A printwork from artist Kim Ng titled 'Within The Mind', which is part of the 'Tribute: Viscosity Masterclass' exhibition at Chetak 17 gallery in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Chetak 17
EXHIBITION: 'TRIBUTE – VISCOSITY MASTERCLASS'
Venue: Chetak 17, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends July 15
At the artist-run Chetak 17 studio and gallery, one printmaking exhibition leads to another. And each one is a celebration of community, especially with the strong links forged between veteran, established and newcomer printmakers.
This new exhibition Tribute: Viscosity Masterclass showcases new printmaking works made by 10 artists that participated in a workshop conducted by master printmaker Abdul Mansoor Ibrahim and organised by Chetak 17 in March.
At the Chetak 17 gallery, this exhibition is a welcoming one, with artworks displayed to encourage curiosity and to broaden awareness surrounding viscosity printing techniques.
Visitors will be able to learn more about the unique printmaking process experienced by the participants.
Viscosity printing is a multi-colour printmaking technique that incorporates principles of relief printing and intaglio printing. It was pioneered by Stanley William Hayter, who is regarded as one of the most significant printmakers of the 20th century. In 1927, Hayter founded the legendary Atelier 17 studio in Paris.
Abdul Mansoor, who is French-trained, was one of the Malaysian artists who studied at Atelier Centrepoint, Paris under the tutelage of Hayter.
Apart from Abdul Mansoor, the printmakers exhibiting in the Tribute: Viscosity Masterclass show include Fuad Pathil, Haslin Ismail, Kim Ng, Shaarim Sahat, Fadli Mokhtar, Mursyidah Zainal Abidin, Nik Syahida Sabri, Yuki Mun, Asyraf Hidayat and Mifdhal Afkar.
This art programme is supported by the National Art Gallery.
More info here.
A general view of the '100 Years Of Malaysian Cinema' exhibition at Muzium Negara in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Bernama
EXHIBITION: ‘100 YEARS OF MALAYSIAN CINEMA’
Venue: Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends July 20
Muzium Negara's latest exhibition is bound to interest cinemaphiles, history lovers and museum visitors. More than 100 exhibits capturing the country's history of film and cinema are on display at this 100 Years Of Malaysian Cinema exhibition.
They include an Asian Film Festival trophy and a director's chair belonging to Tan Sri P. Ramlee, film production equipment from the 1940s, movie posters from the 1980s to 1990s, a cabinet of vintage film costumes as well as items from the personal collection of the late Datuk Aziz Sattar, the late Datuk Jamil Sulong and actress Datuk Rosnani Jamil.
The exhibition, organised by the Ministry of National Unity through the Department of Museums Malaysia (JMM), is also a rare opportunity for visitors to view an array of loaned exhibit items from the collection of various agencies, including the National Archives of Malaysia, the National Film Development Corporation (Finas), the World Cultural Organisation, SIAR (local streaming services of local films), and individual owners.
More info here.
A sketchbook piece from veteran artist Lai Loong Sung, who is holding a rare exhibition at Papan Haus in Petaling Jaya. Photo: Lai Loong Sung
LAI LOONG SUNG ART EXHIBITION
Venue: Papan Haus, Petaling Jaya
Date: ends July 16
Papan Haus, an independent arts space and residency in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, is marking its first anniversary this month. Leading off the celebration is an exhibition, curated by the Papan Haus team, showcasing a series of recent oil paintings, Chinese ink works and sketches by veteran artist Lai Loong Sung.
The 79-year old Lai, who is still active on the art-making front, is best known for his black-and-white works that marry the styles and techniques of woodcut, Chinese ink painting, and drawing.
The well-travelled artist, who has exhibited in Italy, Australia and Taiwan, began his career as an art lecturer in the early 1970s, before working for a daily newspaper, a period where his art reflected the realities of everyday life.
In the 1970s, he marked the turbulent decade with several woodcut prints and oil paintings, forming his most extensive series of works exploring the subject of war and conflict of the period. Throughout the years working in media and art, Lai’s subsequent works continued to explore themes of daily life and its accompanying trials and tribulations.
For this rare exhibition from Lai at Papan Haus, visitors are in for a treat with the artist showing large-scale oil paint and Chinese ink works as well as selected sketchbook artworks from his personal archives.
More info here.
An artwork titled 'A Continued Pattern (oil on canvas, 2023) by Caryn Koh, which is part of her 'Vessel' exhibition at G13 Gallery in Petaling Jaya. Photo: G13
EXHIBITION: CARYN KOH'S 'VESSEL'
Venue: G13 Gallery, Petaling Jaya
Date: ends July 22
This weekend, G13 Gallery is opening KL-born contemporary artist Caryn Koh's exhibition entitled Vessel, which captures her in confident painterly form, with personal experiences largely informing this new series.
Koh, who is now based in Britain, has delivered 12 artworks in this exhibition, which shows her negotiating the relationship and juxtapositions of the female body as a metaphorical vessel.
Throughout this series, Koh centres on female perspectives with each surrealistic artwork drawing from her research on archetypal symbolism.
For this exhibition, Koh was particularly intrigued by the soulful language of archetypal symbolism, which represents the most basic of human desires and fears that can be found in oral storytelling, written tales, and visual works of art.
In Vessel, Koh has extended the gallery venue into a space for conversation and contemplation.
More info here.
Cultural activist Jeffrey Lim (far right) in conversation during a sharing session at the 'Building The Beca Kuala Lumpur' mini exhibition at the Rumah Attap Library and Collective, Zhongshan building in KL. Photo: Rumah Attap Library and Collective
EXHIBITION: 'BUILDING THE BECA KUALA LUMPUR'
Venue: Rumah Attap Library and Collective, Zhongshan building, KL
Date: ends July 16
With the "Trades Archive" initiative, photographer/cultural activist Jeffrey Lim has documented the intangible knowledge on the making, using the custom-made tools and materials to reconstruct a beca (trishaw) from Kuala Lumpur's distant past.
The project which began in late 2021, saw Lim documenting the making of a downtown beca, designed and built by the Diong family since pre-war Malaya. This family business of beca-making shuttered last year.
Fortunately, Lim apprenticed with Benny Diong, the last beca-maker from the family, and together they built a beca, recording the entire process.With a small team in support and collaboration, Lim produced a video and publication, with an exhibition that showcased the entire project last year.
This mini exhibition event with the Rumah Attap Library celebrates the inclusion of the first "Archive Package" to be submitted to an independent public library. Twenty archive packages containing all the documentation have been made ready, and are being distributed to relevant entities.
Together with selected amount of artefacts, info panels, and film screenings, this event hopes to highlight obscure traditional trades and their relevance to our intangible cultural heritage.
There will be film screenings and dialogue sessions (in English) over the weekends to support the exhibition's current run.
More info here.
'The World Of Tim Burton' exhibition 'tour museum' features items from the filmmaker's work and life, such as drawings, sketchbooks, sculptures and puppets, and a replica of his studio. Photo: The Star/Chan Tak Kong
EXHIBITION: THE WORLD OF TIM BURTON
Venue: Pavilion Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends July 30
It's the last few weeks to catch this "pop-up museum" exhibition which celebrates the career of Hollywood director and artist Tim Burton.
The exhibition in KL gives new audiences an opportunity to experience Burton’s art in person for the first time and treats familiar visitors to an in-depth look further into his sensibility.
It focuses on the distinctive characters and worlds that could only come from Burton’s singular imagination. There are about 540 works to check out, including signature pieces from Burton's retrospective as well as over 150 new works not seen in the MoMA exhibition tour.
The exhibition delights with works from Burton’s early ages to the most recent project across mediums of sketches, paintings, drawings, photographs, maquettes and puppets he used for his film works, and life-sized sculptures. Along with the artist’s signature figure of Balloon Boy at the entrance of the exhibition are numerous, remarkable sculptures that were newly designed specifically for the exhibition.
More info here.
