Note from the editor, Diana Khoo:
It has been four years since Haven dedicated an entire issue to art. But, as the old adage goes, good things are worth waiting for. For the last issue of the year, we could not be more pleased to have critically acclaimed artist Red Hong Yi open up her home to us. Most of us know the Sabahan creative superstar for her many groundbreaking works, dating from as far back as 2012 when she created a large-scale portrait of basketball star Yao Ming using nothing but a basketball dipped in red paint.
In 2019, Red conceptualised a magazine cover for TIME that fused sculpture, performance art and pyrotechnics of a map of the world with 50,000 green-tipped matchsticks that were later set alight to demonstrate how climate change affects each and every one of us. We are also thrilled that our long-time client and associate, the Australian design company King Living, features so prominently in her new interiors. Curious to see how a world-renowned artist lives? Turn to Page 24.
Still on the arts-driven theme, we are privileged to have a gallerist and two prolific collectors welcome us in. From Rachel Ng of RogueArt’s intellectually artsy abode to Ismail Ani Arope’s and Syed Wafa’s spaces, there is no shortage of masterpieces, colour, texture and detail for the eyes to feast on.
Even our traditional entertaining page gets an artistic twist as French painter and printmaker Marie Dargent, who divides her time between Paris and Venice, graciously cooked up a storm for us when in Kuala Lumpur recently. And while the dishes assuredly taste as good as they look, you, dear reader, will be shocked to discover just how quickly and easily a full-on festive feast may be whipped up, all thanks to Madame Dargent’s simple recipes. It’s on Page 88.
Even the travel pages comply. There is the tented glam of Cameron Highlands’ Zen by Stellar as well as Solaire Resort Entertainment City in Parañaque, the Philippines. Chock-full of Filipino artworks and statement-making design pieces, it is well worth a visit. Perhaps Malaysians could learn a thing or two from them, by really going all out to support and champion our equally rich wealth of talent from now on.
After all, as Enrique K Razon Jr, chairman and CEO of Bloomberry Resorts Corp which owns Solaire, says, “As with my business approach, I like to focus and invest in our own.” A key lesson to adopt for 2025? Let’s do it! See you next year.
Haven is complimentary with every copy of The Edge Malaysia (Dec 2 issue). Get the Winter 2024 edition at your nearest newsstands now.
