French Garden (2021) by Pachara Piyasongsoot (Photo: Richard Koh Fine Art)
Culture vultures eager to stretch their legs can finally appease their appetite for art in all its forms. Here are five not-to-be-missed events in the Klang Valley this month.
pragina:EMOSI
Malaysian-born and Indonesia-trained dancers Emi and Zhafir Muzani are joining forces to present a repertoire of traditional and contemporary Balinese dances. The showcase will include pieces that are entirely authentic to the traditional art form, from facial expressions to footwork, as well as works that cross over to the contemporary. The two dancers will be accompanied by Balinese flautist M K Ridzuan.
Nov 4 to 7, 8pm, 3pm. Pentas 2, klpac, Jalan Strachan, Sentul, KL. RM38. Buy tickets here.
WLG Incubator Young Artists Show 2021
The second installation of the Wei-Ling Gallery Incubator Young Artists Show features the works of emerging Malaysian artists Alya Hatta, Anwar Suhaimi and Shika, who are part of the gallery’s 2021 mentorship programme, led by contemporary artist Anurendra Jegadeva. Stepping into a new reality, finding new ways to connect and creating art in the midst of a pandemic were some of the points of consideration when they experimented with new mediums, formats and approaches.
Alya’s multicoloured paintings, monochromatic drawings and soft sculpture take viewers to moments that are personal to her and addresses her feelings towards stereotypes while Shika’s pixel art speak volumes of her activism against injustices in Malaysia. And lastly, Anwar’s minimalistic drawings, executed by a robot he built, is a commentary on the ambiguity of a water tank as an utilitarian object.
Until Nov 13. Tues-Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat, 10am-5pm. Wei-Ling Gallery, 8, Jalan Scott, Brickfields, KL. By appointment only. For more info, see here.
Creation
Ilse Noor, 80, is a graphic fine artist who uses etching and aquatint to convey her love of the world she inhabits. This precise art form allows her to add a level of surrealism by transforming the character of objects or tease out their minute detail. This new survey exhibition marks the first time her larger works have gone on display in Malaysia, and includes her rarely shown print proofs.
Until Nov 30. Tues-Weds, 10am-9pm. Cult Gallery, 2 Jalan 14/46, PJ. For more info, see here.
Harvest
Central to this exhibition is Thai artist Pachara Piyasongsoot’s surrealistic exposition towards the nation’s long-running coup d’état against its divisive politics. Drawing from the nation’s extravagant landmarks such as Rajabhakti Park, the Utthayan roads and Government House, he creates haunting impressions of gilded wealth as fogged landscapes. In his works, the Bangkok-born Piyasongsoot devises visual cues in the form of unlit street lamps, trees and trimmed bushes set in fields, forests and gardens, among which lurk forlorn and lone figures, luring viewers to identify and examine the state of corrupt practices and the unavailing attempts to overcome them.
Until Nov 20. Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm. Richard Koh Fine Art, 34-1, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru, KL. For more info, see here.
Arte@PavilionKL
In an attempt to promote the local art scene, Arte@PavilionKL — a two-month-long project by Pico International, supported by Tourism Malaysia and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture — is showcasing the works of 60 veteran and up-and-coming Malaysian artists in an exhibition. Art enthusiasts and buyers will be able to take their pick from a wide range of paintings, sculptures and visual art pieces on sale and look forward to art talks, seminars, live paintings and performances on selected weekends. Exhibiting artists include Aris Aziz, ArtJamila, Long Thien Shih, Mark Lee See Teck, Sabri Salleh, Lim Anuar, Mohd Noor Mahmud, Phillip Wong and Zaim Durulaman.
Until Dec 31. Daily, 10am-10pm. Lot 1.29, Level 1, Pavilion KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL. For more info, see here.
This article first appeared on Nov 1, 2021 in The Edge Malaysia.
