An image of tiger cubs in India taken by Steve Winter, which is featured in the 'Eye On The Tiger' exhibition at The Starhill in KL. It is showcasing over 60 pictures that bring global attention to the biggest and greatest cat on the planet. Photo: The Star/Muhamad Shahril
EXHIBITION: 'THE EYE ON THE TIGER'
Venue: The Starhill and Lot 10, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends Oct 22
The newly-opened The Eye On The Tiger photo exhibition offers a captivating visual journey that transports viewers into the heart of the wild, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the world of these magnificent creatures.
This show, organised by Save Wild Tigers (a conservation organisation based in Britain), features a collection of photographs captured by 30 of the world's most talented wildlife photographers. The exhibition also features works from Malaysian photographers SC Shekar and Sanjitpaal Singh.
Each photographer speaks eloquently via their cameras with over 60 stunning pictures that bring global attention to the biggest and greatest cat on the planet, inspiring all who view these breath-taking images.
Profits from the event will be go towards the Malaysian conservation partners – The Habitat Foundation and RIMAU.
In a special collaboration, these exceptional photographers and producers will also share their captivating stories and experiences at the eslite Forum series at the eslite Spectrum bookstore in The Starhill. If you're curious and eager to learn about their remarkable wildlife journey, mark your calendar and secure your seats through the eslite MY app.
More info here.
'The Rattan Exhibition' at GMBB features traditional craft and artworks from from Sarawak's indigenous Ukit/Bhuket community. Photo: The Star/Maria Ibrahim
THE RATTAN EXHIBITION
Venue: GMBB, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends Sept 24
At GMBB’s Level 3A exhibition space, you can catch the last two days of the Rattan Exhibition, spotlighting the Ukit/Bhuket community from Sarawak.
The Rattan Exhibition offers a captivating glimpse into the diverse layers of this community's cultural art activities.
In KL, the exhibition's primary aim is to shine a spotlight on the unique heritage, cultural practices, and artistic prowess of the Ukit/Bhuket people. Notably, this community can only be found in a single location in Malaysia today, making this exhibition an exclusive opportunity to witness their exquisite rattan craftsmanship and cultural traditions.
These craft activities for Rattan Exhibition took place during the "Heritage & Cultural Art Camp" in August, in collaboration with local youth and the Uma Ukit community of Sungai Asap Koyan, Sarawak. It was organised by Canvas Art and supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC) and GMBB.
More info here.
The featured artist for this weekend’s ‘The Godown Artists Market’ is KL-based American artist Chadwick Moore, who will be showcasing his paintings and sculptures. Photo: Chadwick Moore
THE GODOWN ARTISTS MARKET
Venue: The Godown Arts Centre, KL
Date: Sept 23 and 24, 11am-7pm
At The Godown Arts Centre, it’s all about art, craft and community. The featured artist for this month’s ‘The Godown Artists Market’ is KL-based American artist Chadwick Moore, who will be showcasing his paintings and sculptures at the Main Hall during the market.
This is in conjunction with the unveiling of Moore’s site specific installation titled Atmospheric River - made from recycled material - at the second floor of the AiR Building. It is the centrepiece of Moore’s show that will be running at The Godown throughout October.
This weekend, you can also drop by to support the artists and artisans who will be bringing their art, crafts, prints, jewellery, fashion and self care products. There will be gamelan and guzheng (Chinese zither strings) performances. You can take part in some cool and affordable (prices start from RM45) workshops both days if you prefer to spend your time learning something artsy-crafty. Don’t miss the Batik Tjap, Abstract Art Painting and Nyonya Beading Embroidery classes. Delicious food, drinks and desserts from Pasar Borneo vendors, Ten KL, Wholey Wonder complete the market’s line-up.
More info here.
Architect-turned-artist Cheng Peng Sia's solo exhibition 'Brushstrokes Of Life' is currently showing at Lai Lai Art Gallery + Studio. Photo: Handout
EXHIBITION: CHENG PENG SIA’S BRUSHSTROKES OF LIFE
Venue: Lai Lai Art Gallery + Studio, Ampang Selangor
Date: ends Oct 1
Lai Lai Art Gallery + Studio is showing local artist Cheng Peng Sia's fourth solo exhibition, Brushstrokes Of Life, which also marks his 70th birthday. Retiring from a career as a registered architect in 2009, Cheng embarked on a transformative path, channelling his lifelong passion for art into a rich tapestry of creativity that continues to inspire young and old even today
Embracing a variety of mediums including Chinese ink, watercolours, acrylics, oils and pastels, he breathes life into sceneries, portraits, buildings and delicate floral canvases. His artistic pursuits have also led him to the enchanting world of Chinese painting, where landscapes – particularly the awe-inspiring mountains, rivers, and waterfalls of China – have become his cherished muse.
Venturing beyond his canvas, Cheng’s fascination has also led him into a world of sketching; often in the company of Sketchwalk Kuala Lumpur, with pen and pad in hand, sketching various parts of the city.
Each thoughtfully curated space in the exhibition unveils a different facet of Cheng’s artistic journey.
More info here.
PERFORMING ARTS: 'JEBAT' THEATRE SHOW
Venue: Pentas 1, KLPAC
Date: ends Sept 24
How about an epic theatre show for the weekend? Jebat - The Actors Studio biggest production since the pandemic - offers a contemporary retelling of the classic Malaysian story surrounding the relationship between Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat.
Set during a time of constant war and strife in post-apocalyptic Malaysia, the story focuses on Jebat and his desire for freedom, love and respect, which puts him in opposition to Hang Tuah’s loyalty to his king. Are the bonds of loyalty unbreakable, or is justice the higher calling?
Written by U-En Ng and directed by Joe Hasham, Jebat (presented in English) is The Actors Studio’s biggest production of the year, boasting almost 40 performers on stage performing to specially composed live music with a mix of silat and mixed martial arts battle scenes, amazing sets and costumes, multimedia design and more.
Taking on the lead role is Zul Zamir, who plays Hang Jebat, with Yusuf Amin as Hang Tuah, Swarna Naidu as Dayang (Jebat’s beloved wife), Davina Goh as Tun Teja (The Queen), Sidhart Joe Dev as Sultan Mahmud Shah (The King), Ian Skatu as Bendahara, Anwar Rusdini as Patih Kerma Wijaya, Nabil Zakaria as Hang Kasturi, Faez Malek as Hang Lekir and Nick Augustin as Hang Lekiu.
Jebat is presented by The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat with the support of Yayasan Hasanah’s ArtsFAS (Arts For All Season) programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, as well as KLPac and TAS Foundation.
More info here.
PERFORMING ARTS: ‘ANGGOTA 2: RE-MEMBER’
Venue: Five Arts Centre, GMBB, KL
Date: ends Oct 1
Dance production ANGGOTA 2: Re-Member is the sequel to last year's award-winning ANGGOTA show – delving deeper into the themes and questions that choreographer Lee Ren Xin was exploring. This time with a focus on embodiment on a day-to-day level.
In this new dance work, Lee - along with Tan Bee Hung on stage - works with 'voice' as a significant element – voice from the voice box, as well as the voice of the body (ie. what this body feels, needs, desires - its agencies and capacities to decide).
This stems from Lee’s personal question why, "as a body-oriented practitioner, my voice is the one part of my body that I could not use. That I felt furthest away from. That I could not feel. That felt so foreign to me." This question zooms out to consider larger cultural values that are inherited and embodied via the functions of family, education, and dance education – which may have a role in shaping the body & silencing the voice.
Recognizing the tension of embodying this dismemberedness, disconnectedness, and dismissed voices of the body, ANGGOTA 2 embarks on a journey to re-member - to put together once again, this body in present time and space.
More info here.
KongsiKL is one of the main venues to check out Klang River Festival's final weekend arts programme. Photo: KongiKL
COMMUNITY ARTS: KLANG RIVER FESTIVAL
Venue: various locations along the Klang River, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends Sept 24
The final weekend of the Klang River Festival promises a community experience with a difference. This independent grassroots event, put together last year by a team of arts activists, aims to create a platform to map out the artistry, heritage, community and the rich biodiversity of the Klang River.
Over the next two days, the festival is set to offer a programme packed with community engagement, including workshops, talks, heritage walks, a flash mob, arts market, and event finale at KongsiKL.
Map out the festival before you head out since activities will be hosted at a number of venues spread along the 120km route of the titular Klang River: upstream (Kampung Warisan at Taman Melawati River Three Park), mid-stream (KongsiKL, Dasein Gallery, Millerz Square, Mid Valley, MIA City Campus, Kongsi Co-Op) and down-stream (Pengkalan Batu, Klang).
“Tanah Air” is the theme of this year’s festival, which encapsulates the essence of homeland and motherland, while emphasising the significance of both land and water in our lives.
More info here.
Kuik's 'A Pirate’s Tale' (graphite and colour pencil on paper, 2023). Photo: The Back Room
EXHIBITION: MINSTREL QUIK'S 'STORY TIME'
Venue: The Back Room, Zhongshan Building, KL
Date: ends Sept 24
It’s the last two days to catch contemporary artist Minstrel Kuik's well-received solo exhibition Story Time at The Back Room gallery.
In this back-to-basics show, Kuik investigates the deep forms of intuition - feeling and imagination - necessary for acts of artmaking, creation, and storytelling. It features a series of 22 colour pencil and graphite drawings engaging with the myth and figure of Medusa.
Story Time is a departure for Kuik who, in recent years, has exhibited mostly photography, mixed-media installations and fabric assemblages with socio-political themes and personal histories.
This exhibition explores literary, mythological, art-historical, and philosophical sources to meditate on how art might be released from the pressure to comment on contemporary issues in a direct or immediate way. In particular, the myth of Medusa, associated with sight, fear, destruction, beauty, and creation, becomes an apt symbol for the examination of art-making itself.
More info here.
