Metro

Saturday June 30, 2007

Art made vibrant by music

By GEETHA KRISHNAN
Photos by ROHAIZAT MD DARUS

geetha@thestar.com.my

ARTIST Rashid Hamid is a multi-talented man. He paints murals, plays the didgeridoo (a wind instrument of the Australian aborigines) and djembe (a skin-covered hand drum from Africa), was formerly a member of an underground band and has spent four years of his life busking for a living.

Obviously not the reclusive sort, the native of Johor Baru is chatty and eager to share his experiences.

Evoking the beat: Rashid with ‘The Drummer’.
His friendly demeanour makes it easy for him to interact with tourists who visit Wariseni, the art gallery in Kuala Lumpur where he is based and teaches batik painting.

Rashid is currently holding a solo exhibition Music in Art at the MTDC Multimedia Academy Gallery in Serdang. It features semi-abstract acrylic works with elements of cubism.

When met at the gallery recently, the artist shared how his experiences as a busker and artist had inspired him to produce 26 paintings for the exhibition.

Semi-abstract with elements of cubism: ‘The Composer’.
“Perhaps the most inspiration came from the trip I took around Malaysia with two other buskers. With only RM15 in my pocket, I managed to tour Redang Island, Cherating, Perhentian Island and Sibu. The trip had its ups and downs but the experience of connecting with people and nature was priceless,” said the 27-year-old who used to busk at Central Market and Menara Maybank in Kuala Lumpur.

“I was also on a mission to prove that most buskers were committed to earning a decent living and should not be generally branded as junkies and deadbeats. I have a few buddies who have white collar jobs during the day and busk in the evenings as a form of self-expression and symbol of release. If I didn’t have the job at Wariseni, I would have continued busking,” Rashid said.

The current exhibition features four themes – Portraits of The Audience, The Rhythm, Element of Sound and The Musician.

Troubled musician: ‘The Saxophonist’ was based on the character Kassim Selamat from the P. Ramlee classic, ‘Ibu Mertuaku’.
“Capturing audience reaction was my intention for works like The Composer, Philantropist, The Critic and The Listener. Rhythm can be invoked through The Drummer, Rain Forest Music, Tango and Folk Music,” Rashid said.

Remember musician Kassim Selamat from the P. Ramlee classic Ibu Mertuaku? The character is depicted in The Saxophonist.

The Music in Art is on till July 15 at the MTDC Multimedia Academy Gallery, Block K, UPM-MTDC Technology Centre, Silicon Valley, Serdang (Tel: 03-8941 4626). Gallery Hours: 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

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