'I want to tell the audience that you don’t need expensive materials/tools to make art,' says Syahbandi, who has always preferred the simplicity and the accessibility of the ballpoint pen. Photo: The Star/Faihan Ghani
“The pen is mightier than the sword" is usually an expression associated with the written word, to describe writers, but contemporary artist Syahbandi Samat is taking the saying to a whole new level with his ballpoint pen artwork.
The 32-year-old artist uses boxes of ballpoint pens to make art and his highly-detailed surrealistic creations are a testament to the ability of an individual to go beyond traditional art mediums.
The Road Less Travelled, Syahbandi’s fifth solo exhibition, which opened recently at the Harta Gallery in Selangor, offers a timely survey of his more-than-decade-long career as a full-time artist.
In this show, visitors will be able to see the progression of his work produced between 2018 and 2023, most of which are being exhibited in the Klang Valley for the first time.
The artist, born in Kuching, Sarawak, was one of the five winners in the 2011 Malaysia Emerging Artist Award (MEAA). He became the youngest artist (at 19) to be selected, but in recent years, Syahbandi has exhibited regularly outside Malaysia, with his ballpoint works gaining a wider audience in the regional art scene and beyond.
Syahbandi’s 'The Silent And The Act' (ballpoint pen on canvas, 2023, diptych), which is part of his new solo exhibition 'The Road Less Travelled' at Harta Space in Selangor. Photo: Artemis Gallery
The Road Less Travelled, presented and co-curated by Artemis Art and Ivan Alexander Gabriel, offers a unique “playground space” for art lovers to enjoy and discover Syahbandi’s wide array of works, including his signature ballpoint pen on canvas pieces right to a series of pen, charcoal and pastel collages, mixed media on wooden chopping boards, and his “editioned” work with epoxy resin, steel and wood.
His Life Ain’t That Sweet resin series – all lollipops and razor blades – makes its Malaysian debut in this exhibition.
Between medium and subject
With ballpoint pens, the self-taught Syahbandi says there is no denying how their low-cost, availability, and portability can encourage young artists to consider making art.
During art classes in his school days, he recalls that he preferred using pens while his classmates opted for brushes, watercolours and (acrylic) paint for their assignments.
'The Road Less Travelled', Syahbandi’s fifth solo exhibition offers a timely survey his more-than-decade-long career as a full-time artist. Photo: Artemis Art
“I did start out with pens and pencils, but I got lazy when it came to sharpening the pencils, so I stuck to ballpoint pens,” says Syahbandi candidly during a recent interview at his home studio in Petaling Jaya.
In his small workspace, there are loads of sketches, notebooks, boxes of pens, doodles, reference books, and new artworks that all add shape to his well-shaded and textured pen art universe.
“I’ve tried with other ‘proper’ mediums like acrylic, oil pastel, even pencil, but I think the pen suits me best.”
Equipped with a simple ballpoint pen, Syahbandi is able to depict surreal scenes that transport you to his strange and gloomy world. This universe is constantly expanding as he keeps himself busy with art.
The lack of formal art training has also not stopped him in developing his career, with a list of group and solo shows in Kuala Lumpur and collaborations with regional galleries and art fairs in his resume.
Syahbandi's work tools seen in his home studio in Petaling Jaya. Photo: The Star/Faihan Ghani
“To me, art is not something to study like medicine or science. I found it weird to need a certificate to appreciate art. I couldn’t stay in that kind of box,” says Syahbandi.
However, he hints that the novelty of the (ballpoint pen) medium can mean that the subject and themes of his artworks can get overshadowed.
“Often times the fifth or sixth question people ask me relates to the subject of my work and what I am trying to portray,” says Syahband at his work station.
“The first few are usually on the technicalities ... how many pens do you use, how do you erase if you make mistake,” he adds.
During his teenage years, the basic 0.5m “clicky” top pen (in black, blue or red ink) would only set you back about RM1, he recalls, while a box of 50 cheap pens would be about RM10.
Syahbandi's 'Beautiful Torture I' (ballpoint pen and white pencil on canvas, 2019). Photo: Artemis Art
“I want to tell the audience that you don’t need expensive materials/tools to make art,” says Syahbandi. On average, he uses six to seven pens for one piece of artwork (155cm x 185 cm in size).
The Road Less Travelled exhibition also shows how contemporary art in Malaysia is shifting, with a younger breed of collectors more actively engaged in the art market.
“As an artist, Syahbandi fits very well into what we do as a gallery ... his choice of medium makes him unique as well,” says S. Jamal Al-Idrus, Artemis Art co-founder.
“Whenever we show him abroad (since 2018), there is a definite fascination with his works, particularly with the medium, but also the fact he’s self-taught. That said he does have a fair-sized fanbase locally,” he adds.
Creating a mood on canvas
While there aren’t many Malaysian contemporary artists (with ballpoint pen as their primary medium) given solo shows in the mainstream, it shouldn’t take away from the fact that Syahbandi has grown tremendously as an artist and his current works on show – 35 pieces in total – at Harta Gallery evoke many feelings and emotions.
Syahbandi's 'Provoke V' (ballpoint pen on canvas, 2023). Photo: Artemis Art
Thematically, the selections in this exhibition focus on his more introspective works, surreal renderings filled with metaphors and symbolism, with more complex visual and contextual layers.
His earlier works were portrayals of myths and fairytales, through his own interpretive lens, at times dark and twisted.
Fatherhood has also been a game-changer for Syahbandi, who has two young children.
His new material – post-pandemic – has greatly evolved, with the artist becoming more self-aware and reflective.
These days, the artworks are projections of his concerns and fears – each work given surrealistic viewscapes that are often intriguing at first glance.
Given the abundance of black ink pens in particular, most of Syahbandi’s work is dark, both in hue and subject matter.
Syahbandi's 'Love, Hate And Responsibility IV' (ballpoint pen and white pencil on canvas, 2022). Photo: Artemis Art
As you stroll through the exhibition, you will see an array of contraptions, (torture) devices and limbs presented in monochromatic tones (some bearing striking resemblances to the popular SAW movie series) on canvas, while other curious works are lit up with coloured tablecloths and dreamy flowers.
Headless humans also share the canvas with an array of animals, including donkeys, doves, goldfish, crows and insects.
There is a certain “calm and quiet” in his drawings, with Syahbandi choosing to explore moods and atmosphere.
A sense of claustrophobia and anxiety can be detected in some of the show’s more intense works, including Burying The Old Me, Perbualan Dengan Masa Lampau and Simpan Dalam.
“That feeling of fear after waking up from a bad dream, that is what I’m trying to show,” says Syahbandi.
“It may be unpleasant, and not something you want to hang in your living room, but I am satisfied with the result,” he adds, making no apologies.
Next April, Syahbandi’s works will also be showcased in George Town, Penang.
Syahbandi Samat’s The Road Less Travelled exhibition is showing at Harta Space (Level 1, Habib 2, Ampang Point, Selangor) until Jan 17. Open: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm. Closed on Mondays.
