A "People Library" tribute session to celebrate the late Peter Hassan Brown, a beloved folk singer-songwriter, is happening this Sunday morning at the Taman Tugu Nursery community space in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: The Star/Azman Ghani
PUBLIC ARTS EVENT: PEOPLE LIBRARY - PETER HASSAN BROWN TRIBUTE
Venue: Taman Tugu, Kuala Lumpur
Date: June 11, 10am-noon
A special tribute "People Library" session to celebrate the late Peter Hassan Brown, a beloved folk singer-songwriter, is happening this Sunday morning at the Taman Tugu Nursery community space.
Brown, who died last November aged 79, was a well-respected figure in the independent music scene in the Klang Valley. He also used his music to cast a spotlight on environmental issues, including climate change and pollution.
The Londoner grew up in post-war Britain and lived through the kaleidoscopic 1960s. He married his Malaysian musical partner Markiza Halim and then moved to Kuala Lumpur.
Apart from his own recordings, Brown – lovingly known as a troubadour with a big heart – also opened up the folk rock circuit to other genres and supported the Klang Valley's indie movement's young talents in the 1990s through to the mid-noughties.
In the early 2000s, Brown organised a series of acoustic shows at venues such as the Commonwealth Club, The Box at KL’s The Actors Studio and The Actors Studio Bangsar. The show, billed "Acoustic Jam", lasted 16 sessions from 2001 to 2003. Many Malaysian singer-songwriters and music newcomers got their early live music experience at these shows.
In 2017, Brown published his book Strings, capturing his adventurous journey in music.
At the "People Library" session tomorrow (free admission, walk-in event), a line-up of musicians, poets, storytellers and friends will pay tribute to Brown.
More info here.
A video still from a documentary series featuring Eric Peris (right) in conversation with Ariff Awaluddin at 'The Archive Project: Eric Peris' exhibition at the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: The Star/Daryl Goh
EXHIBITION: 'THE ARCHIVE PROJECT: ERIC PERIS'
Venue: National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends May 2024
The National Art Gallery (NAG) presents a walk-through of veteran Malaysian photographer Eric Peris' visual world, a place where history meets art, where the past comes alive through captivating narratives.
The year-long “The Archive Project: Eric Peris" exhibition draws on archival material and its transformative potential in preserving the icons of Malaysian art. It is the culmination of NAG's documentation efforts in 2022, focusing on the extraordinary life and artistic journey of Peris, who bridged the fields of fine art and journalistic photography.
The (free admission, walk-in) show features over 100 archival documents, newspapers, brochures, and artworks from the artist himself and the NAG collection. Each exhibit offers an insight into Peris' creative process, his influences, and the impact of his work on Malaysian photography.
Visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in his captivating story and witness the evolution of his artistic vision throughout the decades.
More info here.
W. Rajaie's 'Untitled' (detail of work-in-progress, 2023). Photo: The Back Room
EXHIBITION: ‘HOLES: THREE INSTALLATIONS’
Venue: The Zhongshan building, KL
Date: ends July 2
The Back Room's new exhibition Holes features three installations by Alvin Lau, Tep York, and W. Rajaie.
The compact show presents the diverse styles of creative thinking and approaches of three young contemporaries, all of different backgrounds but based in Kuala Lumpur.
The entire exhibition takes place “off the wall”, with the three installations being crafted specifically for the site of The Back Room and taking a more conceptual, experimental approach in their execution.
Lau presents a mixed media photography piece on plywood that continues his recent forays into three-dimensional styles of showing photography; Tep York presents a readymade CCTV and TV installation that injects a street sensibility into the gallery space; while the ever-enigmatic W. Rajaie presents a long congak board crafted out of cow dung.
"The title of the exhibition, Holes, is suggestive of underground networks and also of hidden movement. It considers different styles of installation and conceptual art and their implications within the space of the contemporary art gallery, hopefully paving a way for more serious consideration of installation art in Malaysia. And it is also a celebration of ingenuity and the drive to create, which can spring from all sorts of unexpected places," reads the exhibition notes.
More info here.
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EXHIBITION: CHEONG KIET CHENG'S 'THE LAST STAR BEFORE THE DAWN'
Venue: Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends July 8
Contemporary artist Cheong Kiet Cheng is known for her diverse range of mediums that she has used over the years. From oil to acrylic to ink to watercolor, Cheong has explored various mediums to express her artistic vision.
In a statement, she noted, “Each medium has its own unique qualities, and I enjoy experimenting with them to capture the essence of my ideas.“
In The Last Star Before the Dawn her fifth solo exhibition, Cheong showcases a collection of paintings created over a year and a half. This collection includes a batch of paintings created during the later stages of the epidemic spanning from 2022 to 2023. Inspired by the concept of enlightenment and the impermanence of all things, this exhibition invites viewers to contemplate the fleeting nature of existence and the idea that all things must eventually come to an end.
Her artistic process is grounded in daily life, and she incorporates lessons and ideas into her work. As she puts it, “There are always unseen hands that give me strength and guidance as I share my inner mysteries and elements.”
Through her use of vibrant colours and intricate details, Cheong captures the beauty and fragility of life, encouraging visitors to reflect on their own journeys.
This exhibition is for anyone seeking a moment of contemplation and reflection. As Cheong notes, “I hope that visitors will find a sense of peace and inspiration in my paintings and leave with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the world around us.”
More info here.
A painting from Jean-Leon Gerome (France, 1824-1904) titled 'Riders Crossing The Desert'. Photo: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
EXHIBITION: ORIENTALIST PAINTINGS: MIRROR OR MIRAGE?
Venue: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, KL
Date: ends Oct 15
If you're looking for a history-filled day out at the art gallery, then this is an exhibition not to be missed.
The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in Kuala Lumpur is exhibiting over 100 paintings of Orientalist art from its vast collection, making it the biggest exhibition in Asia to feature paintings and artefacts that capture the essence of the Orient in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Highlights of IAMM's Orientalist Paintings: Mirror Or Mirage? exhibition, which runs untill Oct 15, include renowned works by some of the most celebrated painters of the era, including Jean-Leon Gerome, Eugene Delacroix, John Frederick Lewis and the remarkable but rarely seen Ottoman polymath Osman Hamdi Bey.
The paintings are mainly from the 19th century, a time when it became possible for artists to travel to the "Orient", as the Middle East and North Africa were then called. The exhibition takes a thematic look at that vast region in a time of transition. The display is divided into eight sections that follow the artists’ different creative callings.
Orientalist Paintings: Mirror Or Mirage? is one of the largest exhibitions ever undertaken at the IAMM, and the show is spread out over two galleries.
More info here.
A general view of French artist Jonathan Vaultman's 'Black Work – L’oeuvre au Noir' show at The Godown KL. Photo: Alliance Francaise de Kuala Lumpur
EXHIBITION: JONATHAN VAULTMAN'S 'BLACK WORK'
Venue: The Godown, KL
Date: ends June 17
French artist Jonathan Vaultman's Black Work – L’oeuvre au Noir at The Godown in Kuala Lumpur comprises 14 large paintings that are black, but also white and everything in between.
It is Vaultman's first solo exhibition in Malaysia. Curated by architect Huat Lim, it will be open for public viewing (noon to 7pm, daily) until June 17 at the main hall of The Godown. The exhibition is free as part of Le French Festival organised by Alliance Francaise.
Vaultman, who currently splits his time between Kuala Lumpur and Paris, says: "While I am by no means an expert in alchemy, I wanted to evoke this principle in a poetic and metaphorical manner in this exhibition. By simplifying the colour palette, I sought to emphasise the contrast and interaction between light and shadow, symbolising the alchemical journey from darkness to light."
More info here.
Orang Asli artist Bah Saluji explaining an artwork at his exhibition 'Biar Pete de Besuara' in KL. Photo: Gerimis Art Project
EXHIBITION: BIAR PETE DE BESUARA
Venue: Gerimis Gallery, Level 3, GMBB, KL
Date: ends Sept 30
Biar Pete de Besuara is an exhibition by Bah Saluji, a writer and illustrator of two Orang Asli children’s books.
The title of the exhibition is Semai for ‘Let the Maps Speak’. If an Orang Asli map had a voice, it would tell the story of a peaceful people living for countless generations in harmony with the rainforest.
Bah Saluji and his vibrant watercolour paintings showcase that idyllic life – but also today’s harsh reality of the rampant encroachment of Orang Asli customary land. This exhibition invites us to reflect on our own relationship with the land and the urgent need for greater respect for indigenous rights.
The artworks displayed are a selection of the original artworks done by Bah Saluji for his second illustrated book with the same title. The book is being used as a strategic advocacy tool to open channels for indigenous and public awareness on Orang Asli land rights.
Proceeds from all his artworks will support efforts towards creating awareness of Orang Asli rights, specifically customary land rights, indigenous language, and preservation of Orang Asli traditional knowledge.
This exhibition is organised by Malaysian CARE and Gerimis Art.
More info here.
