The Pentas Seni Merdeka series spotlights "Ronggeng Melayu" at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 12. The free event offers a vibrant celebration of Malaysia's rich cultural heritage and history. Photo: Handout
"Pentas Seni Merdeka" returns for its third year at Dataran Merdeka, offering a vibrant celebration of Malaysia's rich cultural heritage and history. Set against the iconic backdrop of the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad in KL, this year's event shines a spotlight on "Ronggeng Melayu", a captivating traditional Malay dance born from centuries of cultural confluence in the Straits of Malacca.
Historically performed in urban hubs like Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore, ronggeng embodies the harmonious blend of Indigenous, Indian, Arab, Chinese, and Eurasian influences, offering audiences a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Malaysia’s past.
Experience the graceful art of ronggeng, presented by the talented performers of Nusantara Performing Arts Research Centre (NusPARC) and Nyala Dance Theatre. The main stage will also showcase performances by DBKL Combo and Cultural Artists.
In addition to enchanting performances by traditional masters and specialists, visitors can immerse themselves in interactive workshops and cultural activities that bring Malaysia's living traditions to life, which are all part of the ongoing Kreatif KL Festival. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with local culture through dance and community.
Free admission event.
More info here.
United for art (from left), Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, artist Alice Chang, curator Datuk Halimah Mohd Said, and Datuk Sri Meer Habib, managing director of Habib Jewels, pose during the recent opening ceremony of the 'WARNA' exhibition at Harta Space. Photo: Harta Space
WARNA, which stands for "Women in Art for the Nation," features a line-up of 20 women artists, each contributing three artworks centred on the theme "Exploring Spaces Beyond Boundaries."
Curated by Datuk Halimah Mohd Said at the Harta Space gallery, the collection showcases 60 artworks across various mediums, including paintings and sculptures. The launch of WARNA, a free admission exhibition, was recently honoured by the presence of Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim, who joined the artists in celebrating the universal stories of women.
In the exhibition, Alice Chang, a skilled potter, embroiderer, and mosaic artist, captures the essence of maternal strength in her work. Her mosaic sculptures, titled 3 Graces, celebrate both strength and beauty by depicting three pregnant women adorned in traditional Malaysian attire.
Sarawakian artist Habsah Saufi highlights the beauty of nature in her three paintings, including one titled HIJAU The Carbon Credit?, which serves as a poignant reminder of the need to protect Malaysia's rainforests.
Another Sarawak-born artist, Shia Yih Yiing, explores a variety of animal motifs in her series titled Human Nature. Through her work, she encourages viewers to discern good and bad values represented by different animals, emphasising the need for humans to find balance in order to maintain harmony in the world.
The group show also features Neda Zoghi from Iran and Italian artist Bernadetta Segala, both of whom have made Malaysia their home.
Harta Gallery is one of three spaces located on the second floor of Habib Jewels, alongside the Harta Heritage Jewellery Museum and Harta Cafe.
More info here.
Author Hanna Alkaf has a busy October ahead, featuring a Klang Valley bookshop tour to promote her new book, 'The Hysterical Girls Of St Bernadette’s'. Photo: The Star/Filepic
Author Hanna Alkaf is back just in time for spook season with the chilling dark academia thriller, The Hysterical Girls Of St Bernadette’s, set in an all-girls school that’s suddenly struck with mysterious cases of screaming hysteria.
Starting Oct 12, readers in the Klang Valley can catch up with Hanna and grab a copy of the book at any of the stops during her bookshop tour. You can even join the special stamp event – collect at least four stamps from the tour venues on the limited Hanna Alkaf’s Tour Map Bookmark and you can redeem a mystery gift (while stocks last).
Hanna will be dropping by Lit Books (Oct 12, 11am); Eslite Bukit Bintang (Oct 12, 4.30pm); Popular Bookstore at Sunway Pyramid (Oct 19, 2pm); MPH at The Exchange, TRX (Oct 20, 12pm); and Tsutaya Books Bukit Jalil (Oct 26, 2pm).
More info here.
At Sunda Shelves, Salhan will shares insights into his writing process, the genre of sustainability, and the creation of the 'Alak In The Hinterland' book's striking woodblock prints. Photo: Handout
Author Salhan K. Ahmad will be at nature-based bookshop Sunda Shelves on Saturday to discuss his children's book Alak In The Hinterland.
The story follows Alak, a young orphan boy from Kuala Betis, Gua Musang, Kelantan, who befriends a group of tiger cubs after becoming lost in a magical forest. This is the first book in the Alak series.
Alak In The Hinterland was first published in 2017. Last year, Salhan expanded the book by adding a new chapter and incorporating black-and-white woodcut illustrations created by Rizo Leong, one of the founders of Pangrok Sulap. These striking artworks breathe life into Alak's adventures, enhancing the narrative and deepening the reader's engagement with the story.
Targeted at young readers, this book seeks to introduce important issues like deforestation and habitat loss to children, inspiring them to become environmentally conscious citizens as they grow.
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Salhan share insights into his creative writing process, the emerging genre of sustainability, and the creation of the visually striking woodblock prints featured in the book.
Registration required. Admission is RM10 per person.
More info here.
Accompanying the G13 Gallery exhibition is the book 'New Malaysian Paintings', authored by curator and academic Badrolhisham Mohamad Tahir, which highlights these 12 local artists under the age of 40. Photo: G13 Gallery
In Petaling Jaya, G13 Gallery is set for a busy Saturday with the opening reception of the New Malaysian Paintings group exhibition and accompanying book launch. This new project builds on the momentum of last year's The Artist's Studio book, also published by G13 Gallery, reinforcing its commitment to documenting and showcasing Malaysian art.
This upcoming New Malaysian Paintings exhibition presents the works of Anisa Abdullah, Fadilah Karim, Fawwaz Sukri, Gan Tee Sheng, Hisyamuddin Abdullah, Khairudin Zainudin, Najib Bamadhaj, Nik M Shazmie, Shafiq Nordin, Syed Fakaruddin, Wong Ming Hao, and Yuki Tham.
Accompanying the exhibition is the book New Malaysian Paintings, authored by curator and academic Badrolhisham Mohamad Tahir, which highlights these 12 local artists under the age of 40.
The book includes insightful chapters in which each artist shares their unique creative processes and career trajectories, revealing the painterly paths that have shaped their artistic journeys. Through these conversations, readers gain a deeper understanding of the inspirations, challenges, and pivotal moments that have influenced their work, highlighting the intricate relationship between their personal experiences and artistic expression.
New Malaysian Paintings will be launched at 3pm this Saturday. The exhibition – free admission – will be on view until Nov 9.
More info here.
Wong Xiang Yi's artwork 'Raining Fire' (2022), which is part of her exhibition 'Nomad' at The Back Room in KL. Photo: The Back Room
It's the last weekend to catch artist Wong Xiang Yi's ink works at The Back Room gallery.
In Nomad, her seventh solo exhibition, Wong is showing 11 new paintings that continue her exploration of the beautiful boy archetype with new developments in style, composition, and figuration from over the past four years.
Already established within the Malaysian art scene for her paintings of beautiful, young male models in languid poses, these new works present a style of figuration that is more “chibi”-like, allowing the artist to place greater emphasis on nuances in her subjects’ expressions and gestures, instead of on their beauty.
In the paintings, the figures are all ageless wanderers who move in clouds of smoke, connected to each other through a secret truce, a mysterious thread of fate with terms that viewers can only guess at. Wong effortlessly combines the fine elegance and elaborate patience of Chinese and Japanese ink painting traditions with the androgynous grace of the “beautiful boy”, the immortal muse of artists and poets since the ancient Greeks.
Free admission.
More info here.
