) and I Made Arya Palguna.
All four artists are based in Bali & Jogja, one of
Indonesias chief creative hubs.
All nine artists have achieved considerable success
in their own countries and with 'Dialogue II', they will
have the opportunity to share their experiences with
each other, as well as to learn more about what life
as an artist is like in their neighbouring country.
'Dialogue's format is unique. Whilst each artist has
produced works in their own homeland, the artists
themselves came together prior to the exhibition in
the spirit of dialogue, where they exchange ideas,
experiences and communicate about their works and
lives as both Malaysian and Indonesian artists.

As part of the exchange,the artists will conduct studio
and gallery visits, meet local collectors as well as
conduct an open workshop and group discussion.
The goal is to foster regional ties as well as to bring our
barriers down, making regional art more accessible to
both those in the art community, and the
general public.
'Dialogue II' is the second leg of two periods of
exchange. The first took place last year in Malaysia
from 12 November-4 December 2011.
The Indonesian leg of 'Dialogue' took place on the
21 July-21 August 2012.
Artworks on show include paintings and mixed
media works.
Gaya Art Space is located at JL Raya Sayan,
Ubud Bali, Indonesia, 80571.
Tel : +62(0)361-979252/979253
Fax : +62(0)361-975895
Email: artspace@gayafusion.com
For more information, please visit the gallerys official website :
www.gayafusion.com
For all media inquiries, please contact:
G13 Gallery
Kenny Teng-HP : 019 - 2114697
+603 7880 0313/info@g13gallery.com
Closer Through Dialogue
pg/7
Champ was born a boy with a heart of art.
During his school years, his bags, books and
stationary items would have his very own
customized artwork. As he grew up, his drawing
skills spread on to furnitures, doors, walls and in
locations that upset adults, sometimes. He first saw
graffiti on the album cover of LMF (Lazy Mutha
Fucka), a canto rap group from Hongkong. So, he
started carving the band's logo on school tables
and tagging it on the school facilities. By then he
was pretty immune to scolding and warnings.

Starting into graffiti, the first tag he did was
Northpark back in Alor Setar, and his first piece
was NPK, a name created together with his
hometown buddies. He studied the graphic nature
of graffiti and experimented with the font styles
as well as techniques such as spray painting and
stenciling. He had an eye for words on labels or
signboards, and always managed to make boring
advertisements interesting. I would be his favorite
little follower and was always amused with what he
did or said. Where did he get all those crazy ideas
that I had never thought of?
After high school, he went off to study at Dasein
Academy of Art, Kuala Lumpur (KL). He did a
piece in the unit which he was renting at the time,
over the wall and door entrance. I wonder if the
landlord appreciated that. His college lifestyle was
pretty quiet. Nevertheless, he hung out with friends
at times and enjoyed going to indie music gigs.
The live performances and musicians inspired
him through their passion for music and it was an
exploration for him to see art in a different way.
When it was time to go to Wanganui, New
Zealand to further his degree, he was terrified
and excited at the same time. Throughout the
year at Wanganui School of Design, he spent
time exploring various art forms and mediums,
at the same time keeping an ardent interest in
graffiti. He even wrote to a local newspaper to
voice his stand when there was a public outcry
on graffiti as vandalism. He was so proud to see
his comments being published. His graffiti work
became more conceptual as time went by,
moving away from writing his name in block letters
or semi wild style, to adopting a very graphic
approach towards graffiti instead.
Champ observed people and society through a
different structure and perspective and came up
with a graffiti project called Rich Ill Punks (R.I.P.)
with two artists over there; the concept was
based on existentialism. Rich is a metaphor for
people who exist for others, Ill is a metaphor for
people who have no idea why they exist whereas
Punks is a metaphor for people who exist for
themselves. I found that an interesting point of
view on social values.
Another self-initiated project he put together was
the Infinite Hope Project to promote non-violence
and to stop racism among the public, as his friends
and himself had received racist remarks while in
New Zealand. The project title was inspired by
the quote We must never lose infinite hope by
Martin Luther King. He spent a fine day at Tepapa
Skatepark in Wellington, producing the mural
and chatting with passers-by about their beliefs,
dreams, and hopes. Kia Kaha, he said to me. It
means stay strong in the Maori language.
After completing his studies, he came back to
Malaysia and became more and more active
in the local graffiti scene. His favourite line
"Jeng jeng jeng!" was a trademark
expression. JENG was his tag.
leading to a front page coverage in The Star.
I was amazed that he had managed to
produce such a huge portrait which captured
her heartfelt expression.
By 2009, when I came back to KL city, it was
buzzing with graffiti emerging around various
corners. I was very excited when I got to go on a
bombing adventures by the Jelatek riverbank
with my brother and his friends. Is it illegal? Well,
depending on how we see it, I call the act
beautifying. KL city would be such a lovely place
if there are wonderful, and powerful art in public
spaces. Its a gift from our local talents to the
society. My brother did a brush-painted portrait of
me that day. I was there, indulging in the moment
of painting along a riverbank in Malaysia for the
first time ever. We did a collabo, and it was a
celebration of that tingle of happiness a little girl
felt, to know that her artist
brother found her cool enough
to be painted.
Later that year, as local graffiti
artists came together to initiate
a graffiti jam, the KL City
Council (DBKL) decided to step
in to host the event. It seems
that the graffiti artists efforts
were swallowed by the media
and promotion agenda of
having the City Council showing
support and acknowledgement
towards youth culture. That
aside, the pieces on the wall
were amazing and it was all
from the hardwork and sweat
of each artist who were there to
make their mark.
pg/8
It was an interpretation of a Chinese word ,
which when pronounced in Cantonese is Jeng,
meaning 'very good, top notch'.
Graffiti in Malaysia was still young at that time but
there were already mad talents throwing up pieces
on walls along the riverbank in KL. He was chilling
with the TLG crew, namely They, Snozze, Bibichun
and a few others, spending late nights creating
their masterpieces while the city was sleeping.
At one point, he liked using cigarette boxes as
graphics in his works. Slowly after, he moved away
from spray painting and explored the use of a 10
inch paint brush and household paints for portraits.
He painted huge portraits of people on the streets
to highlight the value of each individual, thus giving
importance to empathy.
In 2008 when the news of Yasmin Ahmads sudden
passing broke out, he felt the loss. He had been
following her work since Sepet, which he watched
about seven times. It unfailingly evoked the
emotions and optimism he had for Malaysia. Off he
went to the Klang riverbank and painted a mural
as his personal tribute to Yasmin Ahmad. It took him
over 3 hours to complete the painting of Yasmin,
while Kioue, another artist, painted a wailing Indian
boy to compliment the portrait. In Champs words,
Yasmin's works have always been a reflection of
herself and speaks of harmony, forgiveness and
humility. Yasmin Ahmad will live on in the hearts of
anak-anak Malaysia as the talented and loving
story teller. The painting received much acclaim
| JOANNE TEH
They took to the walls along the Klang riverbank
near Central Market and the public had the
opportunity to feast their visual senses on the huge,
wonderful pieces that had been created on what
before were just plain, empty spaces. It was the
biggest graffiti jam in Malaysia at that time and
a milestone marking the rising interest in graffiti
culture among the youth.
The idea of documenting all graffiti artists and
their work popped up, and Champ contacted
the National Visual Arts Gallery (NVAG) to discuss
the idea. He was really happy that they were
supportive. He started off on a mission to compile
details and artworks of those who were making
their mark in graffiti at that time. Eventually, he
left his full time job as a graphic designer to focus
on his projects and the book. Over the period,
he preferred to spend time alone and stopped
keeping in touch with friends. Not known to
many, he was suffering from Bipolar-disorder. He
attempted counseling sessions and medication to
help him get back on track. However, very sadly,
he left us on 15 December 2010.
After his passing, my aunt Chrisie and uncle John
helped to finalize the compilation of the book.
Unfortunately circumstances forced them to move
overseas and the book production was stalled
for about a year. I finally met up with Seihon
from NVAG to push through the final production
of the book. It is to complete Champs mission
to document graffiti art in the year 2009, with an
insight into the thoughts of the graffiti artists who
were featured. We have kept the content as
original as Champ would have liked it to be.
Graffiti KL is a showcase of the works and thoughts
of graffiti artists back in 2009. Some stayed,
some disappeared. Over the years, there were
international events initiated by local graffiti artists,
and writers from other countries were invited to
exchange ideas, in an effort to promote graffiti
art as a whole. Looking at the scene today, we
can see how graffiti has evolved through the hard
work and talent of artists who stayed true to their
passion. Recognize that.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my
upmost gratitude to each and every one who has
rendered help and contributed to the process of
compiling and producing this book. For those who
had crossed paths with Champ, may the memories
of the good times warm your hearts.
Kuala Lumpur, 7 July 2012-In supporting the development
of Malaysian visual art, RogueArt today unwrapped
the first of the four-volume 'Narratives in Malaysian Art'
publication, titled Imagining Identities. The not for profit
publication,which has brought together leading and
emerging figures in the art scene, gathers knowledge and
perspectives on the history, practice and infrastructure of
visual art in Malaysia.
Narratives in Malaysian Art Volume I:
Imagining Identities highlights the ways
in which art has provided artists with
the means of imagining themselves
and our nation. It features a collection
of 19 essays comprisingfive reprinted
seminal texts from the 1970s to 90s and
newly commissioned essays by writers
across different generations. The articles
discuss art developments in relation to
changing expressions and experiences
in Malaysian social and cultural life from
late colonial to contemporary times,
while 140 illustrations create a parallel
visual narrative.
Speaking at the launch hosted by
the National Visual Arts Gallery (NVAG), Beverly Yong,
Director and Co-Founder of RogueArt who is also one of
the two Editor-in-Chiefs of the book said, It is important to
document the rich and diverse art history and practices
of Malaysia. That is why we brought together a group of
passionate editors and writers to develop Narratives in
Malaysian Art, so readers can find out more about the
evolution and significance of local visual art.
We hope that this project will cultivate understanding and
appreciation among Malaysians for the nations visual art as
well as serve as a referenceforresearchers, practicing artists,
and the overall art community, she added.
This first volume includes writing by renowned Southeast
Asian art historian T.K. Sabapathy who is also the
consulting editor, as well as leading artist figures Syed
Ahmad Jamal, Redza Piyadasa and Sulaiman
Esa. Various cultural writers, curators, artists
and academics such as Anurendra Jegadeva,
Beverly Yong, Adeline Ooi, Chai Chang
Hwang, Emelia Ong, Izmer Ahmad, Kelvin
Chua, Laura Fan, Ooi Kok Chuen, Rahimidin
Zahari, Safrizal Shahir, Siti Zainon Ismail, Tengku
Sabri Ibrahim, Yee I-Lann, Zakaria Ali and
Zainol Shariff have also contributed existing
and new writing to the volume.
The remaining three volumes of Narratives
in Malaysian Art, which aim to cover art
practices, infrastructure and discourse, will be
launched in phases over the next 18 months.
Co-Editor-in-Chief NurHanim Khairuddin
expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all who
supported the project. We are immensely grateful to
our corporate, institutional and individual supporters for
making the project possible, and to the art community for
their enthusiastic encouragement in our journey towards
creating a publication that documents our countrys
artistic heritage for todays generation and
generations to come.
Our country boasts a rich and diverse visual art history
and practice that we should all be proud of. We are glad
to be able to share this with all Malaysians, she added.
The publications are made possible by the funding
and support of various corporations and individuals,
namely-Khazanah Heritage and Art Initiative, National
Visual Arts Gallery, Bangsar Village (EngLian Enterprise),
GudangDamansara, Malakoff Corporation Berhad,
TenagaNasionalBerhad, Libra InvestBerhad, Helu-Trans (S)
Pte Ltd, theKrishenJit-ASTRO Fund, Kenneth Tan, Rosemary
and Steve Wong, and the 30 Art Friends, as well asFriends
and other supporters of the project.
Narratives in Malaysian Art Volume I:Imagining Identitiesis
priced at RM 35 and is available in both English and
Bahasa Malaysia at selected bookstores nationwide.
All profits from sales of books will be re-channelled into
the development and promotion of the Narratives in
Malaysian Art project.
pg/9
Grafti KL
-Essays by Champ Teh
-Featuring works by selected
grafti artists based in
Kuala Lumpur
- English
About RogueArt
RogueArt are Southeast Asian art specialists based in
Kuala Lumpur focusing on the creative, strategic and
organisational management of art and cultural projects,
exhibitions, collections and publications. RogueArt
believe that existing cultural institutions and the private
and corporate sector have much to give, and to gain,
in supporting contemporary cultural production. At the
same time, the company explores alternative modes of
presenting, thinking about and looking at art and culture
in the regional context.
It
would be easy to say that stepping into the
'Chin Kon Yit: Revisited' exhibition at Shalini
Ganendra Fine Art is like stepping back in time. Each
of the original 62 watercolors gives a glimpse of Kuala
Lumpur as it was in 1998, Penang in 2001, or Malacca in
2003, the last remaining originals of Chins acclaimed
Sketchbooks. He presents each subject, be it a colonial
building, a suburban townhouse, or a Malacca trishaw
[see images], with such loving precision and detail that
you know he is aiming to record every inch of these
places and objects for posterity. Indeed, it is
these sketchbooks which made Chins name
synonymous with heritage.
For many, heritage suggests retrospection, nostalgia,
elements of the past, yet underlying these glimpses of
nine, eleven, fourteen years ago, is a timelessness that
not only has made this exhibition a success but also
keeps Chin Kon Yit relevant in the current decade and
will for decades to come. Heritage is not fixed, and in
these watercolors Chin shows us the ever-changing and
culturally diverse heritage of his Malaysian homeland.
He presents this simply and directly in East & West,
Penang 2001, focusing on two attached buildings, one
with a traditional, bright Chinese faade and the other
in the stately, Colonial architectural style indicative
of Malaysias long-standing Western influences. More
recent developments in Malaysias changing culture
can be seen in watercolors like Jalan Dormaisamy, KL,
1998, in which Chin depicts brick suburban townhouses
with impressive detail. The interesting signs of modernity
are the Washington Apple truck parked in front of
a house and the more subtle chainlink fence, only
noticeable to the careful observer.
In Malacca Trishaw, Malacca, 2003, he presents a
well-known, brightly colored symbol of Malacca, but
with-unusually for Chin-a human figure sharing the
spotlight. Chin has said that such images are, in part
at least, sentimental reflections on his childhood, but
this sensitive treatment of the driver, who stares out
at us in a lumpy t-shirt, contrasting so much with the
shiny perfection of the trishaw, immediately makes us
ask-who is this driver? Where is he today? Just like all
of the paintings in this exhibition, Malacca Trishaw
presents us with questions not only of the past, but of
the present and future.
The pieces in the exhibition cover a range of
subjects with a focus on architecture, demonstrating
Chins interest in the entirety of Malaysian culture
evident in the countrys varied buildings: mosques,
churches, townhouses, boats passing houses on stilts,
and more share wall space without discrimination
based on architectural style or import. He includes
less identifiable and perhaps, at first glance, more
mundane scenes, as in JalanDoraisamy, often
choosing his subjects for their architectural content
and their real representation of Malaysian life, rather
than for their historical or landmark value.
These scenes, characterized by Chins accuracy of
proportions, adept control of watercolor, and clean
lines, emerge from the blank page without frames
or parameters, like dreams or memories within the
mind. Chin considers buildings themselves to be gifts
of time, but many of the ones documented here
are fast disappearing, making this exhibition at SGFA
seem at first like a monument to the past. But at the
same time, it carries messages for the present and
creates dialogue about the future.
Exhibition on through August 15, 2012 :
SHALINI GANENDRA FINE ART@Gallery Residence
8 Lorong 16/7B, Section 16, PJ Selangor
Te l: +603 7960 4740
Hours : Tues -Sat : 11am-7pm
www.shaliniganendra.com
FB : SGFA
| SHELBY SWITZER
pg/10
The
normal
response
from
the public is that they are pleasantly
surprised to see such quality home-
grown creativity and expressions, and
as for the judges, their responses are
usually direct assessment or responses
from the exhibited works within their
areas of expertise.

Art Awards are an
important component for
the industry. It stimulates
the industry and increases
its exposure. Whether it is privately run or
institutionally led, it is in celebration of new
developments in contemporary art.
We at HOM and Galeri Chandan believes that
the Malaysian Emerging Artist Award serves the
needs of this particular segment of the market. We
are also humbled by the support of 30 Artfriends
(a loose collaboration of 30 art collectors in South
East Asia). Their support signaled the importance
in cultivating young talents for the industry. Apart
from the available art awards in the industry, other
industry players and institutions can play a part
in recognising and honouring the various other
segments of the industry, so that the industry is
developed as a whole.
For a complete list of past winners and history of the MEA,
please visit http://matahati-meaa.blogspot.com.
in expressing the visual
narrative of his/her
chosen medium and the
depth of their techniques
and composition. There is
no one winner; it is more
towards identifying the
top 5 emerging talents
and providing them with
a conducive platform
for them to discover their
true potential.
For this reason, our
prizes are aimed to be
nurturing in nature. The
awards are given to
5 artists and each will
receive a cash prize
and a voucher for art
materials. As a
group, they will
be given a travel
grant to a South
East Asian city and the
opportunity for each artist
to showcase their works in an
exhibition after that. The travel
grant is organised to include visits to artist studios,
art collectives, museums and private collections,
and contemporary art galleries in the city of
travel. This is to give the winners the exposure from
various perspective of the industry outside Malaysia
and at the same time provides them a valuable
networking potential.
What were the challenges faced in organizing the
competition?
We are fortunate that there has not been any that
was not able to be solved.
Since the competition involves encouraging and
giving opportunities to the younger generation,
what are some of the challenges faced in the
process?
There has not been any of major
significance, fortunately.
Who are involved with the judging? How are the
judges themselves selected?
The judges come from the industry itself; it is a
balanced mix of artists, curators, collectors and
academicians.
How are the public and the also the judges
response to the MEA?
When did the first MEA started?
It started back in 2009; its a bi-annual competition.
Who were the original initiators? How were the
program formulated and what needs did it
aimed to fulfill?
The original initiators were Bayu Utomo Radjikin of
House of Matahati (HOM) and Mohammad Nazli
Abdul Aziz of Galeri Chandan. It is simply an event
that is devoted to the discovery, introduction and
promotion of emerging artists. The program was not
formulated to fill any needs. Both HOM and Galeri
Chandan are advocates of affirmative action in
the Malaysian Visual Arts Industry.
What were the motives or objectives of the
competition (long term implication for the
art scene)?
As mentioned, we started it based on a simple
objective of discovering and promoting emerging
artists. However, some industry observers have
seen it as a platform for emerging artists to be
recognized by the industry. We prefer to remain
true to its original intent although we also see it as
an important eco-system for the industry.
What are the criteria, guidelines? How does one
define talented (in terms of concept, technical
skill, etc) and prizes?
Submissions are open to all Malaysian artists of 35
years old and below. Works have to be new and
exclusive and has not been exhibited before.
The submissions are not judged purely on talent
or any such definition, but the ability of the artist
| TAN SEIHON
pg/11
Portrayal of Develofment Series #7, 2012
Acrylic on canvas, 105 x 122 cm
Affection, 2012, Oil on canvas, 124.5 x 168 cm
Both of Us, 2012, Acrylic on canvas, 102 x 122 cm
Bagai Menanti Bulan Jatuh Ke Riba..,2012,
Ball point on canvas, 136 x 90 cm
The Hand Awakening, 2011,
Wood, 104 x 48 x 65 cm
Tan Seihon (TSH) : Where and when were you born?
Anything particularly interesting that you would like to
share about your background?
Charles Cham (CC): I was born in Malacca in 1962.
When I was 5 years old, I watched a movie in the old
Savoy cinema (which has since been demolished) in
Malacca about an artist in ancient China with a magic
brush. Everything he painted became alive. He painted
fish and they swam away in the river. He painted birds
and they flew away. Finally he painted a woman, she
became alive, the movie ended, and the magic started
for me. I went home and immediately started to draw
portraits of the artist on the floor. These were
my first portraits.
I think when you were 5, you'll believe everything that
you see and luckily for me, my first movie was not The
Godfather I wanted to be like the artist with the
magic brush. I think it was a movie based on the
ancient Chinese folklore of "Ma Liang and The Magic
Brush" but it wasn't a cartoon. It was a costume drama.
TSH: Where did you study art formally and when? Who
were you initial influences back then?
CC: Ever since the movie, art (or rather drawing)
became my central preoccupation when I was growing
up. My school books were filled with sketches and
cartoons at every little spaces available. I did not have
many artists to look up to then as information was pretty
limited, but I was never really interested in painting
landscapes or still life in school. My love was painting
people, basically figures and portraits.
I've always considered myself "self-taught in France",
because that's where I started to paint seriously.
I believe art cannot be taught but can be learned
by one's self. In art institutions, it is the craft of making
paintings, drawings etc that they are teaching, not art
really. You are either born an artist or you are not. You
can sharpen your skills in an art institution or by yourself,
which is of course a longer road to take, but by doing
so, you are yourself and real, and not having to paint
in a certain manner or school. You don't have rules to
adhere to. I was with the cole des Beaux-Arts de Toulon
for some time but after a while I realized that it was just
a waste of time for me and my money, so I went back to
Aix-en-Provence and painted with the Association des
Artistes Indpendants Aixois. I painted with them during
my stay in France and exhibited in their annual
Salon des Indpendants.
In France, the two painters I was most connected with
were Modigliani and Toulouse Lautrec. I was also very
inspired with the presence of works of Matisse, Czanne
and Picasso. I used to track up Mount Saint Victoire
immortalized by Cezanne in his paintings and to
Vauvenargues where Picasso's body was buried in the
Chateau de Vauvenargues.
TSH: Why did you choose to go to France?
Which part of the country specifically?
CC: The truth is that I just followed my heart. One day,
while still working in The Star, I was lying down and
suddenly I told myself "I must go to France". So after
more than a year I did just that, quit my job and went
to France, to Aix-en-Provence. I did not know where Aix
was and why I chose it. I just know that I had to go there.
Even after I've landed in Paris and needed to take a
connecting flight to Marseille before going to Aix, I still
did not know where Aix was until I reached there.
I remember vividly, in one evening in autumn, in a street
filled with leaves from the platane trees, I was sitting on
the only suitcase I had, thinking and asking, "what do
I do next?"
That was the beginning of my life as an artist.
I first went to France in 1988 and stayed till 1991.
I went to Aix-en-Provence, and stayed just a few doors
away from Paul Czanne's studio (now Paul Czanne
Museum). I was so intrigued to see the apples that he
painted a century ago were still lying on the
table and shelves.
In 1994-1998 I was living mostly in New York. There I
discovered artists from the Action Painting group like
Jackson Pollock, and of course graffitti and Keith Haring
and Jean Michel Basquiat. What I love most about this
group of artist is that everything is done in such
a casual manner.
In 2003-2006 I was living in Szentendre, just north
of Budapest by the Danube bend. I had another
Orangutan House there during that time but closed
when we return to Malacca.
TSH: Your paintings have strong characteristics that
recalls of Primitivism. Can you elaborate on this and why
did you adopted this approach? Who were your favorite
painters at that time?
CC: I did not choose to paint in this manner or subject.
Somehow it just happened. When I was a kid, my
strong point was portraiture and cartoons. I could do
caricatures very well. Later, when I went to France,
painting with the members of the Association, we had
models almost daily for the nudes and portraits. When
I returned to Malacca, I could not get models to pose
nude for me, only for portraits (even then, they were
more interested in their own likeliness than the artwork)
So, I turned to my collection of wooden masks, figurines
and totem poles which I had been collecting from
around the world and mainly from Borneo.
I love the simplicity of the tribal masks and primitive
sculptures from around the world. They all looked pretty
similar and yet they are all very different at the same
time. It's good to see tribes from different places which
have never met, eg Borneo and Africa, making
very similar work.
Tan Seihon interviews Malacca-
based International artist,
Charles Cham.
Blue on Blue on Blue, 122 x122 cm, oil on canvas, 2012
pg/12
I think this is because it's instinctive and it is therefore
real. We all try to achieve that.When I was in France, I
was definitely inspired by Czanne, Gauguin, Toulouse-
Lautrec, Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani.
TSH: What was special about France that had a lasting
impact on the way you approach and make art?
CC: Freedom and Passion.
TSH: The Orangutan House (OH) is a landmark for those
in the know. Your designs on the merchandise sold at
OH are also very popular. Can you share with us the
motivation behind the setting up of OH?
CC: While in France, I had this idea about setting up an
art studio in Jonker Street Malacca, where I could paint
and show my work and at the same time a place to
exchange ideas with local and foreign artists. When I
came back to Malacca with a bunch of nude paintings
and sketches, I wanted to exhibit them but was rejected
by all. So I decided that the only way I was going to
exhibit them was to set up my own place. So it was out
of necessity that The Orangutan House was born. It was
really just for art and not for tourism. But, it wasn't easy to
pay the rent even though it was a mere RM600 per
month then. And then, there were the very costly art
materials to think of, imported oil paints, canvases,
stretchers etc. In the end I decided to reproduce some
of my paintings on t-shirts and thus Orangutan
T-shirts was born.
TSH: How is the art scene in Malacca nowadays? What
do you think can be done to uplift that scene to make it
more vibrant? Suggestions :
CC: I believe Malacca now has more than 20 artist
studios cum galleries. When I first started I was the only
one in the Jonker Street area, with Jehan Chan on the
outskirt of town. Sooner, more artists from Klang and
KL came to set up studios here. Now we also have a
handful of foreign artists living and painting in Malacca.
But setting up studio is one thing, being an artist is
another. Artists need to exhibit. We can't just open a
shop and sell our works like a souvenir artist otherwise we
will end up having the same problem like in Ubud.
"Career guidance" is perhaps something that artists here
needs to get to move ahead if they are serious about
art and move on from the "souvenir art" that they
are selling. A proper artists association will be of great
importance for the promotion of art in Malacca.
Exposure, by having group and solo exhibitions in other
towns and especially overseas will help to see what
others are doing elsewhere and to challenge and
improve.
Government support and participation will definitely
have the biggest impact on the success of artists in
Malacca. Until now, art is still invisible to the government.
Everything that has been done for art in Malacca
has been the effort of individual artists and the private
sector. The government has a responsibility to get
involved in it as it is our culture, our heritage and a
necessity in life.
It is sad to see that while local art patrons prefer
something more clich like a Warhol or Lichtenstein
print, local art is flowing out of the country into foreign
homes and institutions. By the time we realized it, it'd be
too late. This is what happened to the city of Aix-en-
Provence where Czanne was born and yet all his major
works are found elsewhere because Aix rejected him,
and eventually the city of Aix had to pay millions of Euros
just to acquire a Paul Czanne painting.
The local government should set up a panel to collect
works about Malacca or by Malacca artists for future
generations. This act can also be a good investment for
them if they have an eye for it because art prices in
general just increase and very rarely go the other
direction. We can have them on permanent exhibition
in one of the existing government galleries. This, I
think will be a hit among tourists visiting Malacca rather
than the present half-backed exhibits.
The increase in real estate prices around the Jonker
Street area is killing art. Most artists do not own the
buildings where they work and the ever increasing rent
will drive them "out of business" sooner or later. This is not
a good sign for Jonker Walk as artists are driven out of
the area or they will resort to making something
which is easier to sell.
If we could do like what France is doing, that is to
allocate one percent of the total cost of new buildings
to the purchase of art, art will definitely bloom here.
TSH: I believe your works are more readily accepted
overseas and you continue to receive invitations to
exhibit abroad. What do you think makes your work
popular among collectors abroad as compare to here?
CC: I don't know. Maybe they like what I do
whereas locals don't.
TSH: Symbolism, elements of primitivist art approaches
and the concept of Yin-Yang are prominent in your
works. Can you confirm and elaborate why these
discernable elements are important to you?
CC: I enjoy the simple things in life. As it is, life should be
simple, but modern day needs make it such a big mess.
Simplicity is the most advance stage one can achieve in
any field, be it in art or in life. I consider myself a spiritual
person, more interested in the symbolic meaning of
things and happenings than what is clearly seen. I have
been living this way since secondary school and that
has helped me look at life in a more spiritual way.
The Yin and Yang are just an equation to explain what
life is, the ups and downs, the lighter and darker sides of
life, and the circle of life that has been in existence since
the beginning of time. What we are experiencing now
in the world is nothing new, nothing too sophisticated.
We've had much better sophistication before. We're
merely catching up with lost knowledge of the past.
In my work, the Yin and Yang concept is made in a
more visual way, where a painting can be viewed in a
different direction or directions, just like in life. You see
things the way you want to see it or the way you know
it. But things are much deeper than that. Subject-wise, I
like to use faces to illustrate and express what I want to
realise on canvas.
They say, every face tells a story, but whatever the story,
the importance lies in the moment I was painting it. After
that, it is not that important anymore. What remains after
the process is just a canvas. Good or bad, excellent or
purile, expensive or nothing, it remains just as that.
Art is symbolic. It is not something real, and
at the same time it is something essential. Art is
about self expression and symbolic representation.
It is autobiographical whether you like it or not. An
artist puts himself into his work, whether it's a drawing,
painting or sculpture. One should not try to copy nature,
no matter how wonderful the sunset or waterfall is.
It is a futile action. One should be inspired by it
to do something else.
Make Art, Not War!
THE ORANGUTAN HOUSE
59 LORONG HANG JEBAT
75200 MALACCA
MALAYSIA.
+606-2826872
orangutanhouse@hotmail.com
www.charlescham.com
www.facebook.com/orangutanhouse
www.absolutearts.com/charlescham
Negaraku, 150 x 150 cm, oil on canvas, 2009
The Writer, 76 x 55.5 cm, oil on canvas, 2012
Charles Cham had just concluded his 4th solo
exhibition entitled 'Selfless Portraits' at the Karin
Weber Gallery in Hong Kong (24th July 2012) His
next solo exhibition will be at Art-2 Gallery, MICA,
140 Hill Street, Singapore.
It will be open for viewing on the
3rd Oct 2012.
For More Information
about Charles Cham,
please visit:
Henry
Butcher Art Auctioneers is excited
to launch its new initiative - The
Young Contempo Auction (TYCA) - where works
by young and contemporary Malaysian artists will
go under the hammer on Saturday 29 September
2012 4pm at MATRADE Exhibition and Convention
Centre. Part of the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art
Tourism (MCAT) Festival, this inaugural auction will
showcase trends of very active new generation of
local creative talents. As an effort to encourage
these budding artists, the proceeds will be
awarded to programmes and organisations that
support and promote emerging artists in Malaysia.
There will be up to 40 lots on offer, showing great
variety and spanning all forms of media from works
on canvas and paper to mixed media sculptures,
prints and photography, as well as fantastical
themes that display the young imagination at its
best. Most pieces are estimated at an affordable
price range - well below RM10,000 in order to
encourage art collecting in Malaysia, while all
artists featured are exceptionally promising young
artists who are steadily garnering attention in the
Malaysia art scene.
One such artist well known for his intricate out-of-
the-world creations with intertwining surrealistic and
outlandish elements is Haslin Ismail, who was awarded
the Grand Prize for In Print: Contemporary British Art from
the Paragon Press in 2006 and the prestigious Young
Contemporary Award in 2010. Representing the artist
at his best is one of his largest paintings depicting a
fabricated futurist world materialised using inventive use
of mixed media, titled 'The Very Extraordinary Voyage'
(2010-11). Measuring over 3 metres by 3 metres, it
envelops the viewer in an exploration of the world we live
in today and a consideration of what may be in stored
for the future.
Another artist known for whimsical works based on
fiction is Khairul Azmir Shoib a.k.a. Meme. Combining
strange and otherworldly characters with text, his works
are perfect examples of imagination running wild. 'Silent
Night' (2006) is a window into Memes world of mystical
creatures and enchanted forests. Playful and fanciful, his
paintings reside in a place where childhood imaginative
innocence is preserved, allowing audience to revisit and
be entranced. Major awards for such as the 2004 Young
Contemporaries Juror's Award and the Incentive Award
from Shah Alam Gallery in 1999 are testament to Meme's
promising future as a contemporary artist in Malaysia.
Admirers of figurative works will be delighted with
exceptional work by another past MEAA winner, Gan
Chin Lee. Known for his narrative portraits that are
classically inspired, Gan's works address the issues that
govern the Malaysian socio-political condition and are
ongoing "conversations" about the Malaysian Identity.
'Status Anxiety VI' (2010) is a masterful portrayal of
Malaysian society today done in painterly realism.
An experimenter of new media and photography,
Roslisham Ismail a.k.a. Ise is represented with 'Superfiction
8' (2008), a stirring piece that was featured as part of
his solo exhibition in JFKL Gallery, Japan in 2008. Using
photographs he took of Tokyo, Ise created a scene
with skyscrapers, fighter jets, superheroes and monsters
that expresses his interest and love for the Japanese
urban condition while embodying the melting pot of life
and particular energy of modern urban environment.
Widely exhibited in the region, Ise's works were shown
at biennales in Singapore and Yogyakarta, while he
pg/14
Gan Chin Lee-Status Anxiety VI, 2010, 153 x 107 cm, oil on canvas
Poodien (Shaifuddin Mamat)-Long Live Death; Zero Point (Biting the Hand That
Feed), 2010, 156 x 117 cm, oil, acrylic, silkscreen and collage on canvas
Shafiq Ali'am-Replacement, 2009, 80 x 40 x 98 cm, fiber,
mechanical parts, metal, hose tube, stainless steel,
electronic LED and cast iron
was also awarded fellowships to Tokyo in 2007
and Australia in 2006. New media abounds and in
encouragement of the compelling new direction
the young artists are embarking on, there are many
sculptures going on the block, by artists such as
Mat Ali Mat Som, Ali Azraei Bebit, Syafiq Ali'am
and Rozana Musa. Diverse in their approaches to
sculpture, the quirky and varied objects on offer
are sure to captivate the audience.
'Toh Gajah' (Unsung Heroes Series), 2011 by Mat Ali
is a mesmerising piece accentuating the physicality
of silat. More than sculptural narrative, the detail
and dramatisation of anatomy and muscle display
the artist's absolute understanding of forms. Ali
Azraei and Syafiq on the other hand, incorporates
recognisable machinery and contraptions that
are used today, pairing it with human elements,
in turn questioning the relationship humanity has
with machines on a daily basis. Injecting a feel of
lightheartedness and fun, Rozana's ceramic works
that use the subject matter of food are colourful
and appealing, with witty remarks inscribed
commenting on female neuroses and issues of
dietary obsession.
For more details, please contact
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
at 03 2691 3089/012 227 5325,
email leoni@hbart.com.my or
visit www.hbart.com.my
TYCA will also include works by Chng Kiah Kiean,
Cheng Yen Pheng, C.K. Koh, Donald Abraham,
Fadly Sabran, Fauzul Yusri, Latif Maulan, Lok Kerk
Hwang, M. Shafarin Ghani, Meor Saifullah, Mior
Rizzuan Rosli, Mohamed Razif bin Mohamed
Zakaria, Najib Ahmad Bamadhaj, Renny Chong,
Raduan Man, Shaifuddin Mamat a.k.a. Poodien,
Samsuddin Lappo, Siund Tan, Stephen Menon, Tan
Chee Hon, Tang Yeok Khang, Wong Chee Meng
and more.
The works on show will not be the only excitement
on offer as Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers is
working together with Interpr8 to hold a series of
stimulating fringe events that will capture audience
beyond the usual suspects of collectors and avid
followers of art. In an effort to not only support
Malaysia's fledgling artists, but also to educate the
masses about art investment and the expanding
contemporary art scene, talks facilitated by
eminent collectors and gallery owners will be
held while a number of exciting shows involving
performance art and art for kids will be taking
place in conjunction with the event.
Haslin Ismail-The Very Extraordinary Voyage, 2010-2011, 305 x 305 cm, mixed media collage on canvas
Fauzul Yusri-Grey Park, 2006, 107 x 107 cm, oil on canvas
Stephen Menon-The Studies of me & mao-Tok Dalang, 2010, 40.6 x 93cm, mixed media on paper
If
you visit
Zainal
Abidin
Musas
home studio,
dont be
offended if
he doesnt
invite you in. Hed much rather entertain you
outdoors, under the cherry tree in his garden.
His easels and paints even dinner table and
television are set up in his garden, which he
fondly describes as a jungle, where he spends
most of his days, making his art.

His long, wavy hair, relaxed approach, soft voice
and youthful looks seem to have grown from a
lifetime career as an artist. But this is not so, for
Zainal has only been painting for about ten years.
Prior to that, he had spent more than 20 years
running his own advertising business a period in his
life which he says was very stressful.

I would visit the east coast beaches on weekends
just to break away from the stress, he says. It was
these very trips that reconnected him with his
long-abandoned painting. With fellow artist friend,
Suhaimi Abdul Wahab, the two would set off for a
short road trip over the weekend, and in the style
of the Impressionist artists of the 19th century, set up
camp somewhere remote to paint plein air. Those
visits turned out to be the turning point that would
bring him full-circle to his childhood love for art,
which took root early on.

He recalls a memory when he was a child of eight,
When I was young, I knew that I wanted to be
an artist. I had made myself a simple easel out of
some tree branches. Using crayons, I would draw
on the back of old calendars we were so poor we
couldnt indulge in buying papers the kampong
landscape where I grew up, Batu Gajah and later
Parit, Perak.
One day, I came home from school and found
the easel missing. To my horror, I found out that my
mother had chopped it up and used it as firewood
to cook my lunch! I was so devastated, I couldnt
eat the meal!

Fortunately, the incident did not
break his spirit for art Zainal
went on to study fine art at the
MARA Institute of Technology in
Dungun, then Shah Alam, graduating in 1983. One
of his most prized memories was of receiving the
National Art Gallerys Young Contemporary Art
award for his etching in 1983.

From the small sketches drawn during his weekend
travels, he produced full-scale oil and acrylic
paintings of the Terengganu landscapes, which he
later showed at Weekends, a self-funded solo
exhibition at the New Straits Times Balai Berita.
There was little fanfare at the opening, but the
response and comments from visitors encouraged
him to finally quit his day job and focus on his
paintings. From a casual weekend painter, Zainal
turned to full-time painting in 2002.

Having been out of the artistic loop, so to speak,
for many years during his advertising days, Zainal
had no pre-conceived ideas of the goings-on in
the art world. Without the pressure of conforming to
current artistic trends, he simply resumed painting
for the enjoyment of the act alone. He says, I just
wanted to paint whatever struck my fancy, and
at that time, it was landscapes. I was happy to be
doing that, to go at my own pace, to be carefree
and unconcerned about what other artists
were doing.

His peers from MARAs School of Art and Design
who pursued a career in art from the beginning,
may have carved a name for themselves by
then, but Zainal has no regrets of being a late
bloomer. Everyone takes their own paths and this
was mine. In a way, the years I spent in advertising
were necessary towards making me the artist I am
today.

Going through his works, one gets a sense of the
artists development in art. His early works in the
1990s, the 'Weekends', 'Lazy Sunday', 'Water lilies',
'Sunrise and Sunset' series, were noticeably silent,
light and airy, and devoid of any human figures.
Even in places where the tourist traffic was high, he
chose to paint deserted scenes. His colour palette
was sweet, and his brush strokes had a delicate
quality about them, that one
could not help but feel the
tender love the artist had for the
subject matter. Looking at his
paintings, its easy to imagine
Zainal on an island somewhere,
enjoying the tranquility of the
moment, in total wonder of the
light and shadows before him,
and relishing the act of dipping
brush to colour, sweeping colour
to canvas.
These days, though, Zainals
works display a slightly different quality about
them. In his latest series, 'Tengkujuh', he presents
a pictorial journey of his travels to the east coast
during the monsoon season. He writes about the
painting process in his blog www.zainalabidinmusa.
blogspot.com:

Painting the monsoon has taught me new lessons.
I can't look at the landscape like I used to when I
was doing the sunrise and sunset. The colours are
not the usual "

Sometimes it's wet, no sun. Then, in some cases,
like in 'Penarik', it's bright and sunny and you get
the colours and contrast and clear forms. I have
to do something to show how different the light,
colour and ambience are during this monsoon
period. Maybe I will show this through the subject
matter. I'm not sure yet.

But now, he is.
For the first time, his paintings include human
figures as the subject matter. The colours, now,
are muddy; his strokes, more spontaneous. He
paints the daily scenes, the slices of life in a time
of monsoon an old fisherman looking out to
sea, contemplating his next fishing expedition; a
group of men resting at a wakaf, feeling restless
with nothing to occupy their time; a rubber tapper
sitting out the year-end showers to mend her
clothes; a man braving the rain on his motorbike,
with one hand holding an umbrella.

Yet, even among these paintings of men and
women in the idle times of the monsoon on the
east coast, one can still find Zainals signature
themes of landscapes -- the wet beaches, the rain-
soaked trees, the somber colours of a storm, the
coolness of a deserted beach after a good, long
downpour conveying the romantic scenes of the
monsoon.
This is my interpretation of the monsoon, the
feelings I got during that time, the atmosphere of a
place, a time, a special location. And I paint them
so that I will always remember them when they are
long gone, he says.

While its clear that he will always take delight in
painting landscapes, the stacks of chopped up
wood piled around his house and studio gives
an indication of Zainals next venture. With his
basic carpentry skills he makes furniture for his
wife Zainal already has some ideas sketched
out to make wood sculptures. In his studio, some
of these ideas have taken shape in the form of
what could be described as part furniture-part
sculpture the main centre-piece in his studio
is a long table with a comical character from a
famous wayang kulit tale; in another corner is a
pair of mythical creatures fashioned into a bench;
while somewhere else is a three-legged figure that
began life as a salvaged stool.
But Zainal is in no hurry to complete them. For now,
he is happy to paint as he pleases under the shade
of his cherry tree.
| ANIS ROZALINA RAMLI
Batu Rakit-Tengkujuh
53 x 42 in, oil, 2011
Besut#3-Tengkujuh 63 x 41 in, oil, 2012
Sunrise at Pulau Besar Mersing, 23 x 30 cm, acrylic, 2007
pg/16
Seni
telah dirujuk
kepada, Skill in
performance, acquired by
experience, study or observation
or to the results produced by
such skill.
1

Franz Boas pula menyatakan
bahawa kesemua seni
membawa implikasi kemahiran
teknik.
2
Kemahiran yang
dimaksudkan oleh kedua-dua
sarjana di atas membawa erti kebolehan yang
tidak dapat diperolehi secara automatik dan
sama rata oleh kesemua manusia tetapi lebih
kepada satu kebolehan yang dimestikan oleh
seseorang individu.
3
Max Vermorn pula menyatakan bahawa seni
ialah, The faculty to express conscious by means
created by the artist himself in such a manner
that they may be perceived by our sense ergans.
In general sense, language, song, music and
dance are art, just as well as painting, sculpture
and ornamentation.
4
Seni juga dapat didefinisikan sebagai usaha untuk
menciptakan bentuk-bentuk yang melahirkan
rasa kesenangan hati. Jadi, dalam menilai satu-
satu bentuk seni, akan wujud dalam diri individu
itu perasaan suka, senang atau sebaliknya dan
selalu menegaskan perasaan yang mengalami
keindahan.
5
Munro pula memberikan penerangan yang lebih
kurang sama apabila menerangkan seni itu
sebagai; Art is skill in making or doing that which
is used or infended as stimulus, the meaning if
suggests or both are felt as beautiful, pleasant,
emotionally as objets of direct experience in
addition to any instrumental values they may
have.
6
Bentuk-bentuk seni adalah banyak dan
termasuklah aktiviti-aktiviti utama seperti pictocial
dan representional. Di antaranya ialah lukisan
dan pengukiran, seni sastera (lagu, cerita dan
lain-lain) seni yang berkaitan dengan drama dan
perhiasan. Secara ringkasnya, kesenian dapat
dikatakan sebagai keseluruhan yang meliputi
aspek-aspek seperti seni lukis, seni ukir, seni bina,
seni pahat, seni anyaman, seni tenun dan sulam
menyulam, seni foto, seni lakon, seni sastera, seni
tari, seni nyanyian dan lain-lain lagi.
7
Warisan khazanah budaya lahir dalam pelbagai
bentuk seni dan rantau ini banyak menghasilkan
karya seni seperti tembaga, perak, anyaman
buluh, ukiran kayu dan lain-lain lagi. Ukiran kayu
tradisi Melayu adalah merupakan reka bentuk
tradisi yang menjadi warisan turun temurun.
1. Richard L. Anderson, 1979, hlm. 159.
2. Franz Boas, Primitive Art, Dover Publication,
New York, 1940, hlm. 535.
3. Powzi Bin Muda, Kertas Projek, Bentuk dan Corak Ukiran Kayu T
Tradisi Melayu, Jabatan Pengajian Melayu, Universiti Malaya,
1988/1989, hlm 6.
4. Maz Vermorm, 1920, hlm. 8.
5. Powzi Bin Muda, Kertas Projek , Bentuk dan Corak Ukiran Kayu
Tradisi Melayu, hlm 7.
6. Munro Thames, The Arts and Their Inter Relations, The Liberal Art
Press, New York, 1969, hlm. 107.
7. Ibid.
8. Powzi Bin Muda, Bentuk dan Corak Ukiran Kayu Tradisi
Melayu, hlm 1.
9. Kamus Pelajar Bahasa Melayu, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka,
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 1989, hlm. 755.
10. Siti Zainon Bin Ismail, Tulisan Sebagai Seni, Dewan Budaya,
September, 1982, hlm. 42.
ukiran Melayu tradisi telah wujud sejak 500 tahun
dahulu melalui catatan sejarah terutama dalam
catatan karya-karya lama seperti Sulalatus Salatin
dan Misa Melayu.
Dalam masyarakat kita di Malaysia, seni ukiran
kayu bermula sejak dari zaman keagungan
kerajaan Kesultanan Melayu Melaka lagi.
Masyarakat Melayu dahulu sangat memberi
perhatian kepada seni ukiran kayu terutamanya
pada ukiran rumah kediaman dan istana. Pada
zaman dahulu, ukiran kayu yang terdapat
pada rumah seseorang melambangkan status
kedudukannya. Semakin banyak ukiran yang
terdapat pada rumah kediaman, semakin tinggi
status seseorang dalam masyarakat.
Kewujudan seni ukiran kayu tradisi dapat dibuktikan
melalui karya-karya agung sejarah Melayu. Misalnya
dalam Sulalatus Salatin yang dikarang oleh Tun Sri
Lanang, mencatatkan keindahan seni bina istana
Sultan Mansur Shah (1459-1477). Istana tersebut
digelar sebagai Istana Hawa Nafsu oleh rakyat
jelata. Misa Melayu juga turut menggambarkan
keindahan seni ukir istana di Pulau Indera Sakti
yang terletak di Kuala Sungai Kinta, Perak semasa
pemerintahan Sultan Iskandar Zulkanain (1755-1780).
Hal ini menunjukkan bahawa, Raja-raja Melayu pada
zaman dahulu memainkan peranan penting dalam
memperkembangkan seni ukiran kayu di Tanah
Melayu ketika itu.
Seni ukiran telah melibatkan keahlian para
seniman tempatan dalam mengolah bahan
yang diselaraskan dengan kecekapan teknik dan
kegairahan emosi cipta.
10

Berbagai bentuk dan
corak ukiran ini terdapat
di rumah-rumah, istana-
istana, masjid, pusara, peralatan
senjata, pintu gerbang, alat-alat
muzik tradisi, perabot, kepala perahu
dan sebagainya. Sesungguhnya, ukiran
kayu tradisi ini mejadi milik masyarakat
yang memiliki pemikiran dan falsafah
yang mendalam.
8
Seni ukiran kayu
adalah seni kraftangan yang telah lama
wujud dalam kalangan masyarakat
Malaysia terutama bagi masyarakat
Melayu, masyarakat etnik Sabah dan
Sarawak serta masyarakat Orang
Asli. Seni ukiran yang dipersembahkan
melalui bahan kayu ini sama seperti seni ukiran
yang lain, cuma berbeza dari segi cara dan teknik
pengukirannya.
Seni ini begitu berkembang luas kerana Malaysia
merupakan sebuah negara yang mempunyai hasil
kayu-kayan yang banyak iaitu terdapat kira-kira
3000 spesis kayu-kayan di negara kita. Di samping itu
juga, kayu adalah bahan alam yang sangat sesuai
untuk diukir dan boleh dipelbagaikan kegunaannya.
Menurut kamus Dewan, seni ukiran dapat
didefinisikan sebagai; Lukisan yang dibuat secara
memahat, menguris, menoreh dan lain-lain pada
bahagian-bahagian tertentu manakala ukiran itu
sendiri mewujudkan sesuatu yang telah diukir.
Ukiran itu adalah hasil yang terbentuk dari kesan
mengukir dengan menggunakan alat-alat tertentu
seperti pisau, pahat atau benda-benda tajam pada
sesuatu permintaan lalu menghasilkan suatu lukisan
atau gambaran sama ada berbentuk cengkung,
cembung, tenggelam atau timbul.
9
Kepandaian mengukir dalam masyarakat Melayu
bermula sejak zaman manusia menduduki gua
lagi. Pelbagai kajian atau penyelidikan
yang dibuat mendapati banyak
kesan-kesan sejarah yang
ditinggalkan. Dari tinggalan-
tinggalan yang ada, ukiran
dari zaman itu bolehlah
dikatakan dalam bentuk simbol
dewa-dewa dan kuasa dalam
kepercayaan masyarakat pada
masa itu. Bentuk-bentuk ukiran
wajah kala dan dewata
menjadi motif ukiran yang
utama.
Sejarah awal seni ukir tidak dapat
dipastikan secara jelas. Namun,
hal ini dipastikan melalui catatan
sejarah dari jumpaan ukiran
pada zaman Neolitik di Asia
Tenggara yang terdapat pada
belanga, gelang, kendi, gong
dan pinggan mangkuk. Di Tanah
Melayu, dikatakan bahawa seni
Ukiran
Kayu
S E N I
| SITI MAISARAH BAKAR
pg/17
Selangkah demi selangkah aku belajar pulak
buat mix media. Masa belajar dulu pun cari duit
jual kraftangan kat art school . Pernah juga joint
pertandingan dan pameran terbuka. Pada
tahun 2001, aku dipilh sebagai antara
pemenang finalis Nokia Art Award Asia
Pasific. Kira gembira tak ingatlah
masa tu
Siapakah pengaruh seni saudara?
Semua penggiat seni
menjadi inspirasi aku. Mereka
bersusah payah menterjemah
kemampuan yang ada sebaik
mungkin. Mereka merendah
diri bila berbicara seni yang
mereka hasilkan tidak sombong
mengutarakan hak. Yang
banyak berkorban demi
kebenaran yang ditegak
masing-masing. Aku join Kem
Sonneratia yang dianjur oleh
BSVN pada tahun 2003. Disitu
bermula turning point aku untuk mula berkarya.
Berpameran dan eksplorasi bahan terbuang
bermain dengan sampah dan bahan terpakai
sampai sekarang.
Sudah berapa lama saudara berkecimpung dalam
dunia seni tempatan?

Sejak 1996 aku berpameran di Galeri Shah Alam
sempena pameran Townscape pelajar Uitm. Lebih
kurang 13 tahun jugak.
Apa anugerah yang pernah saudara menangi?
Nokia Art Award Asia Pasific pada tahun 2001 dan
Bakat Muda Sezaman pada tahun 2006.
Boleh perkenalkan diri saudara?
Nama penuh aku Nuriman Amri Bin Abdul Manap.
Lahir di Petaling Jaya Selangor, pada tahun
28 Ogos1978. Anak ke 6 dari 8 adik beradik.
Berkecimpung di dalam dunia penerbitan buku
sejak tahun 2005 dan kini sepenuh masa sebagai
artis seni halus. Isteri aku seorang penjawat
kerajaan berkhidmat di PTPTN. Beliau tabah
menemani aku.
Sejak bila saudara mula berminat dengan
seni visual?
Segalanya datang dengan minat dan kawan-
kawan. Masa sekolah rendah juga suka melukis
corak pada batang ais krim, kereta tiup, lukis
Airwolf, buat model Jambatan Pulau Pinang ,
kereta dan rumah menggunakan bahan kayu
terpakai untuk pameran kat sekolah. Aku tusyen
kat Pusat Tusyen Emkay, Taman Melawati. Depan
bangunan ada studio sculpture pelajar-pelajar
Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA). Setiap kali ke kelas
aku lalu tengok abang-abang dan kakak-kakak
student MIA menyiapkan kerja. Dengan radio kuat
mereka memakai topeng tutup hidung bila spray
dan macam-macam bentuk kimpalan besi.
Masa tu aku pendek
dan kecik lagi
baru tingkatan 3.
Bila tengok benda-
benda yang mereka
buat semuanya
besar-besar belaka.

Sekitar 1995 lepas
SPM, aku bekerja
sambilan di Mouth
and Foot Painting
Artist Sdn. Bhd.
sebagai pembantu
am menyusun lukisan
kad ucapan yang di
hasilkan oleh golongan
istemewa serata dunia.
Semua lukisan cantik-cantik
belaka. Lukisan yang abstrak yang aku tak paham
pun aku suka simpan sebab bagi aku cantik.
Bila saudara graduate?
Aku masuk Universiti Teknologi
MARA (UiTM) pada tahun 1996-
2001. Dapat belajar fine art, major
painting. Belajar guna oil paint,
dan aku tak mahir lukis figure.
Bagasi 49-constructed with zinc roofs
from the National Art Gallery in
conjunction with the 49th
anniversary of the National
Art Gallery 2006.
Air Mata Dunia- functional sculpture made from discarded materials.
From DBKL to BSLN-performance art with artist Ngiam Thiang Tze. 2003
Living City- Mini Clubman door, mixed
media. 2001
pg/18
Apa konsep disebalik hasil karya saudara?
Aku cenderung kepada kraftangan maka aku
lebih rapat dengan objek siap dan dunia kosmetik
yang mengharapkan puji-pujian. Dari situ aku
mengenali mimik barang siap dan konflik kesedaran
persekitaran. Aku adjust diri aku dengan dengan
bahan buangan yang dikutip dan dijumpa. Satu
terapi bagi setiap yang aku ambil.
Pengalaman mengutip bahan terpakai membuatkan
kita berendah hati. Ia berlaku secara halus
menerbangkan ego diri dan mendekatkan perkara
yang asas dalam banyak perkara.
Paku karat-
Satu tindakbalas terhadap fungsi terpakai. Dominasi
persekitaran yang palsu. Inginkan kesempurnaan
menggagaskan kita menolak unsur-unsur yang
mempunyai kelemahan. Kita lupa kekuatan sebenar
terletak pada diri sendiri bukan bergantung kekuatan
orang lain sebagai julangan. Maka matinya besi
kerana karat dan lurusnya paku bila tajam menikam.
Namun tidakkah itu juga simbol kasih sayang dan
mengambil berat? Maka inilah tindak balas tulen
kerana menerima hak kejadian dan bukan
dibuat-buat.
Kotak-
Beza pula dengan kotak. Satu bahan ringan dan
keras tapi lembik. Kalau digantikan semua barang
harian menggunakan kertas kotak, mampukah
barang itu berfungsi seperti asal.
Mengapa saudara memilih found objects dan bahan
yang boleh dikitar semula?
Keserasian di antara bahan dengan sifat lemah
yang aku cari sebagai elemen penting kerja
aku, membuatkan aku lebih terdorong untuk
memperbetulkan kesilapan. Semua bahan yang
tak digunakan akan dijadikan sampah. dan aku
mengangkat sampah itu kembali. Aku amalkan
perubahan dalaman melalui reduce, reuse dan
recycle. 3R bukan saja pada objek bahkan
jiwa seseorang.
Apa cabaran yang saudara hadapi sebagai seorang
penggiat seni di Malaysia? Apa yang perlu dilakukan
untuk menambah baik situasi seni tanahair kini?
Paling susah, berada di tempat yang tiada
kedudukan. Bermodalkan kepayahan kita beroleh
pengetahuan. Keuntungan itu kira bonus sampingan
dan itu lah makanan pembangunan. Mata kasar
seperti menjulang kejayaan dan kekayaan. Sebab
kita didesak begitu oleh peminat-peminatnya yang
glamour dan keriuhan kelas.
Proses seni yang aku cari dan sering terbantut kerana
jerubu kota ialah untuk kurang bising, dengan
galak, dengan pujian melampau. Sebaliknya lebih
menghayati nikmat diam. Cabaran sebenar bila
mana tampak kurang minat penglibatan pakar-
pakar pelbagai bidang lain untuk merencanakan
senirupa kita. Ramai pihak sedia berganding bahu
menzahirkan kesedaran ini melalui usaha-usaha
dokumentasi seni sepertimana yang kita lihat saban
tahun diharap ia terus berkembang. Usaha-usaha
yang jelas berkesan seperti penganjuran residensi,
ruang kolaborasi dan penerbitan sangat penting bagi
menyimpan rekod-rekod proses. Cuba berkembang
melalui lebih banyak penerbitan buku .
Apakah projek seni terbaru saudara?
Buat masa sekarang aku memotong dan
mengoyakkan kotak berselerak. Cuba mengurus
kecelaruan. Proses ini penting kerana kita tidak
akan tahu siapa kita sebenar. Selagi belum bertemu
penamat dalam menghayati rejection. Sejak dari
itu aku berpindah keluar bungkusan rupa dan
membungkusnya dengan kesudian umum..Membuat
fotostat peranan dan rupa-rupa tanggapan.
Sedang menyiapkan huraian baru juga berbentuk
arca. Namun aku tidak mendesak untuk pameran
tertentu. Selagi berkesempatan dan diketahui,
maka aku akan terlibat.
'..bila paku aku pun berdiri...'
(an oversized hammer made
from rusted nails) 2007.
Wall piece sculpture with mirror. Various sizes, mixed media. 2006
Fried! sculptures. Flour and plate, figurine sculpture and sneaker. 2007
| TAN SEIHON
Power, Hope and Land consists of
outstanding works from NVAGs permanent
collection including prolific names such as
Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, Dato Ibrahim
Hussein, Patrick Ng Kah Onn and Robert
Rauschenberg. Although eclectic, all works
have a strong connection to Malaysia and
a universal struggle for independence by
either the origin of the artist or the thematic
content of the artworks.
The exhibition narrative begins with Zakaria Alis
'Once upon a time in a far away land of Mexico
there were the rich and the poor' (1974) leading us
into the illustrative and satirical world of Noor Azizan
Paiman. At the end of his trail we find Wong Hoy
Cheongs provocative matriarchal tale 'She was
married at 14 and had 14 children' (1994). The portrait
of Sir Henry Gurney K.L.M.G (1953) in Harold Speeds
rather romantic depiction of colonial transition is
coupled with untold stories of freedom fighters from
Amir Zainorins 'The Stamp Series' (2008). American
artist Laura Popenoes haunting work 'Sebatang
Lilin' (1965) sets a meditative tone by suggesting
that it is better to light one candle than to curse
the darkness. In the same illuminated space Zulkifli
Mohd. Dahalan and Mustapha Ibrahims selected
works remind us of their 1970s collective and its
humanist ethos. The accompanying photographs
of their performance documents from the same
period featured in this exhibition capture that
quintessentially anak alam exploration of the
elements.
The aesthetic treatment, temperament
and medium of the twentieth century
Malaysian art movement extends to the
new millennium bringing forth remnants
for contemporary inter-disciplinary artists
such as Aida Redza, Amir Zainorin and
Ahmad Fuad Osman who continue to
push the perimeters of personal freedom
and develop new vocabulary in their
own particular manner. And here lies the
challenge - how does one reinterpret and
rejuvenate such a range of eclectic works
from the NVAG collection in a way that it
resonates with our visitors for the Merdeka
celebrations?
| Qasim Riza Shaheen
Creative Consultant, UK
The notion of somehow interlacing the exhibition
with familiar yet diverse artworks and reposing
their prevalent identity politics -both past and
present- seems an effective way of celebrating the
cultural groups that make up the demographic of
Malaysia. Issues of diversity and cultural inclusivity
are high up on the list of priorities at NVAG and
it is vital to re-address the balance within this
55th Merdeka exhibition. These selected works
reposition the viewer to the artworks allowing
communicative access to real and imaginary lands
through different periods and callings. We have the
pleasure of including Suhaimi Fadzils work which
combines imaginative visual narratives with a fine
sense of structural consideration illustrating at best
a symbiosis of art and politics.

Our commissioned artists Aisyah Baharuddin,
They and Rat generated on-site works in order to
enrich the visitor experience of seeing the principle
artworks as well as highlighting urban politics
through the contemporary genre of street art.
These new works allow for visceral responses to be
generated through the culmination of the tell-tale
marks left on our gallery walls before engaging
with the principle artworks. Notions of mapping
journeys and cultural sites were significant inquiries
for our chosen artists when making decisions
throughout their creative process. The temporality
of these invoked interpretations serves as a frame
of reference through which one can begin to
reengage with the exhibited collection with fresh
eyes.
What emerges from Aisyah, They and Rat's applied
art is a dialogue which questions the politics of
representation and the status of the original work
of their chosen artist (Zulkifli Mohd. Dahalan, Wong
Hoy Cheong and L.IIjina respectively). Thereby, the
appropriation of the principle works (through these
grass root interpretations) reveals the dynamic
instability in the distinction between the original
and the generated art. The painted murals, stencils
and graffiti artworks were created with the hope
of constructing a plane for new forms of
cultural interaction within and alongside the
original artworks. On the peripheral walls of
our 2B gallery we strive to subtly address
the geo-political issues of globalisation
as a framing device for understanding
the pattern of cultural formations within
our evolving demographic.
One of the most striking features of this exhibition
is the adoption of a more self-conscious and
interventionist curatorial practice. We understood
our role as not only overseers of the artworks but
as surveyors over cultural terrains and ideologies
which surface in spaces between the works.
Curatorially there was a strategic re-thinking of
structural questions that affected the mode of
participation and the forms of interpretation that
would be made available within the exhibition.
Power, Hope and Land
features intergenerational
and eclectic works which
evoke both a personal and
emotional response. In trying
to understand the ways in
which to bridge the gap
between the artworks and
our audience there is an
attempt to reposition the
cultural meanings within the
works by allowing them to
speak to the visitors in their
respective languages,
thus, revealing the complex
relationships between place
and influence, location and
tradition. The exhibition title
Power, Hope and Land
becomes suggestive of the production of potential
connections and disconnections that could
resonate within the gallery space.

Seven chants of Merdeka in the spirit and memory
of Tunku Abdul Rahman.
pg/21
The exhibition 'Power, Hope and
Land' curated by Intan Rafiza
marks the 55th independence day
of Malaysia in 2012 at the National
Visual Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.
| RAHIMIDIN ZAHARI
Tiga
artist Malaysia ke Salon 2011 de
la National des Beaux Arts yang
berlangsung pada 8 hingga 11 disember 2011 yang
lalu di Carrousel du Louve Paris dengan dinaungi
oleh Presiden Prencis, Nicolas Sarkozy. Sebuah
katalog cantik yang mewakili pelbagai artist pilihan
dari seluruh dunia diterbitkan dengan judul Societe
Nationale des Beaux Arts 1861-2011. Di dalamnya
terdapat tiga karya pelukis Malaysia yang diundang
menyertai pameran tersebut.
Tiga pelukis yang dimaksudkan itu terdiri daripada
Prof. Dr. Mohd. Najib Ahmad Dawa dengan Retro,
Chong Hip Seng dengan Im bellow the pyramid
dan Abd. Rani Majid dengan karyanya Fisher in
abstract river. Sebelum ini, pelukis bertiga tersebut
pernah mengadakan beberapa pameran bersama
di beberapa negara luar yang lain. Antaranya
melalui siri pameran Foot Bariedge di Tokyo, Jepun
(2002), Hatyai, Songkhla dan Bangkok, Thailand (2002,
2006 dan 2010), Bali, Indonesia (2009), Guangzhou
dan Zheijiang, China (2009) serta banyak lagi.
Dato Prof. Dr. Mohamed Najib Ahmad Dawa telah
mengadakan pameran solo pertamanya di Galeri
Seni Mutiara, Pulau Pinang (2008). Ini adalah pameran
solonya yang pertama di Malaysia, dan pameran solo
ketiga selepas pameran solo pertama di Martin Van
Ranselaar Gallery, Cornell University pada tahun 1993
dan pameran keduanya di tempat yang sama pada
tahun 1996. Mohamed Najib yang menggunakan tiga
medium kegemarannya, arkilik di atas kanvas, batik
canting dan juga kertas buatan tangan dan
kain batik.
Dalam diri pelukis ini bercantum kepelbagaian.
Sehingga sukar untuk kita melihatnya. Dia sebagai
pelukis, sebagai sarjana atau sebagai birokrat?.
Tetapi sosok yang multi bakat sebegini, akan
mencambahkan benih kepelbagaian. Di lahirkan
di Karak Setia, Karak, Pahang pada 7 Jun 1954.
Menerima pendidikan rendah dan menengahnya
di Bentong, Pahang. Kemudiannya mengikuti
pangajian di Sultan Idris Teacher Training College
(SITC) di Tanjung Malim (1975-76) dan kembali
menjadi guru sekolah, mengajar Bahasa Melayu dan
seni lukis. Beberapa tahun mengajar, beliau mendapat
tawaran untuk mendalami seni halus di Maktab
Perguruan Ilmu Khas di Cheras.
Perjalanan keilmuan tidak berhenti di situ, dia
meneruskan perjalanannya ke Universiti Sains Malaysia
(1985-1989) untuk Ijazah pertamanya. Seterusnya
meneruskan pengajian sarjananya dalam Textile
Design dan menyelesaikan PhDnya dengan mengkaji
Symbolism In Tradisional Arts. Dia kembali ke tanah air
dan menjadi pensyarah di Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Beliau kemudian menjadi Dekan di Pusat Pengajian Seni,
USM , Ketua Pengarah BSLN dan Rektor ASWARA.

Untuk melihat perjalanan panjangnya itu maka, proses
merenung beberapa buah karya terdahulunya wajar
diperincikan. Karya-karya awalnya selepas pulang dari
luar negara dan beberapa karya beliau yang lain seperti
Stupa In Progress (1991), The Growth (1994), Pi Mai
(1997), dan Campasawk (1997) dan beberapa buah
karya lagi. Melalui Stupa In Progress Najib benar-
benar memanfaatkan kajiannya melalui Symbolism of
Malaysian Textiles (Manchester Metropolitan Universiti,
1995). Tiga stupa yang diatur sebaris dengan yang
tengah meninggi dan diapit di kiri dan kanannya. Di
dada tengah berkembangnya sekuntum teratai, di
sebelah kanan sekuntum yang baru memutih dan di
sebelah kiri pula kelopak yang telah gugur, dan yang
tinggal hanya kun yang tersimpan biji di dalamnya. Di
belakangnya daun-daun teratai menghijau dengan
bunga yang berkembang dan baru menguntum serta
berputik. Teratai itu berkembang, dan berapungan di
dalam kolam batini sehingga meriak gelombang yang
melambung separas langit.
Meneliti Stupa In Progress haruslah dengan mata
batin, kerana Najib tidak memberikan lapis yang
pertama yang mudah dan tersurat. Stupa In Progress
sebuah karya batik beliau yang kembali ke masa
silam, menelusuri Nusantara pada masa lampau. Dia
nampaknya terkenangkan kepada Srivijaya, Majapahit,
Langkasuka, dan Katahar jauh. Kalau gurunya, Abdullah
Mohamed Nakula melalui Falsafah dan Pemikiran
Orang-orang Melayu dengan merujuk kepada lambang
bunga teratai, dan Najib pula nampaknya telah
melakukan transformasi pemikiran gurunya itu dalam
bentuk lukisan batik. Najib menghidupkan kembali tradisi
silam melalui sebuah karya seni yang merakamkan nilai
bersifat sejarah dan nostalgik.
Retro Dr. Najib telah memindahkan kepala kain ke
dalam sebuah karya batiknya memberikan sebuah
dunia pucuk rebung dengan pelbagai nilai tradisi,
flora dan faunanya itu.Tentunya ini juga ada sebuah
siratan yang harus diterjemahkan maknanya oleh
mata. Mata biasa akan melihat yang tersurat, tetapi
mata batin akan merenungi yang tersirat. Di sanalah
tersirat dan dan berkilaunya pantulan ibarat dan kias.
Pencarian bertahun dengan perjalanan beribu batu,
tak menghilangkan haus sehari. Pucuk dan pohon
tumbuh menerjah gelap, dan di sebalik gelap itu
ada titik cahaya. Cahaya di dalam dan di luar diri.
Di sanalah tersembunyi Alif yang dicari. Kecil kerdil
tenggelam dalam lautan hayat, tetapi cekal yakin akan
menemukan bunga makrifat.
Chong Hip Seng, pelukis yang dilahirkan pada tahun
1950 dan menetap di Taman Bersatu Kulim, Kedah
ini menerima pendidikan seni, khususnya bidang
Lithography di Switzerland pada tahun 1973. Hip Seng
telah mengadakan 4 kali pameran solonya sejak tahun
1973 lagi yang diadakan di Penang State Art Gallery.
Seterusnya pada tahun 1983 di Galeria Penang, 1995
di Takashimaya Shenns Fine Art, Singapore dan pada
tahun 2007 dengan 1483 Prints di Penang State Art
Gallery.
pg/22
Balai
Seni Visual Negara telah mengadakan
Siri Dialog Seniman Kontemporari:
Seni Arca (1) pada 14 Julai 2012 yang lalu bagi
merancakkan lagi program penghayatan dan
pembangunan seni visual.
Siri Dialog ini menjuruskan pendekatan yang
berbeza iaitu penyertaan pesertanya adalah terpilih
di kalangan individu yang terlibat secara langsung
dalam bidang seni visual seperti sejarahwan seni,
pengkritik seni, kolektor seni, pemilik galeri dan
pengarca secara tertutup. Sumbang saran mereka
didokumentasikan sebagai satu usaha melestarikan
perkembangan seni visual di Malaysia. Seramai
30 orang peserta telah menghadiri dialog ini yang
mengisahkan berkaitan seni arca. Seterusnya siri
ini akan diteruskan untuk kategori seni visual yang
lain. Siri Dialog Seniman Kontemporari: Seni Arca (1)
adalah untuk ;
Membincangkan isu-isu semasa dalam seni
kontemporari Malaysia
Menggalakkan budaya wacana keilmuan sebagai
kegiatan percambahan ilmu
Mengenalpasti lompang ruang informasi dalam
pengisian susurmasa seni lukis di Malaysia
Menyuburkan dan merancakkan lagi aktiviti
pengumpulan maklumat berkaitan seni visual negara
untuk dijadikan sumber rujukan seni lukis negara
dimasa akan datang
Di antara isu yang dibincangkan adalah seperti Seni
arca dalam akar peribumi, perlambangan dalam
seni arca, falsafah pemikiran tradisi dalam seni arca,
paradigma dalam seni arca, seni arca di alam siber
dan dalam pendidikan, seni arca dalam konteks
global ,Seni arca sebagai sosial komen dan public art.
Lain-lain isu yang sempat diutarakan adalah; Dunia
entertainment yang lebih menguasai, cadangan
untuk ditubuhkan Art Council ataupun Persatuan dan
mengadakan Dana untuk projek khusus untuk seni
arca serta Art Education for All
Keseluruhanya sesi dialog ini tidak hanya
melorongkan isu berkaitan seni arca sahaja tetapi
juga sebaliknya. Secara langsung pengisian dialog ini
diharap dapat dikongsikan perkhabarannya dengan
khalayak yang lain dan tersangatlah bagusnya
sekiranya mendapat respon daripada pihak lain
yang ingin berkongsi. Penjernihan tindakan yang
sewajarnya perlu diambil oleh semua pihak yang
berkaitan yang mahukan seni ini pemihakan dan
penguasaannya dimiliki oleh semua.
DIALOG SENIMAN
KONTEMPORARI:
SENI ARCA (1)
Hip Seng membawa karya dengan identitinya
yang tersendiri. Hubungannya dengan alam dan
kehidupan begitu dekat dan akrab. Dan kerana
itu dalam sejumlah karya seni tampaknya, dia
sentiasa tidak memisahkan dirinya dengan alam
dan kehidupan. Bahkan penyataan menariknya
dalam Utara After 3 Decades amat menarik sekali.
Hip Seng menyatakan: Saya telah menghabiskan
sebahagian dari kehidupan yang bermakna
dalam hidup saya dui lading, di keliling oleh alam
semulajadi, paku-pakis, kehijauan, kelapa sawit,
pondok kayu, sungai dan perasaan ketenangan.
Apa yang ingin saya sampaikan dalam lukisan saya
samalah seperti penyair yang melihat seluruh dunia
di dalam sebutir pasir.
Karya-karya seni Hip Seng menjadi koleksi tetap di
Universiti Utara Malaysia, Balai Seni Visual Negara,
Singapora National Arts Museum, Siam Art Museum,
Hatyai, Daiichi Modern Art Gallery dan pelbagai
institusi dan orang perseorangan dari dalam mahu
pun luar negara.
Karya Hip Seng Im bellow the pyramid jelas
membawa ciri dan gaya tetapnya sebagai seorang
pencinta keindahan alam dan kehidupan manusia
sejagat. Kecintaannya kepada alam flora dan fauna
begitu jelas dan nilai persahabatan begitu menebal
sekali. Dan Hip Seng mengajak kita untuk berkongsi
ingin dan harapan tersebut melalui karya-karyanya.
Selepas Salon 2010 de la National des Beaux-Arts
pada 16 hingga 19 Disember 2010 dengan karyanya,
Itik Pulang Petang, pameran kali ini merupakan
kali kedua buat pelukis Abd. Rani Majid. Abd Rani
merupakan pelukis self trained artist, kelahiran
Raub, Pahang pada 20 Mac 1959 masih meneruskan
kecintaan kepada tradisi bangsanya. Pameran solo
pertamanya di luar negara telah berlangsung di
Municipal Art Gallery Malcolm de Ghazal, Gurepipe
Mauritius dari 26 Oktober hingga 2 November 2007.
Dalam pameran tersebut, beliau tetap dengan
tradisi Wayang Kulit yang amat dicintainya. Beliau
telah melukis puluhan karya yang bertemakan
warisan budaya yang mengambil imej dan motif
dalam tradisi Wayang Kulit. Bahkan siri inilah yang
paling laku apabila beliau membuat pameran di luar
negara. Kolektor di Mauritius mahupun di Reunion
Island amat meminati dan menyanjung karya yang
menggambarkan motif budaya tradisi ini.
Manakala pameran solonya yang kedua
berlangsung di Kepulaun Reunian tajaan Reunian
Arts Envol dan Kementerian Kebudayaan Perancis,
dengan judul A. Rani la Malaisie se devoile... di
Mediatheque de Saint-Pierre pada 3 hingga 28 Ogos
2010. Dia masih kekal dengan siri wayang kulitnya,
tetapi kalinya bentuknya mula disamarkan dengan
memberikan imej yang lain.
Fisher in abstract river merupakan kesinambungan
kepada siri Itik Pulang Petang yang melakukan
pemiuhan bentuk-bentuk dan imej ikan yang telah
disebati dengan ciri-ciri budaya dan kehidupan
Melayu yang sangat menebal. Imej-imej itu
diapungkan, seolah-olah ikan yang sedang berpusar
dalam satu pusingan kitaran sungai. Kalau ingin
mencari subjek wayang, ia tidak dizahirkan secara
nyata, tetapi cara dan teknik A. Rani menyelit dan
menyembunyikan imej-imej ikan dalam fantasia yang
direkanya, menjadikan ia indah dan meninggalkan
kesan estetika. Di situlah terserlahnya kecintaannya
yang mendalam terhadap seni warisan bangsanya.
Kehadiran tiga orang pelukis Malaysia ini,
Dr. Mohamed Najib Ahmad Dawa, Chong Hip Seng
dan Abd. Rani Majid ke pameran Salon 2011 de
la National des Beaux-Arts ini menjadi satu bukti
bahawa tanah air kita mempunyai bakat luar biasa/
tanah air yang sentiasa berkesinambungan.
| KAMARIAH ABDULLAH
| Jerome Kugan
Jennifer
P. Linggi, a native Sabahan,
studied architecture at
Oxford Brookes University, England,U.K. Upon
graduation, she worked as an architect in London
and Brunei Darussalam before returning to her
hometown of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in 2004.
Once back on native soil, she divided her time
between teaching architectural design and
documenting the traditional crafts of Sabah. A
fascination with the intricate design of Sabahan
handicrafts prompted Jennifer to visit many
kampungs (villages) where she would spend
long hours quizzing the residents and detailing the
construction of their baskets and other woven
artifacts. Jennifers visual documentation inspired
her to exhibit her work with Sabah Art Gallery (SAG)
and to become an active member of the Sabah
Visual Art Society (Persatuan Seni Visual Sabah)
where she served as both Secretary
(2007-2008) and President (2008-2009).
In June 2009, Jennifer was appointed
as the Curator of the SAG and in July
2012 took over as Director from Datuk
Mohamad Yaman Ahmad Mus.

Jerome Kugan (JK): How are the

preparations for moving to the new
Sabah Art Gallery (SAG) going so far?
When will it be ready?
Jennifer P.Linggi (JPL): Although
Sabah Art Gallery was founded in
1984, it has not had a permanent
home until now. For more than two
decades the gallery has had to
share facilities with the Museum and
utilize exhibition space at a variety of
venues in and around Kota Kinabalu.
This year Sabah Art Gallery will finally
have a home. Our building has
recently been completed and it is
an exciting time for us. We will be
moving house in October and plan
to open to the public in November of
this year.
JK: As the new Manager and Curator of the Gallery,
is there a specific direction you wish to take it in?
Will you be continuing the work of Datuk Mohd.
Yaman Ahmad Mus, your predecessor?
JPL: Datuk Yamans contribution to art in Sabah
has been immense. His relentless drive to motivate
artists and work with the Government to promote
art is hard to match. I believe my mission now is to
elevate Sabah art to a different level. Having our
own building is a plus, as we are able to organize a
variety of activities which previously may not have
been possible. I hope to attract more artists from
abroad, run art forums and symposiums and to
generally create more opportunities for local artists
to interact and learn from artists outside Sabah.
Another important goal is to have more
educational programs related to art and to reach
out to a wider audience, particularly the rural
communities. Art in general is associated with the
middle and upper classes, but I believe art should
be accessible to all. Art strengthens our powers of
observation and helps us pay attention to our lives.
Therefore, by reaching out to a bigger
audience, we are able to raise awareness of the
preoccupation of local artists and hopefully at the
same time encourage greater appreciation of art.
JK: You are also responsible for designing the new
Gallery. Can you tell us some of your aesthetic
considerations for the new space?
JPL: Coming from an architectural background
helped me with the concept for
the design of the building as well
as most of the details. I was also
fortunate enough to be able to
work closely with the consultants
and the contractors throughout
the construction of the building.
The octagonal plan was inspired
by Datuk Yamans fascination
for geometry as evident in
his early art works, while the
central circulation space was a
response to his request to make
it easy for visitors to walk around
the building.
The main function of the building
is to house our art collection
as well as to provide gallery
space. Consequently, the
four levels contain galleries, a
conservation zone, a library and
an office. Initially the building
was designed with the largest
floor, i.e. the conservation zone,
on the lower floors and the office
- the smallest space - at the top.
Upon the suggestion of our
Minister for Culture, the design of the building was
inverted to create more interest, leading to its
present form. This has resulted in the walls tapering
outward from the base at an angle of 30 degrees
giving the Gallery a most distinctive appearance,
which some have described as like a basung (a
type of traditional basket made of sago frond).
Being passionate about our traditional crafts and
patterns, I was keen to incorporate traditional
elements throughout the building: the most
obvious of these are the four decorative panels
on the external walls, based on a motif that is an
integration of common patterns used by the Murut,
Dusun, Irranun, Bajau and Rungus ethnic groups of
Sabah.
Jennifer's early sketches of SAG based on
Dtk Mohd Yaman's geometric art form
Datuk Mohd Yaman's paintings
jennifer at the Victoria
National Art Gallery
Basket drawing by Jennifer P. Linggi
Jennifer's sketch of traditional
Sabahan motif which became a
distinctive feature of the Sabah Art
Gallery building.
pg/25
JPL: The answer is probably all of the above and
more. One reason that comes to mind is the lack of
spending power of the people in the State which
means art is at the bottom of their priorities. This also
means that a career in art is rarely the first option
for the younger generation. I wonder too whether
the inability to communicate in another language,
English for example, could be a hindrance to artists
when promoting themselves abroad. There are
also not many private galleries that are able to
represent artists here in Sabah.
Having said that, Sabahan artists such as
I-Lann, Bayu Utomo and Awang Damit Ahmad,
- internationally acclaimed artists based in West
Malaysia - have made important contributions to
Sabah in terms of their willingness to share their
experiences with our local artists, for which Im truly
grateful.
JK: Who are some of the Sabah arts practitioners
that you think deserve wider attention? And what
kind of a role do you think that the federal or state
government, or Balai Seni Lukis Negara, could and
should play in promoting their work?
JPL: Arthur Siowou, Azlan Dulikap, Rosmaini Sunarjo,
Harold Eswar, Crig Roynno, Anddy Romeo, Chua
Yuen Chang and Asnedi Maduni are among a few
of our up and coming artists with a lot of potential.
Given the right exposure and opportunities, I
believe these young artists will go far.
We absolutely need funding for programs such as
art residency. Residential exchange programs are
important for boosting the artists confidence as
well as broadening and sharing their experience.
Our local artists would benefit greatly from this
program through interactions with visiting artists or
being involved with residency programs outside of
Sabah.
JK: What are some of the programmes or
exhibitions you have planned
for the Sabah Art Gallery in
the near future that art lovers
shouldnt miss?
JPL: Apart from our annual
exhibitions namely, New
Talents, Invitational Artists,
Patterns and Colours of
Sabah, Women Artists and
Sabah Annual Art Award
show, we hope to organize
art workshops, symposiums
and forums. We are also
looking at future collaborative
programs with Korea, Japan
and Australia.
It should also be noted that the Sabah Art
Gallery building was recently awarded a Silver
classification from the Green Building Index
Assessment Panel. It is the first officially recognized
green building in Sabah and the first green public
gallery in Malaysia, complete with passive design,
solar panels, movement sensor lights and rain water
harvesting system. This unique and special building
will hopefully give more prominence to the role of
art in Sabah culture as well as being a talking point
and an attraction for art lovers and tourists alike for
years to come.
JK: How do you view the state of the arts in Sabah
as stands now, from an Art Curators standpoint and
also personally?
JPL: With the exception of a very few, Sabahan
artists has been producing work that is beautiful,
but perhaps too safe. There is a need to give
more exposure to our local artists so they will be
more questioning and more daring in exploring
and expressing their feelings and approach to art.
Of course, there is the issue of what type of art sells
particularly for artists who make a living solely from
the sale of their art, so one has to consider the
needs of the buyer. As most customers are tourists,
the most popular subjects are landscapes, flora
and fauna. Portraits are quite popular too.
We still have quite a way to go in terms of getting
the local community to appreciate art. This is
where the Sabah Art Gallery must play a role
by organizing more interesting activities and
exhibitions to popularize art.
JK: What are some of the new developments in
Sabahs arts scene that you think are interesting?
JPL: In recent years, with the emergence of
some young artists I feel there is a shift towards
contemporary ideals. The works that are coming
out are more experimental and bold in terms
of subject and approach. They are also more
nave, abstract. This is refreshing and important to
acknowledge. We have to be aware of the issues
that our younger generation is facing. I hope,
however, that they will continue to draw inspiration
from their cultural backgrounds so as to be able to
provide a uniquely Sabahan perspective on life.
JK: With the exception of a few like Yee I-Lann,
the majority of Sabahan artists find it difficult to
promote their work both within the state, nationwide
and internationally. Why do you think this is? Is it
a reflection of a lack of public appreciation for
the arts or perhaps its because of the technical/
cultural limitations of the artists work? Or does it
really boil down to geographical isolation and
funding difficulties?
Jennifer's studies of SAG design
Sketch plan-2- SAG
Jennifer with Sabahan
veteran artists Benedict
Chong, Robin Lo &
Richard Lim
UITM and Formalism
Perhaps, it is a vital for an artist to developed a style.
Style indicates a maturity of an artist pertaining his
formalistic attitude. It distinguished the artist from
another. Style is derived from the activities of the artist
regarding his experiences and his environment. One
could easily differentiate between a Rembrandt and
Picasso as they both possessed different particular
styles and approaches to their work. Style can be
identified in the expressive use of media that gives
an artwork it's individual character. It also refers to
specific artistic character or dominant trend or form
noted during a period or during an art movement.
Ali received his formal art education from ITM (now
Early formative years
For Ali, it is a mixture of talent, comprehensive learning
and commitment reflecting what he is today. The long
years of educational journey illuminate the direction
of his artistic career. Working in the various formalistic
approaches, it took years of research, practice
and experiments to reach a state of becoming; the
liberation of ideals.
Since childhood, Ali was exposed to the local art
scene through competitions and exhibitions. Blessed
with talent, he marked his way with a distinctive
manner. Consistently active through art competitions,
regularly winning numerous competitions both
local and international while he was still in primary
school. Since winning the Switzerland Olympic Art
Competition in 1993, Ali has consistently produce art
pieces with different styles with each participated
exposition.
Though Ali did not receive a formal art education in
school, what was once a hobby turned to became
a necessity. An essential part of Alis character is his
prodigious curiosity and his persistence to surmount
the impossibilities. It is normal for a young boy to savor
a world of imagination and fantasies.
Self Taught Through Central Market
Yet, one takes time to mature. It is a long and difficult
journey to possess skills and techniques. In the light
of eagerness and will to progress, Ali began to
wandered his way in search of knowledge. Frequent
visits to Central Market somehow led to the meet up
with Aris Aziz, potrait artist and Abdul Ghani Ahmad,
landscape artist. I would insist they check and
comment every time I showed my work, recalling
his apprenticeship under both. I am personified by
his skills in using water color. Hes the first to teach me
how to used the medium. Most of the artist here build
their career through painstaking commitment, more
precisely - self-taught. It inspired me to work hard on
my technical skills in order to achieve higher quality in
producing an artwork.
UiTM) Shah Alam. I didnt understand why they kept
me out although I have surpassed the minimum
requirements to be accepted into the Fine Art
department. I am the only one among all the students
with a portfolio, but I was the only one ended up
being rejected. Determine to pursue his ambition, he
sought reconsideration from the lecturers to include
him in the list of Fine Art students. Badrolhisham Tahir
asked me, what is the complimentary color to blue?
It was hard to contemplate the question at that time.
So he failed me in that interview. This brought Ali to
the importance of understanding the fundamentals of
art in formal art education.
The Search for Identity
Ali's aesthetic approach to his representational
medium are not particularly exclusive. Looking at his
early practice, he was capable of producing works
of a different character in its representations. His
approach to the current style is seen as a technical
breakthrough to his understanding, or the preferred
technique, evaluated by effectiveness of its medium
to provide a meaning.
Ali Nurazmal tend to produce large scale, figurative
and realism paintings. Most of his work are subjected
to address his personal views of his environment. I
like to be up front, to take the lead. I like to be in
control of myself. The recurring image of self-portraits,
depicted in an utmost dramatic composition,
somehow projects a sense of narcissism. However,
it is not the case for Ali. Painting is a tool to
communicate my views of the world. The depiction
of himself is a sort of a mediator, the main actor in
his paintings. One cannot escape the natural trait of
human - to take control over his destiny.
| AZZAD DIAH
pg/26
Imitation Master After Caravaggio II, 168 x 352 cm, Oil on Canvas, 2012, Alism Exhibition
Networking, 122 x 304 cm, Oil on Canvas, 2012, Alism Exhibition
Supplier, 153 x 153 cm, Oil on Canvas, 2011,
Cirque du Freak Exhibition
Imitation Masters Series
The nature of mimesis plays a central role in creative
development. Often we see a reproduction of the artworks
of late master artists. The objective varies, for instance,
'Women Crossing Stream - after Rembrandt' (1968) by
Ismail Zain deliberately borrows the European art historical
sources, namely, an image made famous by Dutch painter
Rembrandt, in his reinterpretation of it within contemporary
context . The same tendencies are shared by Ali in his
Imitation Master - After Caravaggio (2008). The painting is the
mimic of Caravaggios Cardsharps (1595) with a new twist.
He collapses history and style into a uniquely contemporary
vision. He describes his approach as interrogating the notion
of the master painter, at once critical, throughout the art
history discourses.
Caravaggio, the well known 16th century Italian painter is
famous for the employment of low light to create values of
lights and shades or tenebrism. The technique struck a strong
contrast, in highly dramatic and even theatrical feelings in
his biblical subjects during the Baroque era. Alis interest in
Caravaggios technical ethos inspired him towards achieving
such high level of proficiency. Application of colors to the flat
surfaces is presented with meticulous handling. Each layer
resonated the intricacy between blended pigments.
The Imitation Master series is seen as cerebral rather than
emotive. For Ali, finding the problem was the most exciting
aspect of the act of painting and such an outlook was
guided by essentially detached and non-emotive vision of
artistic engagement. This attitude towards artistic creativity,
emphasising detachment and rationality, already formed
during his art student days, remained with him. And, in a sense
the approach to painting that he had adopted certainly
complemented his own complex, inquiring personality.
Pengenalan
Pameran Fotografi : Waktu dan Ketika ini menonjolkan
karya - karya fotografi yang dihasilkan dari dahulu
hingga ke hari ini. Ia juga diadakan bertujuan untuk
memberi kesan nostalgia kepada pengemar seni
fotografi hitam putih dan memberi imbauan kepada
khalayak khususnya kepada penggemar fotografi
kini untuk mengetahui dan mempelajari teknik atau
kaedah penghasilan karya foto hitam putih. Karya-
karya foto yang diperagakan di dalam pameran
ini adalah dari himpunan tetap BSVN seperti Koleksi
Dato Loke Wan Tho, Soraya Yusof Talismail,Tara
Sosrowardoyo ,Simryn Gill, Nadiah Bamadhaj dan
termasuk artis jemputan seperti Ismail Hashim, Eric
Peris, Dennis Lau,Yee I Lann juga tidak ketinggalan
memperkenalkan artis muda seperti Joe Ghazali,
Sue Anna Joe dan J.Redza untuk bergabung
menjayakan pameran tersebut.
Mohd Khazrul Sharuddin -Kurator
Bidang-bidang kesenian tradisional, seperti lukisan,
telah dilepaskan dari memikul tanggungjawab dan
peranan menghasilkan gambar-gambar realistik
setelah penciptaan fotografi kerana medium
baru ini dikira mampu memainkan peranan ini
dengan lebih baik daripada lain-lain medium.
Ini membolehkan pengkarya-pengkarya bebas
meneroka kaedah-kaedah representasi baru,
justeru menatijahkan gerakan-gerakan kesenian
seperti kubisme dan ekspresionisme abstrak yang
mengungkap lain-lain bentuk realiti atau pemikiran.
Fotografi tidak melenyapkan praktis seni lukis tetapi
membebaskannya. Namun begitu, isu-isu berkenaan
proses representasi menerusi fotografi sedang
melalui anjakan-anjakan serupa dalam dunia
kontemporari hari ini. Apabila pemandangan atau
subjek yang dirakam secara fotografik dimanipulasi
dan dipinda, maka terciptalah realiti-realiti baru,
khayalan-khayalan baru, cara-cara melihat yang
baru. Perbezaan di antara proses mengambil dan
mengolah imej-imej fotograf telah membolehkan
pengguna membentuk dan mengawal isi imej-
imej tersebut. Realiti yang serba jelas lebih rela
dikesampingkan, dan apa yang dipersembahkan
kepada kita ialah satu pendapat, satu pandangan,
yang mungkin lebih menepati proses perakaman
dan pembikinan makna yang dihasratkan oleh
jurugambar. Campurtangan jurugambar yang
semakin dominan ke atas imej membolehkan beliau
memiliki lebih kuasa untuk mengawal medium yang
digunakannya. Fotografi dari dulu sering dikaitkan
dengan pengendalian real dan teknikal kamera,
namun bila kita bergerak keluar dari situasi lazim ini,
jurugambar mengambil peranan yang lebih bersifat
authorship menerusi sejumlah peralatan yang
tersedia untuk kegunaan mereka.
Yee I-Lann
Penulis dan Artis Jemputan
Dalam potret piktorialis, subjek biasanya terdiri dari
orang-orang tua, orang perempuan dalam lagak
aksi yang mengghairahkan dan kanak-kanak yang
mempamerkan luahan tidak tersekat yang polos.
Paparan yang tersebar dalam rata-rata tema
ialah keinginan untuk menyampaikan perwatakan
si pemodel. Tambahan lagi, penghasilan bentuk
yang dianggap berlaku secara tidak sengaja dan
kebijian gred warna menyebabkan emosi yang
ditonjolkan nampak lebih realistik. Dalam genre
fotografi ini, sususan gubahan adalah penting dalam
menyampaikan maksud yang terpendam. Bahasa
gerak-geri adalah amat peka, contohnya, cara
bagaimana badan dan anggota disusun berbanding
dengan kepala. Bergandingan dengan ekspresi
muka, tangan merupakan satu lagi lapisan makna
yang mempertontonkan emosi. Selalunya adab tertib
kehidupan tidak ditonjolkan melalui ekspresi atau
luahan terus, tetapi melalui ciri-ciri pahatan cahaya
dan bayang. Pekerja yang sedang berkerja, orang
yang sedang menjalankan tugasan harian dan
keadaan sekeliling yang biasa, dipaparkan dalam
konteks yang baru dan segar; dipertingkatkan nilai
estetikanya agar wajar disebut sebagai seni halus di
samping masih mengekalkan kebiasaannya supaya
ia tetap dapat dikenali oleh orang kebanyakan.
Alex Moh
Penulis Jemputan
pg/27
One in a Million, 153 x 153 cm, Oil on Canvas, 2011,
Cirque du Freak Exhibition
Below are excerpts (pgs 155-161) from Tan Sri P.G Lim's memoir
'Kaleidoscope' which is reproduced with the kind permission from the
publisher, SIRD.
Tan Sri P.G Lim, together with Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard, Tan Sri Ghazalie
Shafie, Tan Sri Zain Azraai, Frank Sullivan, Royal Prof. Ungku Abdul Aziz
and Kington Loo among others were important figures behind the
setting up of Malaysia's National Visual Arts Gallery.

Tan Sri P.G Lim served as its Board of Trustees' Deputy Chairman
and later, as Chairman.
pg/28
SIRD
Strategic Information and Research Development Center, better known as SIRD, is
an independent scholarly publishing house in Malaysia. We cater predominantly
to the needs of academics; and occasionally, to a wider audience of activists and
policy-makers. We are working towards expanding links between Malaysian and
regional/international publishers with the aim of making non-mainstream writers more
accessible to a local/international audience and vice-versa. For more information
about their publications, please visit www.gerakbudaya.com
Creative individuals who did not have any formal or
academic art training are common. In fact, many of
them have contributed and enriched the history of art
by bringing a vision of originality and innovative use of
materials. In Malaysia, even though many of our early
artists did not receive formal academic training or only
briefly, their contributions in developing a uniquely
local as well as personal visual vernacular cannot be
underestimated. Some have produced works that
we cannot categorize under the art brut, outsider
art or even nave art category proper though we do
recognize in their works distinctive traits that separates
them from professionally trained artists.
Their works encourages one to look at art and its
practices in contemporary times from different angles
and approaches. Furthermore, their non-specialists
background and their (sometimes) eccentric
expressions also challenged the hegemony of
conservative art and culture specialists monopoly
of ideas in the field of art. Unlike most professionally
trained artists, these autodidacts or informally trained
individuals make works out of urges or necessities that
mirrors their psychological states and social conditions.
It is inseparable with the context from which they
create and serves to address/ offset the imbalances
of inner turmoil of the psyche or as a result of freely
following their inner voices. The unmediated expression
of their impulses through visual means had produced
some of the most startlingly original and mindboggling
works of art.
This article is a second part of the 'Ordinary People,
Extra Ordinary Artistry' series, where I introduce three
informally trained artists to the readers. I hope a brief
coverage of their background history and motivations
behind their labor of love will serve as an eye opener
and inspiration. By acknowledging and celebrating
their artistry, we also celebrate our own personal
narratives, eccentricities, dreams, beliefs and world
views.
Wan Jaafar Wan Derahman or Waja was born in Bunga
Mas, Perlis in1955 into a family of farmers. He came
to Kuala Lumpur (KL) after completing his secondary
education and worked in various capacities before
leaving for New Zealand to work with a company
that supplies goat meat to Muslim countries. After
completing his contract, he returned to KL and worked
as a technician at a local Telco company before
leaving to pursue art full time.
Waja remembered that he was always drawing
and doodling since the age of 7 but the motivation
to pursue art seriously was only kindled when
he befriended Aris Aziz, the well known portrait
painter who, under the tutelage of the late
Datuk Mohd Hoessein Enas from the Angkatan
Pelukis Semenanjung (APS) days, still works from his
studio at the Central Market (CM).He was further
encouraged when another informally trained portrait
and landscape painter, Amran, gave him a space
in his studio to work. Amrans prophetic words Mu
Buat! (You just do it!) in his thick Kelantanese Malay
dialect 10 years ago still resonates powerfully with
Waja till today . Since then Waja has not stop drawing
and painting even with the many challenges and
obstacles in his uneventful life. When he was at CM,
surrounded by informally trained painters of portraits,
figures and realistic images, Wajas naf like art was
both vilified and ridiculed (his loud and critical
personality too exacerbated the situation!) It came to
a point where he was barred from painting(!) but all
that changed when a tourist from Sweden spotted his
works and bought some RM 8 000 worth of unframed
paintings. That gave him the confidence he needed
to pursue his own artistic vision regardless of all the
uncalled for hostilities and oppositions. To avoid further
unnecessary hassles, Waja moved to various public
locations to paint and sell his works.
The first was the artists colony at Jalan Conlay under
the purview of the National Craft Agency (where the
painters Yusof Ismail@ Yusof Gajah (formally of the
Anak Alam collective) and Asmadi Asri @Adeputra
became his friends and supporters), later he did a
short stint at the old Keretapi Tanah Melayus (KTM)
Kuala Lumpur railway station located opposite of the
former site of the National Visual Arts Gallery (NVAG)
before he was given a small studio space to work at
NVAGs Peti Seni (Art Cabin)for a duration of one
year, with art materials provided through the Gallerys
Artist Art Fund in 2010.

Wajas output is both astounding and mind boggling.
His works and sketches numbered in the hundreds,
though countless pieces were lost when he was
forced to vacate numerous times. His brightly colored
paintings, unsophisticated, crude and raw depictions
of peoples, places, buildings and animals as well
as his design works are produced spontaneously
from his imagination. His bold use of bright and loud
psychedelic colors could be read as expressionist
though he simply applies them based on a sense of
what feels right without any forethought for meanings
(psychologically, cultural or what not) to the colors
used.
Simplistic and lackadaisical though not callous but
innocuous (earnest even), Wajas oeuvre is reflective
of his disposition and individuality.
| Tan Seihon
pg/30
In his approach, there are no hints of cleverly disguised
cynicism or irony. There is not even any effort of
deliberation to win collective approval. His fertile
outpourings are the products of a child-like awe,
deriving much amusement from what was observed
and gratefulness for what had been experienced.
To Waja, there is nothing peculiar about the way he
draws or paints. He enjoys working on his paintings
and accepts his abilities, well aware that the many
self appointed culture and art philistines predictable
penchant for the photo realistic figurative paintings,
generic concepts of beauty and banal or perceived
alternative expressions current or limited to its milieu
does not get what he is doing.

Shanthamathe, whose interest in art began since
her lower primary school days, did not choose the
path of an artist. Though she remembers having fond
memories of times when she was given papers and
colors, she would sit quietly alone drawing freely and
fascinated by the spiral like-patterns that emerged,
she did not thought that her works were exceptional
when compared to her peers in those nascent years.
During her teens, she used to watch her cousin
Ambimathe draw and sketched beautiful detailed
figures during her pastime. This shared love for art
eventually led to both of them having a joint exhibition
at a hotel in Seremban in 1986.
However, Shantamathe decided to go fulltime
to pursue her passion for art after quitting her job
four years ago, where she had worked in various
professional capacities in the corporate world for
many years, due to health reasons. The transition was
perhaps not difficult as she never gave up drawing
even when she was then leading a hectic life. She
would spend time till late nights after work, with pens
and markers diligently drawing patterns in exercise
books or sketchpads. This is her way of de-stressing and
relaxes after all the hustle and bustle at the office.

Sometime late this year, she had her first solo
exhibition of 20 or more pen and ink drawings.
Entitled MindSong: Rhapsody of an Awakening Soul,
it was held at the Pentas 2 Foyer of Kuala Lumpur
Performing Arts Center (KLPAC) 6th -19th August, and
was extended for one more week to maximize the
exposure of the works to the public.
When asked to explicate the ideas or the
motives behind her intricate works, she admitted
that they were not based on any specific
thoughts or philosophy though she had read
more than a smattering of spiritual literature. She
has no forethought or intentions of expressing
anything through them, rather she says "it is like
as if I just connected with my feelings and body
and allow the drawings to take its own shape".
The outcome of the works often surprises her as well
as others. When alluding to the title of the exhibition,
which connotes spiritual aspects, Shantamathe is of
the opinion that the titles given to my paintings are
just what I personally feel about them. As you can
see, they are mere patterns drawn without an idea
or plan in the mind. Sometimes when I gaze at them
for a long time I just tend to feel that they could be
an unconscious expression of something universal. I
may be right or wrong about it. This is just my point of
view. Comfortable with non-objective readings of
her works, Shantamathe is perfectly open to different
interpretations of her subliminal outpourings, who
knows, someone else may see or perceive something
in my drawings that just may never have occurred to
me.
What are most striking and distinctive about her works
are the meticulously rendered and varied patterns,
swimming harmoniously within fluid organic forms. It
was noted in an interview elsewhere that she is able
to produce these complicated patterns with greater
ease and speed after recovering from a near fatal
illness. This observation however does not do justice to
her artistry.
Perhaps the artists whom she admired could shed
some light on her artistic developments instead.
When I was young I liked famous artists like Leonardo
da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Piccaso. I
was truly inspired by them. I admired Leonardo for his
versatility and the details in his artworks. Van Goghs
art simply moved me. I could get lost in his paintings.
I admired Piccaso for his invention of Cubism. But I
Leonardo is my favourite artist. I remember watching
a documentary on his life on television when I was
little and was so drawn to the perfection of details
he showed in all his paintings. Since then whenever I
drew, I would try to give special attention to details.
As of now, Shantamathe, who
cites her sister in law, Michele,
a sculptor-painter and her
niece Xygarathma Lebibi
as her main influences and
supporters, is at a place and
moment in her life where
she is contented to just trust
and follow the flow, to be
led wherever her passion and
artistic intuition will take her.
Sofian Sharifudin @ Pyanz's foray into visual arts almost
12 years ago began as a pastime. Born in 1973, Pyanz
has always been interested in art since high school.
Though he worked in various capacities after leaving
school, Pyanz kept his interest alive by drawing and
painting. At that time, he was using conventional art
materials that were available in the market. However,
he began to experiment with Henna as an art material
in 2005 when he saw how it was applied on the hands
of brides, and the results fascinated him.
Henna or Inai in Malay, is
derived from the Henna
tree and has been used
for centuries in various
parts of the world as
medicine and in cultural
practices as a dye for skin,
fingernails, hair leather
and wool. Motifs and
designs as body decorations using this material are
still popular during festive occasions especially during
weddings as Henna was regarded as having Barakah
(blessings), and was applied for luck as well as joy and
beauty. His fulltime job as a financial consultant for a
unit trust company with flexi-hours gave Pyanz much
time to continue exploring and experimenting with this
material in his works.
On the ideas behind his works, Pyanz is inclined
towards highlighting the relationships between various
aspects of lifes journey and its interpretation by each
individual. The human soul is given to flights of fancies
and constantly shifts between fantasy and reality.
That is why he uses the Malay Awan Larat motif that
is commonly found in traditional woodcarvings and
decorations as symbols in his works. Other motifs that
have found its way into Pyanzs works include native
contemporary, psychedelic as well as tribal designs,
which came by way of exchanges of ideas with a
fellow henna artist from Thailand. Back then, the
black henna that was used in body art was not widely
available. Pyanz had to travel to Bangkok to procure
supplies from this artist. It took Pyanz about a year
before he transferred the motifs and designs for body
art, combining it images from his imagination onto
canvas.
Pyanz also formulated the ingredients to strengthen
the material and once applied on the canvas, the
Henna is able to last for
years. Once dried its
textures contributes to
the unique look of this
medium. Though real
henna is only available in
the deep reddish brown,
Pyanz overcomes the
limitation of colors in this
material by applying
acrylic and other
conventional media to
enhance the overall
effect.
As a self taught painter, Pyanz cites the late Datuk
Mohd Hoessein Enas, Dato Syed Ahmad Jamal,
Mazeli Mat Som and Datuk Chuah Thean Teng and
others as art masters whom he admires greatly.
Though he has a healthy respect for these pioneers
of modern Malaysian art, Pyanzs approach is unique
as he is currently the only painter working with this
medium in the country today. Pyanz does not have
any high any highfalutin ideas about himself or his art,
his only earnest wish is to be able to produce works of
the highest quality with its own merits whereby it can
be accepted and appreciated by art lovers.
While some countries are still divided by racial
boundaries, Thailand has gone way beyond
the boundaries of human physical and mental
disabilities.

Art For All >> ASEAN sends an invitation annually
to every ASEAN country including India this year
to participate in its art camp for individuals with
disabilities. It has been 18 years since1998 that
Professor Channarong Pornrungroj founded the Art
For All Foundation and now, there are plans to build
a village with art schools etc where soft skills and
training are provided to those with physical and
mental disabilities.
A farsighted founder, Professor Channarong
Pornrungroj labeled 'ART' as something accessible,
to be use to rejoice and as a tool to meet the
challenges of our technological driven society,
especially faced by those with disabilities. He hopes
that his visions will be carried to the worldstage
through the pillars of culture and social aspects
of ASEAN, a coalition of countries, namely Brunei
Darusallam, Cambodia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore, Indonesia,
Vietnam and Thailand, which has long history of
collaboration to convey each countries' culture.
The organizer has planned well the overall,
intensive schedule, almost three hundred people
including staffs, volunteers, guests and participants
were transported from the capital, Bangkok to
Nakhon Ratchasima District after the well received
grand opening ceremony. The program is fully
supported by H.E. Mrs. Sukumol Kunplome, the
Minister of Culture in Thailand, the representatives
from ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and Pacific), ASEAN countries'
ambassadors, supporting bodies and the press at
the UNESCO building.
Everyday is a brand new experience through the
immerse engagement with everyone in the camp.
The ASEAN and Indian delegates were given
opportunities to present how ther respective
countries' support their disabled communities
especially through education, infrastructure, social
and economic support. It is a long way to reach
the whole awareness to accept the differences
individuals among the society and the thoughtful
development landscape play a huge role to make
a perfect life for everyone.
This year, Zaihan Mustapa the son of the Anak
Alam art group's veteran visual artists: Mustapa
Ibrahim and Maryam Abdullah, who grew up in
a silent world but his inherited visions has made
Malaysia proud with his exceptional talents as a
graphic designer at National Visual Arts Gallery
(NVAG). Zaihan's charisma and optimism gives
much encouragement and sparks inspiration to the
participants.
Alpana Nayak, is one of the founders of Association
for Learning Performing Arts and Normative Action
(A.L.P.A.N.A ) which hosts individuals with mental
and physical challenges, students are exposed
to different art forms especially classical dance.
Alpana teaches classical dance to students with
different abilities and helps them to improve
their nerve system and biorhythm by practicing
therapeutic yoga gestures and movements. At the
art camp, the young disabled performing artists,
Khushi Sagar and Ms. Rani won much applause
from everyone with their stunning performance.
Both their cheerful appearances brought much joy
and fun to the art camp.
Myanmar delegate, Aung Si Thu Hlaing is an artist
who graduated from the National University of Arts
and Culture Yangon and Tokyo Gakugei University
with a masters degree in art education. Aung Si
Thu Hlaing currently teaches art at the State High
School of Fine Arts. Being an art practitioner, Aung Si
Thu Hlaing found this trip to be an eye opener and
found new ways of teaching which he would like to
use to engage with students with different abilities
through painting. Together with him is the youngest
ASEAN delegate, Thi Ha Lin from the School of the
Blind, Kyie Myint Dine.
The Very Special Arts Singapore Ltd is the only
prominent special art school in Singapore and the
institution representing Singapore every year in
this event. This year, Jo Tan Li Hwa is to assist the
young artist Daren Leslie who is currently pursuing his
degree at the Nanyang Art Academy.
The Vietnam delegates, Nguyen Thi Hai Yen,
Nguyen Hoang Tung and 15 year old Ngo Huyen
Trang from Vietnam Youth Theatre amazed the
participants with their performance. Huyen reads
lips and speaks
although she is
deaf. She studied
at the Vietnam
Youth Theatre where
both Yen and Tung
are educators
and performers.
Yen is a singer
and composer for
educational songs
and Tung is a mime
performer. Their
jobs in Vietnam is
to tour to suburban
areas and teach
disabled children who
mostly are land mine victims through performances.
Most of the theme songs and the story of their
performance are about life's journey, morality and
world peace. Their performances are not only
heartwarming but also consoles the souls. One of
the famous pop songs shared between Vietnam,
Lao and Thailand is "Sa Bai, Sa Bai" which mean
'everything will be fine.'
There were many invited Thai artists humbly sharing
their artistic talents, conducting workshops and art
demonstration. Dr. Suchart Vongthong shared his
techniques with volunteers, educators and ASEAN
delegates on how to paint with a sponge. One
of the reasons of using sponges are because the
material is not only suitable for people with different
abilities but can be easily applied in different ways.
We were given a chance to paint with water color
and chinese brush style by using sponge, tissue
papers, cardboards, and stenciling techniques to
create different textures and lines.
Rare and precious, the National Artist of Thailand
in fine arts, Prof. Prayad Pongdam conducted
print making workshop. He was one of the invited
artist to the ASEAN Painting Symposium in 1990,
organized by the National Visual Arts Gallery,
Malaysia.
The concept of Art For All requires more from
everyone so that we can assimilate, encounter
and accept the differences among ourselve.
The process of being together definitely require
for infinite compassion to each another. Not to
mention, the art camp won't be success without the
contribution from the commited volunteers.
pg/32
Artist at work
| TAN HUI KOON
2.00-5.00 petang
Aras 1 Bangunan Galeri Balai
Seni Visual Negara
Seni
Visual
Bengkel
Peringkat Sekolah Rendah
Azmi Mambo
www.artgallery.gov.my
15, 22, 29 Sept
6, 13, 20 Okt
3, 10 Nov 2012
BenGkel
Seni
VisuaL
Peringkat Sekolah Menengah
Sarah Joan Mokhtar
www.artgallery.gov.my
15, 22, 29 Sept
6, 13, 20 Okt
3, 10 Nov 2012
Aras 1 Bangunan Galeri Balai
Seni Visual Negara
10 pagi-1.00 petang
Balai Seni Visual Negara
15, 22&29 Sept
6, 13&20 Okt
3&10 Nov 2012 Sabtu
10.00 pagi - 01.00 petang
Ar i s Az i z
Bengkel
Pelukis Potret :
Bersama
Cat Minyak
www.artgallery.gov.my
Nuzaihan: "I felt
happy to have
different experience
in Art For All art
camp. I have never
seen so many
people with different
abilities gather at
one place like this.
I've learned so much
from everyone and
enjoyed sharing
my expertise in the
workshops, teaching
the local participants
how to design a
poster. I've also
experienced coffee
painting, D.I.Y. fan
decoration, the sign
languages of different countries and dancing as
well. The experience is refreshing and I felt free
just being surrounded with postive energy, open
hearted friends and the creativity in the making of
art. "
The enjoyable and delightful experience in Bangkok
where a society
celebrates diversities
and allows colorful
characteristics
to blossom also
encourages my
desire to see
a better living
space and urban
landscape in
Malaysia. We
need more
landscape designs
that encourages
contemplation, allowing
inherited histories and
collective memories to be
preserved so that people will
keep their souls and allowed
their identities to be told
through their ways of livings.
As a developing nation, we
should not let developments
that leaves anyone behind.
Ironically, we Malaysian are
repeatedly being told that
globalization and pluralism
are national threats, and
while we saying this, we all
are losing sight of who we
are.
Besides art, what do you do after quitting your
full time job?
Besides being an artist, my main bread and butter
comes from being a graphic designer and the
freelance jobs I get from clients from countries like the
United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Germany, to
name a few. Most of the freelance jobs that I tend
to undertake revolve around branding designs and
revamping existing brands.
I also have my own brand known as "Didimalao",
which I am very proud of, as it enables me to create
a character representing myself whilst spreading joy
and a bit of cheekiness to people all around. My
recent Didimalao collection can be found in stores,
details of which are available on facebook.com/
didimalaofun.
Performance by Weijun Loh & Jietwong at Jietwongs Art Exhibition
launching at New Black Coffee Lab, 12 August - 10 September 2012
Jietwongs Art Exhibition at New Black Coffee Lab, 12 August -
10 September 2012 Can you share with us little bit about your
background?
I was born on the 17th of November, 1984, I was
born in the state of Perak, Malaysia. When I turned
18, I decided to go by the name of Jietwong. I
graduated from the New Era College in the field of
Visual Art Communication, I was ready to be a part
of the Design and Advertising industry, bearing an
Associate Degree in Art & Design. I yearned to go
to Taiwan to further my education however, due to
my lack of experience I decided to put that plan on
hold temporarily. Time went by and I managed to
accumulate a good seven years of experience as a
graphic designer in the industry.
Finally I decided to put
down the digital tools
and replace them
with something slightly
traditional... an actual
paint brush. This transition
allowed me to return to
one of my long forgotten
interests which I did not
have the opportunity to
pursue at a younger age,
namely to express my
personal visual language
through drawing and
painting. My favorite 'tools'
these days acrylics, ink,
canvas, paper and my
paintbrush.
My artworks can be
seen on my Facebook
page: facebook.com/
jietconcepts.
There is something mystical and explosively intense in Jiet Wongs
figures. Similar with the late artist, Dzulkifli Dahalans funny crooked
figures in his cityscapes though the young artist has created a
scenery of alienation and the figures rely and interlocks with each
other, as if to show that we were born to bond. Without knowing
who the artist is, I found his artworks were made with much effort
and is inviting, as though pulling its audiences to take part in the
visual experience. After years of working in the commercial graphic
industry, Jiet Wong is now begining to embark on his artistic journey.
Below is my interview with the young upcoming artist:
Besides, I also work part-time as a lecturer at E-Nable
Training & Management Sdn. Bhd. Here I have the
opportunity to tutor disabled students who are
actually quite good with computers and even basic
graphics designing. I do this with the desire that as
they grow up, they will be able to earn a living and
be proud of the fact that their disabilities have not
prevented them from becoming the best that
they can be.
What informs your art practice and who are your
main influences?
I have never had any prior technical training in the
area of fine arts. To be honest, I never really knew
how to draw on paper or canvas. As time went by,
a lot of practice, trial and error brought me up to
the level at which you can find me at today. Most of
my inspiration came from the different experiences
I had in life, some good, some bad, but each one
had something new to teach me. As time went by, I
realized that my art can be presented in anywhere,
on any medium and at any given time and place,
allowing my art to be quite flexible and adaptable.
Besides my artworks, I also believe that it is good for
one to give back to society. Everyone have their own
way of doing this.

So far, has it been worth it?
For something to be worth one's effort is quite
subjective. To me, whatever I decide to invest my time
in, I do so whole-heartedly. At times the end result is
good and at times bad; however, each experience
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
There is so much to do but not enough time. Would
be nice if I had more of me in order to fulfill all of my
dreams within the next 5 years!
One of my aspirations these days is to take my
art everywhere with me and change people's
perspectives on things in life. Its all about breaking old
boundaries and expanding one's horizon. Getting the
chance to show off my artwork at various coffee shops
is a start.
One thing that I know for sure is that nothing comes
easy in life. We all need to persevere and take time
out with genuine dedication in order to achieve our
desired goals.
Following which, there is no way but up!
'Untitled, a group exhibition at Findars, an artist
collective and artist run space.
has something new to teach me. This easily translates
into my artwork. The eagerness of my disabled
students to learn is also greatly inspiring. So it is safe to
say, yes, everything I do is worth the effort. Answering
that question with a "no", would be quite ignorant of
me, I believe.
Was the transition difficult from from doing design to
fine art?
Being a designer is more of a mechanical job for me
now. I know what to do, and what not to do. Being an
artist is now finally a dream becoming a reality. As an
artist I get to take my creativity to a whole new level,
one where the only limits that apply are those that I
set for myself.
pg/34
| TAN HUI KOON
BENGKEL PENULISAN DI LEMBAGA PEMBANGUNAN
SENI VISUAL NEGARA
BSVN telah mengadakan satu bengkel penulisan bertempat
di auditorium BSVN pada 18-19 Jun 2012. Seramai 30 orang
peserta telah menyertai bengkel yang berlangsung selama
dua hari ini. Penceramah yang telah dijemput ialah Prof. Dr.
Sufean Hussin dari Fakulti Pendidikan, Universiti Malaya.
Bengkel ini diadakan bagi memberi pengetahuan dan
kemahiran peserta dalam membuat sesuatu penulisan agar
lebih berkesan.
BENGKEL SENI BERSAMA MD.SANI MD.DOM
Pada 3 Mac sehingga 21 April yang lalu, Bahagian
Pendidikan Balai Seni Visual Negara (BSVN) telah
mengadakan Bengkel Seni Cat Minyak bersama
Pak Sani. Bengkel ini telah berlangsung di Aras 1
BSVN. Bengkel ini diadakan bersempena pameran
Perjuangan Pak Sani yang telah berlangsung
di balai yang lepas. Dengan adanya bengkel ini, orang
ramai dapat mempelajari teknik-teknik lukisan cat
minyak dengan cara yang betul.
MAJLIS PEMBUKAAN PAMERAN KUASA,
TANAH DAN HARAPAN
Bersempena sambutan kemerdekaan yang ke-
55 pada tahun 2012 ini BSVN telah mengadakan
Pameran KUASA, HARAPAN DAN TANAH bermula
pada 07 Ogos-19 November 2012 di Galeri 2B.
Sehubungan dengan itu, satu majlis pembukaan telah
diadakan pada 7 September 2012 jam 3.00 petang di
Aras 2 BSVN. Majlis ini telah dirasmikan oleh YBhg
Dato Mohd Yusof Ahmad selaku Ketua Pengarah
BSVN. Pameran ini adalah eksposisi dari karya
koleksi BSVN dari pelbagai medium penghasilan
karya dari pengkarya-pengkarya seni visual dalam
ruang, masa dan pengalaman masing-masing.
MAJLIS PELANCARAN BUKU NARRATIVES IN MALAYSIAN ART
Rogue Art telah mengadakan majlis pelancaran buku Narratives In Malaysian Art di BSVN
pada 7 Julai 2012 pada jam 11.00 pagi. Buku ini memaparkan himpunan sejumlah esei yang
menyorot bermacam-macam cara bagaimana seni rupa menyediakan kepada para artis
pelbagai sarana dan wadah buat mengungkap dan menanggap tentang diri mereka serta
negara kita. Esei-esei pula membicarakan ekspresi-ekspresi dan pengalaman-pengalaman
yang berubah-ubah di sepanjang perkembangan kehidupan social dan budaya di Malaysia
sejak dari zaman selepas Perang Dunia Kedua sehingga sekarang.
BENGKEL SENI VISUAL SEKOLAH RENDAH DAN
MENENGAH DI BSVN
Bengkel Seni Visual ini telah diadakan bermula 31
Mac sehingga 27 Mei 2012 setiap hari Sabtu dan
Ahad bertempat di aras 1 BSVN. Bengkel ini dibuka
kepada murid-murid sekolah rendah dan menengah.
Pelukis jemputan ialah Thangarajoo dan Zuzila Zain.
Kita juga ada mengadakan aktiviti Outdoor ke Zoo
Negara dan juga Sasaran Kuala Selangor. Sebarang
pertanyaan mengenai program Cuti Sekolah, sila
hubungi Bahagian Pendidikan di talian 03-4026 7169
(Puan Anis)
KUNJUNGAN HORMAT DULI YANG
TERAMAT MULIA RAJA MUDA PERAK,
RAJA DR. NAZRIN SHAH IBNI SULTAN
AZLAN MUHIBBUDDIN SHAH D.K., D.K.II
(SELANGOR), D.K.S.A, S.P.C.M, S.P.T.S,
S.P.M.P. (PERLIS), PH.D (HARVARD)
BSVN menerima kunjungan hormat dari Duli
Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Perak, Raja
Dr. Nazrin Shah Ibni Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin
Shah D.K., D.K.II (Selangor), D.K.S.A, S.P.C.M,
S.P.T.S, S.P.M.P. (Perlis), Ph.D (Harvard)
sempena pameran Sulalatus Salatin: Empayar
Kesultanan Melayu Melaka yang telah
berlangsung di Galeri 1A, BSVN
pg/37
PELANCARAN FESTIVAL 1M CONTEMPORARY
ART TOURISM 2012
Kementerian Pelancongan Malaysia telah
mengadakan Majlis Pelancaran Festival Pelancongan
Seni Kontemporari 1Malaysia pada 11 Julai 2012 jam
10.00 pagi bertempat di Kuala Lumpur Convention
Centre. Balai Seni Visual Negara (BSVN) telah
dijemput untuk menghadiri majlis tersebut. BSVN juga
telah mengadakan pameran semasa program tersebut
dan Puan Intan Rafza Abu Bakar telah dipilih sebagai
penceramah semasa majlis pelancaran tersebut.
MALAM MESRA BERSEMPENA PERTARUNGAN
AMRON OMAR DI BALAI SENI VISUAL NEGARA
BSVN telah menganjurkan Majlis Malam Mesra
bersempena pameran Pertarungan Amron Omar
yang sedang berlangsung sehingga 27 Ogos 2012
di Galeri 3A dan 3B BSVN. Bagi memperlihatkan
keunikan seni pertahanan diri masyarakat melayu di
samping menterjemahkan secara visual sebahagian
proses pertarungan yang terdapat dalam karya-karya
Amron Omar, satu persembahan silat oleh Pertubuhan
Seni Silat Cemande dari Kampung Bukit Kapar Klang
telah dipersembahkan kepada orang ramai. Para
pengunjung yang hadir pada malam tersebut juga
sangat bertuah kerana pelukis Amron Omar sudi untuk
mengadakan demonstrasi lukisan secara langsung
kepada orang ramai yang ingin menyaksikan sendiri
bagaimana sebuah lukisan itu dihasilkan. Turut hadir
pada malam tersebut adalah Dato Mohd Yusof
Ahmad, Ketua Pengarah BSVN.
ARTISTS@KLIA
Jom beramai-ramai datang menyaksikan aktiviti Artist@KLIA di
Bangunan Satelit, Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumur
(KLIA) bermula dari 16 April 2012. Saksikan demonstrasi seni visual
seperti seni lukis, seni catan, batik, karikatur, seramik, kaligraf, seni kraf
dan banyak lagi. Kenali dan beramah mesra bersama pelukis tanah
air seperti Ali Akhbar, Ismail Itam, Fauziah Hj Yahaya, Faizal Samat,
Olyhairi Othman, Peter Lagan Balang, Azhar Arshad dan Nurgajir Noor.
Program ini dibawa khas untuk anda oleh Malaysia Airports (Sepang)
Sdn Bhd dan Balai Seni Visual Negara.
PERASMIAN PAMERAN SOLO AIism DI CORE
DESIGN GALLERY
Pada 2 September 2012 jam 8.00 malam, Core
Design Gallery telah mengadakan pembukaan
perasmian pameran Solo ALIism. Pameran ini telah
dirasmikan oleh YBhg Ambassador Dato Mohd
Yusof Ahmad, Ketua Pengarah Balai Seni Visual
Negara. Ini merupakan pameran solo Ali Nurazmal
buat kali ketiga dimana beliau melalui perjalanan dan
halatuju dalam mencari ism untuk memecahkannya
kepada satu bentuk stail baru dimana beliau percaya
akan tiba satu masa dapat dikecapinya.Pameran
ini diadakan di Core Design Gallery, Subang Jaya
dan akan berlangsung dari 1 Ogos sehingga 30
September 2012.
MAJLIS MALAM MESRA BERSEMPENA
PAMERAN KARTUN TULEN MALAYSIA DAN
FOTOGRAFI:WAKTU DAN KETIKA DI BALAI
SENI VISUAL NEGARA
BSVN telah mengambil inisiatif untuk menganjurkan
Majlis Malam Mesra bersempena dua buah pameran
yang sedang berlangsung di BSVN iaitu pameran
Kartun Tulen Malaysia: Era Perintis ke Era Pluralis
dan Fotograf: Waktu Dan Ketika. Majlis ini telah
diadakan pada 17 Julai 2012 jam 8.00 malam di
BSVN. Majlis ini adalah sebagai satu majlis untuk
menggabungkan beberapa penggiat seni dari dua
genre yang berbeza selain menghimpunkan khalayak
seni yang sangat meminati kedua-dua bidang seni
ini. Majlis dimulakan dengan ucapan aluan oleh
Ketua Pengarah BSVN, Dato Mohd Yusof Ahmad
dan diakhiri dengan persembahan Jazz oleh Fynn
Jamal. Majlis ini turut bertujuan untuk menghargai
penglibatan dan usahasama yang diberikan oleh para
penggiat seni kepada BSVN.
Relaxsee Gallery
lot 125, lrg Kempas 1,
Kampung Melayu 68000
Ampang, Slangor D.E
Ismail Hj. Baba
Naive Artist
017 883 0303
03-42533984
NEO POP ART (JERIS STUDIO 55)
Sitajeriazhari (Art Dealer)
220 Lorong Maarof
Bangsar 59000 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Studio : 03-2094 1537
Mobile : 013-3253 045
Natyavaruval Arts Workshop
And Gallery
Umi Natasya Pie
016-3766 181
25-2, Taman Setapak Indah Jaya
Jalan Puah Jaya,
Of Jalan Pahang,
53000 Kuala Lumpur.
Email: natyavaruval @yahoo.com
Chekri Mansor
(Free lance caricaturist, cartoonist, painter and
musician)
chekrimansor@gmail.com
http://chekrimansor.webs.com/
ART GENERATION STUDIO
21-1, Jalan Damai Perdana 1/8D,
Bandar Damai Perdana,
56000 Cheras Kuala Lumpur.
Tel/Fax: 03-9100 1597
Blog: baiduren-space.blogspot.com
Email: art.baiduren@gmail.com
CULTURE STREET ARTS & GALLERY
(Gallery, Chinese Paintings Mounting, Mounting
Material,Art Materials)
10C, 3rd Floor, Jalan Panggong, 50000 Kuala
Lumpur.
Tel/Fax:03-2026 0292
Email: cs_arts@tm.net.my
EDEN ART STUDIO
ART CENTRE, TEA HOUSE,
COMMUNICATION CENTRE,
ARTGALLERY
edenartstudio@gmail.com
Block L6-3-9C, Pelangi Promenade,
Jalan Pekan Baru 34, 41050 Klang,
Selangor.
Abdul Hadi Haji Ahmad
Lot 01.08A, Groud Floor,
Central Market Annexe,
Jalan Hang Kasturi,
50050 Kuala Lumpur.
Email : hadi365@gmail.com
www.hadiportrait.blogspot.com
SCULPTUREATWORK
(M) SDN.BHD.
www.sculpcureatwork.com
Studio: 108 Lorong Maarof, Bangsar Park,
59000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-22836936
Fax: 03-22835936
NURIDAUS ENTERPRISE
(SPECIALIST IN COPPER TOOLINGS)
Blok L22-505, Persiaran Pandan,
Pandan Jaya, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
-FULLY HANDCRAFTED-
019-334 7877
018-268 1880
018-287 7883
CHEAP SENG POTTERY SDN.BHD.
(Ceramic Design, Glazes Mixing,
Plaster Mold Design, Sculpture)
Factory & Seramic Studio:
Lot 2269 Jalan Bercham,
31400 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel: 05-547 8936
Fax: 05-547 5040
Email : artstudio39@yahoo.com
Mouth & Foot Painting
Artists Sdn. Bhd.
Lot 327, 2nd Ampang Park Shopping
Centre, Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur,
P.O.Box 12431,
50778 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2161 8860,2161 8502
Fax: 03-2162 1504
Gerai OA
-Indigenous Peoples Stall-
Contact us:
Reita Faida Rahim (coordinator)
Email: geraios@gmail.com
buy online: www.elevyn.com/shop/geraioa
GLOBP Stoodio
Animation/motiongraphics/editorial+concept
illustration/charaterdesign
globp@yahoo.com
www.ickr.com/photos/myglobp
www.urban-cr3atures.com
Motiongraphics/printgraphics+interactive/
clothing/toys/web+characterdesign/illustration/
typography/animation/event/C.G efects/music/
sound/publication.
www.projectboxie.com
urbancr3atures.blogspot.com
MALAYSIAN ASSOCIATION OF
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
macri
empowering simple ideas
Tel:03-2282 7028
Fax: 03-2282 7028
Email : www.macri.com.my
Lot A-28-10, Menara UOA Bangsar,
No 5 Jalan Bangsar 1, 59000 Kuala Lumpur.
Please email to sharzeela@artgallery.gov.my / osmi@artgallery.gov.my
Suchen SK
(Freelance Photographer)
www.suchens.com
Lets Handmade
a.hippies@gmail.com
Miss Ireen Handmade
www.missireen.blogspot.com
www.missireen.110mb.com
AChiBuu Handmade
Blog: http://achibuu.blogspot.com
Website: www.achibuu.com
Contact: huichyet@yahoo.com
Panda Eyes Handmade
Wen Yi (Graphic Designer)
hata-knight@hotmail.com
http://www.pandaeyesdiy.blogspot.com
HAVEN (something for everyone)
Lot S211 (2nd oor) Promenade,
1 Utama Shopping Centre,
1 Lebuh Bandar Utama, 47800
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
tel: 03-7727 3541
email: getcrafty@craft-haven.com
www.crafty-haven.com
Ambriel Craft -handmade from the heart-
(Handmade Cards, Custom Made To Order,
Home baked, Custom Bake to Order,
Wedding Invitations, Thematic Party Cards,
Thank You Cards, Corporate Gifts.)
43, Jalan Bp2,
Bandar Bukit Puchong,
41720 Puchong
Selangor.
Tel/Fax: 03-8060 3795
Blog: http://ambrielcraft.wordpress.com
Email: audrey@ambriel.com.my
VALERIE YAN CREATIONS
Valerie Yan
( Illustrator)
Rainie_yan@hotmail.com
http://valeriecreations.blogspot.com
Play & Expressive Arts
Andrew Ng (Play & Art Therapist)
Tel : 012-361 8596
-Founder & Director of Play & Expressive Arts
-Conducts Parenting Seminars, Play Therapy
Workshops & Training in Malaysia, Singapore,
Hong Kong & China.
Pyanz Henna Arts & Crafts
Pyan Sharif
(Henna Artist)
012-297 9588
Email:pyanzhennaart@yahoo.com
Website: http://pyanzsharif.webs.com
www.pyanzhennaart.com
Studio: Blok A8-G-25, Jalan Mewah 4,
Pandan Mewah, 68000 Ampang, Selangor.
Fax: 03-4291 1588
Elements Creations- hand crafted
ceramics
48 Lorong Nikmat 2, Taman Gembira
Jalan Kuchai Lama
58200 Kuala Lumpur.
nikicheong33@yahoo.com
Shahril Nizam Ahmad
(Freelance Illustrator)
Email: shahrila@yahoo.com
Webpage:
http://www.geocities.com/shahrila/shahril_
nizam.html
Ku On Kanvas
Yushazal Yunos
kuonkanvas@gmail.com
012-252 5644
Nurgajir@Gajir
(Tempahan Nama Dalam Tulisan Jawi
Lukisan Atas Kanvas)
017-366 9290
http://gajirkaligra.blogspot.com
-Oil Painting
-Abstrak
-Seni Khat
I LOVE UNIQUE GIFTS
http://iloveunique.blogspot.com
email: aimeili55@yahoo.com (Emily Ng)
bibichun
(freelance designer, illustrator +grafti artist)
bibichun@gmail.com
www.bibichun.com
Khor Hui Min
(Writer)
khor.hm@gmail.com
khorhmin@yahoo.co.uk
(Writing, Editing, Proofreading, Project
Coordination, Brochures Articles, Corporate
Proles, General/Technical
Reports, Websites/Interactive, Lyrics
Translation, Childrens
Books etc.)
Michael Chuah Design
(character designer/comic book artist)
chuahshihchung@yahoo.com
www.michaeldesign.com
'Everyone is Awesome'
Ummi
Creative Designer
Phone: 03-6038 6377
Email: everyoneisawesome@gmail.com
Yus Usratika@Luqman Husaini
(Writer/composer)
yusratika@yahoo.com
yusnistone@yahoo.com
www.usratika.blogspot.com
Heroes Sticker + Heroes Apparel
heroesticker@gmail.com
heroesapparel@gmail.com
heroesapparel.webs.com
mudah.my/herosticker
facebook.com/heroesapparel
Nazmi
(Professional Photographer)
nazmi_photo@yahoo.com
The Seamstress
http://seamstresses.blogspot.com
Syahirah Suhaimi: 013-6282 2417
Sumarni Suhaimi: 013-3730 602
KLOBOT
www.comeandharmeme.vox.com
myspace.com/klobot
comeandharmme@gmail.com
Thangarajoo @ Mr. Raj
(Artist-Children's book illustrator-Art Tutor)
Conducts art classes at stucent's home.
Call- 012 3467872
Email: jootha@gmail.com/ jootha57@yahoo.com.
Please visit:www.ickr.com/pjotos/thanga4
Selvan Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd
Specialised in convenience/newstand concept
stores. Exclusive distributors of foreign
magazines and books.
tel: 603 4042 2339
email: selvan39@streamyx.com
On Target Training Sdn Bhd
-books, posters, manuals, simulation software,
E-book,E-learning, educational dvds, Interactive
Cd-Roms, customized content development.
Ofce-03-77859716
Fax-03-77859718
email: arull@ottlearning.com.my
Colorss Clay Accessories
www.colorss88.blogspot.com
chia_li_huei@hotmail.com
Mohd Jalaludin bin Ahmad Ramli,
(Mural Artist / Painter / Cartoonist)
My Blog : http://lalmuralartist.blogspot.com/
My FB : http://www.facebook.com/lalmural
Design Art Books
Lot FF-07,
The Waterfront @Park City 5,
Persiaran Resident,
Desa Park City,
52200 Kuala Lumpur.
Email: deendab@gmail.com
Tel: 03-6280 7876
Fax: 03-6280 7875
Internasional Art Services(M)Sdn Bhd
-mover and transportation of artworks-
Jerry (Supervisor)
Tel: 03-7846 5821
Fax: 03-7846 1944
Email: internationalartservices@jim.com.my
Leong Brothers
-Artistic, Frame Specialists and Designer,
Glass Dealer-
331 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman,
50100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel/Fax: 03-2691 3941
Tel: 03-2692 2116
Perniagaan Hai Kuang Sdn. Bhd.
-Supplies all kinds of screen printing, pad
printing,materials, equipment machinery and
stencil making service.
Head Ofce : No. 51, Jalan Dato Haji Eusof,
Damai Komplek,
50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: 03-4042 9569, 4042 0071, 4041 9493,
4041 9479
Fax: 03-4042 2467(ADMIN) , 4042
3425(SALES)
Email: haikuang@tm.net.my
SOLE DISTRIBUTOR IN MALAYSIA
(The Most Famous in Silkscreen Printing
Industry)
WS ART & FRAMES
CENTRE SDN. BHD.
(Art Gallery, Conservation & Custom Framing,
delivery & Installation of Artwork.)
No 34, Jalan Dang Wangi,
50100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2698 0132
Fax: 03-2692 7520
Email: wsartctr@msn.com
A member of:
PROFESSIONAL PICTURE FRAMERS
ASSOCIATION(USA)
BASHEER GRAPHIC BOOKS
AT BORDERS
Lot 216-B, Third Floor, The Gardens Mid
VALLEY
Lingkaran Syed Putra 59200 Kuala Lumpur.
www.basheergraphic.com
www.basheercityroom.com
THE ART SHOP
(Art Material, Technical Drawing
Instruments, Stationary)
No 65, Jalan Negara,
Taman Melawati,
53100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-4108 8322 Fax: 03-4107 8036
Wholly Owned By Hi-Scan
Wholesale Sdn.Bhd.
KHAI LIEN SILK SCREEN
SUPPLIERS (M) SDN.BHD.
132, Jalan Selar, Taman Bukit Riau, Batu 3 ,
Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-9283 7032
Fax: 03-9285 1035
Email : kailien@po.jaring.my
www.khailien.com.my
We supply:
Inks, Machineries & Equipment, Other
Silkscreen Materials, Advertising.
Clarity Enterprise
(wholesale & retail keychains, accessories &
art pieces)
No. 21 Lorong 9/115C, Taman Jaya,
Of Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel/Fax: 03-7875 9195
Email: clarityenterprise@gmail.com
D.I.Y / FREELANCE /
SERVICES
SUPPLIERS / SERVICES /
BOOKS /
CENTRES / GALLERIES /
STUDIOS / OTHERS
New Black Cofee Lab
Plaza Crystaline @ Setapak
B-2A-1, Jln Danau Niaga 1
Taman Danau Kota
53300 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3-6272-2818
FINDARS

Art gallery + performance space for rent!
No. 25-2, Jln Metro Wangsa, Seksyen 2,
Wangsa Maju, 53300
For more info, please visit
http://ndars.blogspot.com


Lot No. 56, Level G2, Publika Shopping Gallery, Solaris Dutamas,
Tel : +603-6243 1108 Fax:+603-6243 1107
Email : segarisartcenter@gmail.com


No. 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480, Kuala Lumpur.
Ali Mabuha Rahamad: Kembara di
Sarang Seni (Journey Into
the World of Art)
Essays by Nur Hanim
Khairuddin & Ooi Kok Chuen
Selected works from the
1970's to 2011
Complete Bio & references
Malay & English
RM 140
Waktu dan Ketika Pameran Fotografi
Essays by Alex Moh, Yee I-Lann
and Nur Shazleen MD Yusof
Selected works from the
1920's to 2012
Complete references
Malay & English
RM 100
Pertarungan: Amron Omar
Essays by Alizam Hassan, Safrizal Shahir, Pakhruddin
Sulaiman, Hasnul J.Saidon and many more.
Selected works from the
1980's to 2011
Complete Bio & list of works
Malay & English
RM 150
Kuasa, Harapan Dan Tanah
Essays by Intan Rafiza Abu Bakar, Ili Farhana, Prof. Dr.
Zakaria Ali and Qasim Riza Shaheen
Selected works from the 1980's to 2012
Complete references
Malay & English
RM 65
Raja ah: The Art, Ideas and
Creativity of Sulaiman Esa
(1950's -2011)
Essays by Nur Hanim
Khairuddin, Associate
Professor Dr. Abu Talib
Putih, Simon Soon & Zabas
Selected articles by Laura
Fan, Ooi Kok Chuen &
Veronica Shanmugam
Selected works from
1950s to 2011
Selected essays, bio of Dr
Sulaiman Esa and
many more
Malay & English
RM 140
JAGA: Pameran Arca
Essays by Rosli Zakaria,
Syed Alwi Syed Abu Bakar
& Dr. Sabzali Musa Kahn
Complete lists of works
Malay
RM 30
Saksi dan Bukti:
Anassuwandi dan Faizulyusri
Esei-esei oleh Baktiar Naim dan
Syahrul Niza Zaini
Biodata dan gambar karya-karya pelukis
Bahasa Malaysia
RM 40
All publications can be purchased at the Gallery Shop located at National Visual Arts Gallery. For enquiries please email to osmi@artgallery.gov.my / http://publicationbsvn.blogspot.com
LATEST PUBLICATIONS
Keahlianpelukisakanmenikmati
faedahmenariksepertiberikut:
Dijemputmenghadiripembukaanpameran,
menyertaiprogramkhas,bengkel,
ceramahdansebarangacaraanjuran
BalaiSeniVisualNegara.
Menikmati*diskaun10%keatashampir
kesemuabarangandiKedaiGaleri
merangkumibahan-bahanmelukis,
penerbitandancenderamata.
MenerimamaklumatterkinimelaluiSMS.
MenerimawarkahBalaiSeniVisualNegara,
SENIKINI:MalaysiaArtNow,percuma
untuksetahun(empatkeluaran).
Namadanalamatpelukisakandimuatkandi
dalamrangkaianlamanwebdirektoripelukis
BalaiSeniVisualNegara.
JOM
Jadilahahli
Wan Faizun Zafan : faizun@artgallery.gov.my
Graffiti KL
Essays by Champ Teh
Featuring works by selected
graffiti artists based in
Kuala Lumpur
English
RM 25
ABDUL LATIFF MOHIDIN
(A biografical exhibition)
26 Dec 2012-13 June 2013
2A & 2B, 3A & 3B
Guest Curator : Tengku Sabri
Ibrahim
NEW:RECENT ACQUISITIONS
(National Collection)
10 Aug 2012-31 Jan 2013
1A Gallery
Curators :
Mohd Fairus Ismail
& Ismail Yacub
The National Visual Arts
Gallery was established on
27 August 1958 under the
patronage of Malaysias
first Prime Minister Tunku
Abdul Rahman Putra
Al-Haj. Presently the
NVAG, under the Ministry
of Information,
Communications and
Culture Malaysia, aims to
create awareness,
understanding,
appreciation of the visual
arts and is the custodian of
our national visual arts
heritage.
2 Jalan Temerloh
Off Jalan Tun Razak
53200 Kuala Lumpur
T603 4026 7000
F603 4025 4987
EXHIBITIONS
Taman Tasik
Titiwangsa
PETRONAS
TWIN TOWER
HOSPITAL
KUALA LUMPUR
INSTITUT JANTUNG
NEGARA
ISTANA BUDAYA
EMPIRE TOWER
CITY SQUARE
MENARA
MARINARA
PERPUSTAKAAN
NEGARA
PUSAT DARAH
NEGARA
PWTC
TABUNG
HAJI
Jln Ampang
KUASA, HARAPAN
DAN TANAH
7 Aug-19 Nov 2012
2B Gallery
Curator : Intan Rafiza
MEMBERS ONLY
11 Sept-11 Dec 2012
2A Gallery
Curators : Lim Ai Woei,
Mohd Anuar Abd Aziz &
Adnan Miswan Awang
TIGA SEZAMAN
6 Oct-10 Dec 2012
3A Gallery
Curators : Rohana Yusof &
Hasimah Nyok
PAMERAN ARCA -
STRANGE & BEAUTIFUL
18 Sept-10 Dec 2012
3B Gallery
Curators : Siti Maisarah Bakar,
Ismaliza Mohd Badaruddin
& Osmihamidy Osman
PAMERAN WARISAN
2 Oct 2012-31 Jan 2013
Reka Gallery
Curators : Musrizal Mat Isa