Art KL-itique

Heterogeneity in Malaysian visual arts is well exemplified in this gathering of former schoolmates, where its participants have established themselves upon graduation from UiTM. Hamir Soib, whose 'The Auctionland' was still making waves at the Art Expo, states a polarising intent by cleverly exhibiting a box. The painting inside has travelled the world via luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton, but never shown in Malaysia and remains concealed to the viewer. Success is relative, where acknowledgement of a personal achievement is space and time-dependent. Such reflections are seen in Fausin Md Isa's large series of "Metropolis" photographic collages. Others like Jefri Din Jusoh yearn for simpler times, his wilting banana tree a wonderful watercolour painting still capable of evoking the sublime. Hamir Soib - [left] Painting Box (2013); [right] bitumen & oil painting inside (2007) Weaving scenes from two movies into one, Masnoor Ramli Mahmud's 8-minute...

Kuala Lumpur's art collectors came out to play this September - exhibiting their personal collection in private galleries, promoting selected artists at an art fair, and throwing art appreciation parties in their restaurants. The last event is part of a Malaysia Day cultural programme, a good excuse to display some great contemporary art. In an exhibition that promotes alternative national histories, the artist's storytelling prowess is put to the test. Strong visual interest consistently trumps literal references – Household curio cabinets or distorted political flag? Toiling kerbau , emblematic harimau , or sequestered polar bear? Yawn while watching a clip of people running around in circles, labelled as Malaysians from their dressing? Settling the case in favour of aesthetic value is Anurendra Jegadeva’s depictions of a Penang legend, rendered in the artist's signature figurative manner with compelling symbols. Ismail Hashim - Bilik Mandi (1984) Since the idea ...

Representing the past to confirm the present, is a theme prevalent in Shia Yih Yiing's ouevre. Her latest "Homage Couture" paintings transpose familiar images from local art history onto gowns, the artist acting as both maker and model. Like mixing & matching fabric patterns, the designer  selects formative works by notable artists, then amalgamates its scenes and motifs onto preconceived shapes. Two distinct series are produced - one denoted by time period (i.e. historical record), the other by people groups (i.e. personal taste). The former series documents a chronological development in line with the acknowledged narrative, when modern art made way for Postmodernism, its progressively sombre palette indicative of a maturing ambiguity. '70's' stand out as being devoid of figurative elements, equating the avant-garde with a collective shift towards abstraction. Homage Couture !!! (2013) Paying her respect to fellow artists in the latter seri...

This progressive exhibition  displays architectural drawings, extending the phenomena of appreciating such drafts  last seen at the Royal Academy of Arts. Human progress is restated in functional lines, deviating from the natural contours that art typically espouses. Straight rules define multiple layers of space, from concept to plan to cross-sectional detail, cumulatively depicting dimensions that extend beyond the flat surface. Muhammad Muhsin's quirky dissection of an April Fools' news  (swimming fishes generate electricity), are presented earnestly and employs dramatic forms. The sketchbooks of Syukri Syairi and pencilled notes by Farah Azizan, exhibit pragmatic innovation in progress. Art is emotive as compared to these analytical drawings, but that should not prevent oneself from appreciating its beautiful aesthetic, especially in this utilitarian world we live in. Muhammad Muhsin - The System of Myth: Retreat for Gavin Roach's Cult; (from left to right)...

Employing an augmented reality application that provides only web links, this exhibition comes across as a test environment for a programming student, and not "art moves alongside the technology" as stated in the introduction text. Rather than appreciating these exhibits, travelling is a better option to experience different layers of local society. Not to be ignored are the peculiar projections presented by Halim Rahim, a project which stemmed from the artist taking an unfamiliar snapshot of his wife - her side profile. Viewing these photographs of prominent individuals prove remarkably unsettling, where visual familiarity becomes a function of the intellect instead of perceptive sense. Bridging an unintentional link to the side profile portraits from 14th century Europe, these pictures explore the inherent human intrigue with portraiture, from recording method to positional angles to absolute truths. Halim Rahim - Faces We Know: (clockwise from top left) Marina Mahat...

Forced to move its auction day to avoid a lose-lose situation, KL Lifestyle Art Space (KLAS) one-ups  Henry Butcher  with its better quality highlights , notwithstanding its mediocre collection. The former avenges submission by offering a more beautiful painting by Ahmad Khalid Yusof, despite the latter's attempts to trump up its lot which bears the same reference to  Tasik Cini . The pioneering auction house facilitates a corporate disposal exercise that includes encyclopaedic bird drawings, and poor renditions by Chong Siew Ying and Jalaini Abu Hassan. Among the auction débuts promoted, private collectors could favour the colourful exuberance of Yusof Gajah, over Ismail Zain's digital collage that belongs more in a museum. Latiff Mohidin's 'Kembali Ke Air' presents great vigour among the blue chip artists, whose works offered in both auctions are uninspiring, especially the many Ibrahim Husseins. Kow Leong Kiang - Mizell (2010) At KLAS, modern painte...

Time is precious. In this Postmodernist era, the value of an experience (within the constraints of time and space) become increasingly significant to the individual, whose regard of material value decreases with rising affluence. People expect a time-bound satisfaction as reward, from the mere effort of employing human perceptive sense. Hence the frustration felt when engaging with a literal and obvious artwork, or one promising insight but is concealed. The same applies to the experience of visiting an art space. In Kuala Lumpur, spatial allotments for art displays are limited to enclosed areas, an exclusivity that mirrors the local visual arts scene. Many private dealers ply their active trade in wall hangings, cramping works into confined spaces, with no concern about an authentic experience. KL Lifestyle Art Space, Purplehouz, and Art Accent, fall into this category of galleries and cannot qualify as valid art spaces. Ground floor of Shalini Ganendra Fine Art [picture from...

UiTM alumni gather post-Eid to showcase its diversity , regardless that most artists still hold on faithfully to their established styles. Fascinating insect prints by Abdul Mansoor Ibrahim deserve a second look, while obvious political commentaries are thankfully few. A children theme crops up in a number of works, notably in Mastura Abdul Rahman's green playpen collage, and Fauzulyusri's new body of work that feature enlarged exercise book squares. Naïveté drawings still rule the latter, where the infusion of harmonious colours, capture a joyful snapshot of childhood. Exercise book pages also appear in the background of Fauzin Mustafa's 'Muka Bermuka', where the inclusion of celebrity images and cryptic symbols, seem to comment about the growing-up pains of a Malaysian. Invasive hands extend the warmly-painted central motif, imbuing a great sense of volume within horizontal borders. Fauzin Mustafa - Muka Bermuka (2013)

A respectable attempt to trace Surrealism’s influence on local visual arts, is corrupted by the mingling of immature works with established artists, no organised groupings, and an absurd exhibition title. Originating as a literal movement, Surrealism encourages the unbridled expression of the subconscious. However, art development over the past century has relegated this philosophical assertion, to a simplistic juxtaposition of imagery that make people go “WTF?” This intention is obvious in Samsudin Wahab’s horse head that protrudes from a high brick wall, an installation as pointless as Damien Hirst’s shark in a formaldehyde tank. The same can be said about Khairul Azmir Shoib, whose up-cycled wood sculptures are more Corpse Bride than surreal. Chang Yoong Chia - Happy Garden (2005) In Malaysian modern art, a surreal tendency is seen in the naked red men of Zulkifli Dahalan’s ‘Kedai-Kedai’ and Anthony Lau’s fiery head sculpture. A hellish mood similarly pervades the paintin...

Chaochangdi 草场地, a suburban area where common folk go about their daily routine, is also home to  serious art galleries like Three Shadows, Urs Meile, and the China Art Archives. White Space was exhibiting 4 artists at the time, one whom is Liu Ren 刘任. The 'Sea Grain' 海粒 installation involves cutting a large poster of the sea into squares, folding each square into a cube, then scattering these cubes onto a bed of salt. The blue background and white salt/sand (representing evaporated sea water), transports the viewer to a beach, where this play on sensory-colour triggers a human memory. A commentary on colour association, time, and space, this cerebral work was immensely fulfilling - its surreal presentation making it all the more memorable.  Liu Ren 刘任 - Sea Grain 海粒 (2013) Performance artist Ma Liuming 马六明 gives the perception of suffering schizophrenia, where his obsession to decipher the eventuality of human reaction, led to the creation of androgynous alter-ego...

Ambitious in scale and intent, gallery director Scarlette Lee brings together an impressive group of Malaysian artists to exhibit at the upcoming Art Expo 2013. Huge canvases occupy the gallery space, where a call for museum-worthy pieces yield large-format works. Md Fadli Yusoff and Husin Hourmain contribute the figurative and calligraphic respectively, imbuing a spiritual substance into their paintings. An undulating texture describes Mohd Noor Mahmud's sawdust & acrylic creation 'Alun', but relates also to the symmetrical constructs by Multhalib Musa. Anuar Rashid conveys an otherworldly space with his radiant phoenix, while Hamir Soib comments cynically on the preferences of art auction bidders, via a Chinese landscape materialising within a giant koi. Seminal is repeatedly mentioned, employed perhaps as a marketing term since all displayed works are relatively new, notwithstanding its sublime quality. [Art Expo 2013 update] Ahmad Fuad Osman - Hantuhantuha...

One of Malaysia's prominent visual artist working since the 1960s, Jolly Koh has always vehemently reject the label of Abstract Expressionist, assigned by virtue of his participation in the 1967 GRUP exhibition. Coined by Redza Piyadasa then, this view has unfortunately persisted and accepted into the canon of Malaysian art history. Interestingly, Redza is remembered as one who initiated many movements in the local arts scene, including the 1974 manifesto with Sulaiman Esa called "Towards a Mystical Reality". It is perhaps coincidence that Jolly's latest solo exhibition is titled "Towards the Nebula" , as viewers collectively keep their tongues firmly planted in cheek. Displayed in plain silver frames within the swanky gallery space, new "Nebula" works are shown together with older landscapes, including a number of "Nightscapes"  last seen in June's inaugural auction by the business newspaper. Rosette Nebula (2013) Jolly...