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Jailani Abu Hassan, Kinta Chronicles, 2016 Bitumen and acrylic on canvas, 183cm x 183cm; A carefree little girl jumps for joy against the backdrop of Perak’s Kinta Valley and the hope that such iconic Malaysian landscapes will somehow escape the fetters of urbanisation.
Tan Wei Kheng, With My Hands, 2016, Oil on canvas, 92cm x 60.5cm; Depicting nothing more than a pair of hands, the painting conveys the defiant message of a Penan warrior — “With my hands, I will protect you, my jungle, my home”. In this powerful image, the man wears not only traditional rattan bracelets but also rings given to him by his son, who now lives in the city having abandoned the ways of the jungle. “Like the trees, the knowledge of the birds, traditional medicine and craft will all soon be lost.”
Haron Mokhtar, Untitled, 2016, Acrylic on canvas, 122cm x 107cm; In this painting, the artist’s signature composition of cultural interaction set against the backdrop of heritage buildings immortalises the nuptials of a Peranakan couple whose elaborate wedding finery captures the interest of a bystander.
Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid @ Lat, Untitled, Ink on paper; Drawn many years ago as one of his weekly editorial submissions to the New Straits Times, the cartoonist calls attention to the wave of popularity enjoyed by the then 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia. By an unforeseen quirk of fate, it accurately conveys current sentiment albeit against the backdrop of a completely different political reality than the one which prevailed when this cartoon was first drawn.
Chong Fei Giap, Good Morning Malaysia, 2016, Digital Painting; The spirit of muhibbah and old town charm is jux-taposed against the modern glass and steel structures of Kuala Lumpur city, highlighting the struggle between the need for development and the human cost of gentrification.
Dato’ Chuah Thean Teng, Two Of A Kind, c. 1965 – 1968, Batik, 59cm x 44cm; In this piece from the artist’s fa-mous “Mother and Child” series, the agreeable setting of two mothers chatting with their cradled ba-bies underscores the larger message of love and friendship.
Red Hong Yi, Teh Tarik Man, 2015, Tea bags and wiremesh on wooden frame, 320cm x 220cm; Red — the artist who paints without a paintbrush — individually stained and stapled 20,000 teabags onto cut out grids of wire mesh, which were then suspended off a wooden frame to create this cultural installation depict-ing a typical scene from Malaysian life. This commissioned piece was presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Lee Weng Fatt, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, 2018, Ink on canvas, 91.5cm x 91.5cm; The artist seeks to capture the façades of historical and heritage buildings in his “Million Line Series”, to document and preserve the impression of these structures that are fast disappearing in the face of rapid development.
Ramlan Abdullah, Hope, 2018, Aluminium, paint, stainless steel bolts and nuts, cement and tile, 140cm x 40cm x 40cm; In this sculpture, the intersecting and interlocking outer metal skeleton protecting its inner core, is symbolic of the rakyat’s enduring resolve to nurture hope.
Pangrok Sulap, Rencana Alam, 2018, Woodblock print, offset ink on blackout, 122cm x 130cm; Urban populations interact with their environment. The work, “Rencana Alam” (Nature’s Plan) calls attention to the harmful effects of rapid and unbalanced urbanisation on the environment, such as deforestation, pollution, rising temperatures, flooding, and the decline in biodiversity and wildlife. The greenery seen creeping and forcing its way through the concrete jungle is symbolic of nature’s desperate attempt to endure and survive in an increasingly inhospitable climate.
Ronnie Mohamad, Pollution Series (Final #3), 2018, Charcoal and acrylic on linen, 183cm x 122cm; The anguish of a smoker is captured through his tortured posture in this piece from Ronnie Mohamad’s “Final Pollution” series. The image portrays the harmful effects of smoking and the inevitability of self-destruction as wisps of smoke drift past the smoker, almost revelling in their exploitation of his weakness.
Dato’ Mohd Hoessein Enas, Misty Morning, 1991, Watercolour on paper, 30cm x 22cm; Young maidens are seen bathing in the artist’s celebrated “Morning Mist” series. The serene mood and setting evoke memories of a simpler time when a spirit of community prevailed.
Art is essential to the infrastructure of our society, transcending barriers of language, class and culture. It plays a critical role in shaping a country’s cultural identity, often through the narrative of the artist who, as a visual story teller, may document the past, capture the present or communicate his hopes for the future. Feast your eyes on the following pieces of art by local artists who have employed different mediums to express their observations, thoughts and opinions.
This story first appeared in Live! 2019 magazine. Download your copy of the magazine here.
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