Soya Cincau @ Core Design Gallery

Ali Nurazmal Yusoff curates this black & white exhibition, its wacky title depicting fun by virtue of its wide range of mediums on show. Fish designs seared onto canvas, a ‘Turning’ canopy projecting shadows, suspended snake and ladder toys, and sandwiched parchment between Perspex, display works from developing artists yet to realise their concepts or execution in its entirety. Established artists join in the monochromatic exercise via utilising innovative techniques – Azrin Mohd’s light boxes present a natural progressive for direct narratives, and Jamil Zakaria’s sculptures follow on from the artist’s characteristic manipulation of wire. Traditional oil painting retains its allure with Shafarin Ghani’s ‘Rohtang’, the sublime blend of greys denoting one under appreciated painter whose more colourful works upstairs impress with its controlled tone. 

Shafarin Ghani - Rohtang (2014)

Another masterly painter is Husin Hourmain, who presents a stunning black-on-black calligraphy composition that ruminates over the mysterious letters Alif م, Lam ل, and Mim ا. Raja Lope Rasydi recounts his childhood memories via a departure from his airbrushed mecha characters - movie icons, found objects, and electronic devices, combine in a delightfully playful melange hung on a mesh panel. Ali also apes the silver screen with 'The Goodfather', strangely hung separately from its accompanying work '"A" for Epal', which illustrates the artist's children encased behind a wooden grille. The self-negating choice is a strange one - an isolated Mafia boss is interpreted as allusion to a patriarchal society, but when family members come into play, the overall picture represents the tenderness of a father.

Installation view of Raja Lope Rasyidi - Self Portrait - Self Maintenance II (2014)