Knot @ Feeka
Krystie Ng's catalogue essay begins with: "They called it the quarter-life crisis; it is in which a person begins to feel doubtful about their own lives, brought on by the stress of becoming an adult,...
View ArticleHidup Terlampau Selesa @ Kedai
Alternative art space Kedai presents two young artists who draw fully from their demographic background – the urban Malay– to “…reflect(s) the deliberateness in their practice of addressing sensitive...
View ArticlePulse: May / June 2014 Art Auctions
The new player continues to struggle as The Edge Auction 2014 sold 51.8% of its 83 lots on offer, despite focusing its pitch on the wider region of Southeast Asia. Weeks of publicity cannot conceal its...
View ArticleUNPACK-REPACK @ The Whiteaways Arcade, Penang (I – Unpacking)
Ismail Hashim once stated, “when we take pictures of the sunrise or the turbulent sea, for example, are we aware of the other occurrences between the sunrise and the sunset? Things will naturally...
View ArticleUNPACK-REPACK @ The Whiteaways Arcade, Penang (II – Still Unpacking)
...This in-between room exposes the visitor to the artist’s method, and is the first of two significant spaces that bookend the main exhibits. Practical questions arise – for non-photographers, is this...
View ArticleUNPACK-REPACK @ The Whiteaways Arcade, Penang (III – Taking a Break)
...Back to Looking Out, juxtapositions of rubbish dumps and beautiful vistas occupy the Environment table. Sliced into half horizontally, this heaven/hell configuration projects a moralising message...
View ArticleMihraj @ NVAG
Subtitled “Aku Hanya Seorang Tukang Cerita”, this collection exhibits the artworks from one adventitious prodigy, if we believe the story. The narrative hook begins with a Buddhist temple from Alor...
View ArticleImmaterial Frontiers 2.0 @ NVAG
The Malaysian visitor is confronted with media art from acclaimed regional artists, which curatorial theme "relates to how can artists from newly formed nation-states create works that reflect a sense...
View Article刻舟求剑 - Pulau Melayu - Lost and Found @ Lostgens'
Hung precariously above accumulated rainwater on a concrete rooftop, one life-sized paper boat buoyed by a fishing net is subjected to the Malaysian thunderstorm. The vessel collapses and slowly...
View ArticleEquilibrium @ Richard Koh Fine Art
Despite reading essays about art and abstraction, it is a struggle to describe my fascination with this category of painting, or why I get lost in Mark Rothko’s colour fields but walk past Jackson...
View ArticleUnder Construction @ MIA Gallery
From one graduates exhibition to this diploma show, Yau Sir Meng’s accomplished presentation continues to stand out. Two installations comment on the Malaysian education system, including school...
View Article鸿•图 -- 吴亚鸿60回顾展 @ Wisma Kebudayaan SGM
Goh Ah Ang's retrospective involves five series displayed across three floors, a non-chronological outlay for 42 years of art. Raised in Klang and tutored by Chuang Kim Siew in his secondary school...
View ArticleThere is nothing outside the text @ Lostgens'
Entering a white box gallery, one looks around and immediately sees the circular dots stuck onto printed labels. Each red spot indicates a measure of success – a well-regarded artist, surely. The...
View ArticleSeascape, Recent Paintings @ The Edge Galerie
As compared to one assertion that Latiff Mohidin's latest series of works emanates from two 1965 drawings, Johnni Wong's opinion is more germane. He writes, "(b)oth his parents were Minangkabau and to...
View ArticleTengkujuh @ Artelier
Beautiful renderings of nature are considered a mockery to contemporary art, but deserve its own category in the local art canon, where a resourceful and peaceful environment has greatly enriched many...
View ArticleGreat Malaysia Contemporary Art (GMCA) II Preview @ Artcube
Two galleries collaborate to occupy a large exhibition space in the upcoming Art Expo, displaying new works from a collector’s stable of favourite artists. Hamir Soib’s giant canvas is the show’s...
View ArticleHanging @ R A Fine Arts
Strolling past the gallery, an eye-catching work by Mustapa Ibrahim draws one in, ‘Bahasa Gerak Badan (Diptych)’ a wonderful tribute to fellow Anak Alam member Zulkifli Dahalan. Hung beside is a...
View ArticleMan of the Times @ NVAG
Entering Long Thien Shih’s retrospective exhibition, the visitor is greeted by a figure in white hazmat suit, holding out a rainbow-coloured banana. Known for his surreal prints, what is revealing...
View ArticleArt Expo Malaysia 2014 @ Matrade
Despite occupying a larger space and expecting a larger crowd, the overwhelming presence of rectangular paintings and metallic sculptures mark this year’s exposition as a collective bore. Hard-edged...
View ArticleUp Your Alley @ The Print Room
Framing pictures and creating contexts are the basic skills photographers need to utilise, and street photography provides one avenue of expression that tests these competencies. Guest submissions...
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