'This sculpture series is not an extension or break from my painting path, but rather it’s a new creative leap, to learn a new language that mirrors the same themes, stories and issues associated with my work, but in a totally different artistic medium,' says Rafiee. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
Rafiee Ghani was never keen on the subject of sculptures when he was a student, opting to focus on painting instead, even througout most of his career. But now, 41 wood sculptures are the highlights of his new exhibition Arca Samudera at Galeri Puteh in Kuala Lumpur.
It is also his biggest exhibition to date, with an additional 22 sizeable paintings filling up the gallery space.
The gallery crew, along with additional muscle required to transport the heavy sculptures (made from local hard wood) via a five-tonne lorry with a lifter, also helped to give a new dimension for the artist to express his creativity.
Unlike paintings, Rafiee had to think about the positioning of the sculptures on the gallery floor, in order to get the best out of the lighting in the space.
Arca Samudera has definitely given the 61-year artist a fresh bounce in his step at the start of the year.
To set the mood for the exhibition, Galeri Puteh painted some of its walls black to accommodate Rafiee's sculpture series. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
The Kulim, Kedah-born Rafiee, was in a lively mood during this recent interview. He relished the challenge of presenting his new works and has been thankful to witness the positive reaction from art lovers for the Arca Samudera show.
“I’m trying to create a dialogue between paintings and sculptures. This sculpture series is not an extension or break from my painting path, but rather it’s a new creative leap, to learn a new language that mirrors the same themes, stories and issues associated with my work, but in a totally different artistic medium,” says Rafiee.
The contemporary artist, who began his art career four decades ago, is well-known for his abstract paintings, but in the last three years (notably during the pandemic), he refocused and found a new direction – working with wood. He then decided to map an exhibition with sculptures as the focal point.
Rafiee’s 'Paus Menjulang' (African Mahogany, 2023) sculpture seen at the Galeri Puteh exhibition. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
It has taken him some years to get to this new chapter in his career. Rafiee first received his creative training at the Vrije Academie voor Beeldende Kunst, the Netherlands in 1980. Later, he obtained a Diploma in Art and Design from Mara Institute of Technology and an MA in Fine Prints from the Manchester Polytechnic in Britain.
To date, Rafiee’s work has culminated in numerous series and solo exhibitions, but Arca Samudera is a redefining moment in an already illustrious artistic path for the artist.
“All this time I used my hands to produce paintings with more emphasis on expression and the illusion of two-dimensional space. But when producing a sculpture, I tried to get out, not to be trapped ... to find a physical space in three-dimensional form,” says Rafiee.
A gallery view of Rafiee’s painting 'The Place Of My Heart' (oil on canvas, 2021) and the 'Sotong Menari' (Santang wood, 2020) sculpture. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
“Pablo Picasso produced over 35,000 works on paper and canvas and no fewer than 700 sculptures. When did he find the time to do all that? That’s why I decided to challenge myself,” he adds.
In Malaysia, when you mention sculptures, influential artists such as Mad Anuar, Ramlan Abdullah, Tengku Sabri dan Raja Shariman come to mind.
Time will tell if Rafiee is set to take his sculpture works places, especially with shows outside the country.
At Galeri Puteh, long-time Rafiee fans can marvel at his new paintings, but they will also be amazed by his new series of tall totems, irregular-shaped blocks and strangely shaped sculptures.
For the preliminary carving and cleaning process, Rafiee worked on his sculptures in his front yard using a variety of different carving instruments in all shapes and sizes. Photo: Rafiee Ghani
“South-East Asians actually have an intimate relationship with wood carvings,” says Rafiee.
“However, most wood works in Malaysia are focused on furniture, architecture or artworks with religious purposes. With my pieces, I wanted to show a different perspective, not decorative or ornamental. This is a Western-type of expression, very personal” he adds.
The well-travelled artist also sees these sculptures as "physical travelogues". To him, the new works are like notes written down or engraved for memory, which do not carry any specific meaning. In fact, the word "samudera" in the title of the exhibition relates to Malay proverbs which describes "migration" both in travel and attitude of a person.
Visitors will be able to spend time inspecting paintings and colourful carving details of totem poles and other abstract designs at Rafiee's new show. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
Colours, according to the artist, also play an important role in realising the ideas behind each sculpture, which are suited for indoor and outdoor settings. Although dyed, Rafiee still maintains the quality of the wood.
"At this show, visitors are encouraged to touch and feel the sculptures," says Rafiee.
Why go with wood?
Preparation for this exhibition goes back to 2020, with the wood sourced and transported from Kelantan (where he grew up) when interstate travel was permitted.
His home studio and workshop space in Puncak Alam, Selangor slowly began to resemble a log store, with a range of wood choices: Chengal, African Mahogany, Sentang Wood, Tamarind, Acasia and Merbau kept in a shed.
'Even now when I return to painting ... it has completely changed the way I approach art,' says Rafiee. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
Whether it was working in his lawn or studio space, it was a tricky task for Rafiee to access all the wood types, which were different in weight, and could be damaged by environmental factors like heat and moisture.
For Rafiee, it was an exciting and also daunting creative process - some five hours of "finishing" work a day - which he was ready to follow through and find tangible results despite the untamed nature of the raw material.
Instead of brushes and stretching the canvas, he used various sawing and carving instruments to work, while also adding vibrant colours to the new creations. He now also owns eight chainsaws of different sizes, which were used to initially shape the sculptures.
A general view of Rafiee's new exhibition at Galeri Puteh, featuring 41 wood sculpture works. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
The number of tools accumulated to make his many designs were also more than the average wood-worker’s inventory. Rafiee notes that it would be interesting to get their opinion on his new works.
“Never in my creative process had I ever had to consider gravity. To find the balance, to get the artwork leaning a particular angle, and what to do with the negative space,” says Rafiee, pointing out the exterior and interior areas of his sculptures at the exhibition.
“Even now when I return to painting ... it has completely changed the way I approach art,” he concludes.
Arca Samudera exhibition is showing at Galeri Puteh, KL Eco City, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur (Level 3) until Jan 27.
