A close-up of Chia Yu Chian's 'Village In Pangkor' (oil on board, 1957), an artwork from the 'Warisan' exhibition at Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya in KL. Photo: Handout
ART EXHIBITION: 'WARISAN'
Venue: Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya, KL
Date: ends Jan 31
The Warisan exhibition, which has now been extended until Jan 31, is a big treat for culture lovers and art historians.
It features a selection of rarely-seen artworks from the Universiti Malaya (UM) collection (1955-1978).
A total of 40 works, including British colonial-era sketches and landscapes, are now on show at Museum of Asian Art.
UM has more than 600 artworks and this exhibition brings together pieces from Malaysia, Singapore, India, China and Indonesia.
Paintings from Ibrahim Hussein, Syed Ahmad Jamal, Chia Yu Chian, Chen Wen Hsi, MF Husain, and Lai Foong Moi are just some of the highlights. Ibrahim's white-out abstract Suci Mulia Cinta Bahagia (1975) is a minimalist delight, while four works from MF Husain, a legendary painter from India, offer a glimpse of UM's early collection in the 1950s.
Syed's Khat Kufi Persegi Surah Al-Ikhlas calligraphic textile series is also not to be missed.
Weekdays (9am-5pm). The exhibition will be open this Saturday. Closed on Sunday and public holidays.
Free admission.
More info here.
A visitor finding out more about an exhibit at the 'Ikat: Motif Kita' interactive audio-visual installation in KL. Photo: Handout
IKAT: MOTIF KITA (Immersive Knowledge and Textile)
Venue: High Street Studios, Jalan Tun HS Lee, KL
Date: ends Jan 23, 10am-6pm
This weekend sees (Jan 14 and 15) sees an activity-filled programme (talk sessions, Telepuk craft demo, and a capsule fashion runway) at the Ikat: Motif Kita interactive audio-visual installation.
The (free admission) exhibition showcases traditional and contemporary Malaysian textile motifs and their cultural significance.
This collaboration between traditional textile artisans and new media artists offers a fresh interpretation of a collection of Malay motifs, inspired by flora and fauna, that are deeply ingrained in local community life through culinary, medicinal, and artistic practises.
At the Interactive Room, visitors can learn about the origins and stories behind the motifs through interactive visuals accompanied by pantun (Malay poetry). The installation captures the essence of Malay culture, and highlights the important role that motifs play in representing the identity of Malaysia. In the Textile Room, visitors can view an array of handcrafted modern and traditional textiles, with the application of motifs on different materials, as well as learn about the process and behind-the-scenes of textile art such as batik block printing.
More info here.
A view of the 'Bakul' exhibition at The Godown in KL. Photo: Handout
EXHIBITION: BAKUL: EVERYDAY BASKETS FROM SABAH
Venue: The Godown, KL
Date: ends Feb 23
The Godown arts space is hosting the Bakul exhibition, which features a collection of traditional Sabah baskets from Sabahan author and collector Jennifer P. Linggi.
This weekend, the exhibition will also be featuring a series of talks and a craft workshop.
Burden On Their Backs: The Continuing Plight Of The Orang Asli (Jan 14, 4pm) will see Dr Colin Nicholas (founder-coordinator of the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns ) discussing his work with the Orang Asli community, and the role of crafts in their lives. Reita Rahim, founder-coordinator of Gerai OA, will share how the NGO tracks down indigenous basketry in Basket Case: The Art Of Hunting, Documenting And Reviving Orang Asal Basketry (Jan 15, 4pm).
On Jan 14 and 15, Roslan and Mac Panis, two Temiar brothers (from Kuala Betis, Gua Musang in Kelantan) will run a series of workshops (1pm-4pm, RM90 fee). They will be teaching visitors to weave "chenos", which are rattan reinforcement rings once used on bamboo blowpipes.
At the Bakul exhibition, you can learn more about Tadang, Reng, Takiding, Wakid, Barait, Saiyon and other everyday baskets, which are used for domestic activity, farming, hunting, gathering and ritualistic practises. A selection of photos and items collected from an excursion to Kampung Bakuku in Sabah are also on display as part of the exhibition.
This is a no-shoes exhibition at The Godown. Opens daily noon-6pm (Monday-Thursday) and noon-7pm (Friday-Sunday). Admission is free, with registration required.
More info here.
Tunku Halim, who has a new horror book 'My Lovely Skull And Other Skeletons', will appear alongside Amir Muhammad at Lit Books to talk about the spook book culture. Photo: The Star/Filepic
BOOK TALK: 'HORROR, THEY WROTE'
Venue: Lit Books, Petaling Jaya
Date: Jan 14, 8pm
Indie bookshop Lit Books will be hosting a ghoul-inspired in-store event this Saturday called “Horror, They Wrote”, featuring author Tunku Halim and Fixi founder/publisher Amir Muhammad.
Fong Min Hun, Lit Books co-founder, will be having a conversation with Tunku Halim about his latest collection of horror short stories, My Lovely Skull And Other Skeletons, and Amir about The Big Book Of Malaysian Horror Stories.
Tunku Halim’s latest book released by Penguin Random House SEA, contains a diverse mix of fright night stories, psychological horror and dark humour. It is also his 20th book, marking an illustrious career milestone, where the horror genre has played a major role. The Big Book Of Malaysian Horror Stories takes readers from terrors that are mythological and historical to contemporary and technological. It offers 30 new short stories by 29 writers and also 30 illustrations by illustrator Chin Yew.
There are limited seats available, so book your place soon. Tickets are RM10, and attendees will receive a RM10 voucher for use on event day.
More info here.
Mark Tan's 'Urban Form (ex)' (etching on paper, 2014). Photo: The Back Room
ART EXHIBITION: 'GRIDS AND LINES (A NEW REFUTATION OF)'
Venue: The Back Room, Zhongshan building, KL
Date: ends Jan 29
Amid all the mindless colour and festive splash out there, here's a style-centric exhibition to show you where to draw the line, literally.
For The Back Room’s first show of the year, the gallery is presenting Grids And Lines (A New Refutation Of), a group exhibition featuring selected works from five Malaysian artists - Chong Yi Lin, Jerome Kugan, Liew Kwai Fei, Liew Sze Lin, and Mark Tan - that play with grids and lines, especially upon found objects.
In so doing, their works expand our perception on the ideas of imposed order, offering suggestions of how order can be used as a foundation for play. The show also serves as a reprieve between back-to-back solo exhibitions at the gallery.
Free admission. Open: Wednesdays to Sundays from noon to 6pm.
More info here.
MUSICAL: THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Venue: Istana Budaya, KL
Date: ends Jan 15
It's the last call for The Sound Of Music, one of the world’s best-loved musicals, as it winds up its KL run this weekend.
This original production tells the uplifting true story of Maria, the fun-loving governess who changed the lives of the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children by re-introducing them to music, and culminating the family’s flight across the Austrian mountains as tensions rise prior to the outbreak of WWII.
Produced by Broadway International Group and presented by Base Entertainment Asia, The Sound Of Music international tour is directed by three-time Tony Award-winner and Broadway veteran Jack O’Brien, choreographed by Danny Mefford, features music supervision by Andy Einhorn and also includes an all-Broadway creative, design and production team.
In KL, the musical also features 17 talented local children for the roles of the von Trapp children to share the stage alongside extraordinary Broadway cast members – Jill Christine Wiley (Maria), Trevor Martin (Captain Von Trapp), and Lauren Kidwell (Mother Abbess).
More info here.
