The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 01:39 AM PDT

A new gallery aspires to propel the country to the forefront of contemporary art and tourism.

FIERCE eyes peer out from beneath furrowed brows of the Mah Meri aboriginal wood sculpture, and in the quiet art gallery, it almost feels like you are transported back into a primitive past. Inspired by visions from dreams, these statues are believed to have protected the Mah Meri orang asli tribe for centuries and represent a legacy handed down from generations long past.

Many of the sculptures on display have attained recognition via the Unesco Seal of Excellence.

On another wall, dozens of colourful rice plates are arranged on the wall. This is the result of The Malaysian Rice Plates Project, an ambitious endeavour that explores the link between money and food. Organised by Wei-Ling Gallery, this first project of its kind brings together 60 local artists to create works inspired by the Malaysian currency on an unconventional canvas – the humble rice plate.

These are just two of the many exhibits at the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia (Motour) Art Gallery in Putrajaya, launched on Thursday.

"The art gallery aims to complement our Malaysian artists' creative efforts and promote the local contemporary art scene, as well as serve as a platform to create awareness on Malaysian art," says Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen at the launch.

"We feel it is now the right time to set up this gallery to further support the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival that we launched in 2010."

Architect-turned-artist Suhaimi Fadzir feels honoured to have his works displayed at the gallery, particularly as he considers them a departure from the mainstream.

"They are a bit unconventional, a bit different, from what most people expect of an artwork. My art reflects everyday life, the things you see around you all the time, and I make full use of materials, including discarded goods, that other people take for granted," he says.

Suhaimi means it literally, and metaphorically.

His latest works feature metal rat traps painted white, rubber tyres from a motorbike, corrugated zinc sheets, cinnamon sticks, mesh wire and Lori Sewa signs thrown together, arranged in some sort of organised chaos.

The Perak-born artist, who won the Dublin Biennial 2012 Award of Excellence in Ireland this year, has been in the art scene for more than 20 years. He has made it a habit to pick up odds and ends from his travels abroad as well as around his neighbourhood. He now has a room full of discarded and recycled products, patiently waiting to be turned into works of art.

"I started out as an architect, but my architect works are not very different from my installation and mixed media works that you see here today. Unfortunately, my architectural concepts were met with quite a bit of scepticism, and I realised that the time was not right for my work to be out there.

"I then decided to transfer that energy, that inspiration, those ideas, into art. Maybe one day, when the world is prepared, I will return to the world of architecture. But for now, I am happy to express my ideas through art," he says.

In stark contrast to the rugged terrains of Suhaimi's work are Lim Ah Cheng's horses in motion. Galloping across wide open plains, all swishing mane and tail, they are the epitome of energy, beauty, movement and fluidity.

"I have painted horses for around two decades. It's a common subject, many people paint horses too, so the challenge is how to take this common subject and inject new life into it. I put my heart and soul into my works and make these horses mine," says Lim.

An animal lover with more than half a dozen cats and dogs at home, he studies horses in detail at the zoo and at equestrian clubs. He shares that his style has evolved over the years, and his latest works – in a series he calls Metamorphosis – have been four years (and counting) in the making.

"Metamorphosis signifies great change, a departure from my older works. I started this series in 2008 and I'm not yet done with exploring all that I can do with it. I discover new things every day."

Lim's earlier works were very much influenced by calligraphy art and also a lot more colourful. His new paintings, however, show a stronger focus on capturing movement.

"They have mixed elements of east and west. As I mature as an artist, I find myself being more selective with colours in my attempt to capture the kind of vigorous, energetic movement I want to depict," he says.

In its third consecutive year, the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival – and the people involved – are on a roll.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who officiated the launch, sums it up nicely: "On this day, we have achieved a historical milestone in the tourism industry and contemporary art industry with the opening of the Motour Art Gallery. It is my belief that this gallery will play an important role in creating awareness of contemporary art amongst the public, and in promoting the country as an international art and tourism destination."

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Ahad, 16 September 2012