MEAA 2010: Winner Showcase, MONOLOG by Kat

Mohd Bakir Baharom hails from Kedah and graduated from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). Whilst he has served as an assistant to a number of celebrated Malaysian artists, he has also succeeded in creating his own distinct style with a unique manipulation of smoke to stain the canvas. He was an artist-in-residence at the 2009 Iskandar Malaysia Contemporary Art Show (IMCAS) and he has also garnered prizes at the Penang Art Festival in 2003 and 2004.

The Clouds I, II, III, IV

Soot on wood panel / 2010 / 29 x 60 cm 

Let It Down   

Charcoal soot & acrylic on canvas / 2010 / 153 x 153 cm

Berupa Rupa

Soot on canvas / 2010 / 153 x 153 cm

Dilema

Soot on canvas / 2010 / 153 x 153cm

Hanyut

Soot on canvas / 2010 / 69cm x 153cm

Lebai Maghrib

Soot on canvas / 2010 / 153 x 153cm

Orang Baru

Soot on canvas / 2010 / 153 x 153 cm

Kek Cawan Hitam

Soot on canvas / 2010 / 119 x 153cm

MEAA 2010: Winner Showcase, Fragment Defragmentation by Gan Chin Lee

Gan Chin Lee gained a diploma in Illustration from The One Academy of Communication Design in the late nineties, but continued his studies at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. He holds a Masters Degree from this esteemed institution. Gan’s works in this exhibition are realistic portrayals of everyday Malaysian life, and, the artist says he was influenced by art practices of Antonio Lopez Garcia and in restoring the experience of the first person perspective. 

Gan Chin Lee (b. 1977) is painter based in Kuala Lumpur. In 2008 he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing China and in 1998 he received a diploma in Illustration from the One Academy of Communication Design. He has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions in Malaysia, China and Taiwan and most recently shown work in Tempo, The Gallery Star Hill, Art Triangle: The Gray Zone Project, National Art Gallery, The Energy Trap, Valentine Willie Fine Art at Annexe Gallery all in Kuala Lumpur and the 14th Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition, Tai Chung City, Taiwan. In 2010 he was a finalist for the Starhill Gallery Visual Art Award (VAA) and in 2009 received the Malaysian Emerging Artist Award.  

MEAA 2010: Winner Showcase, Not Enough by Samsudin Wahab

Hailing from Perak, this Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) graduate has had a successful run in the last couple of years. In 2008, his solo exhibition Enough! was a sell-out with every piece being snapped up by art collectors, and in 2009, Samsudin was artist-in-residence at Rimbun Dahan, Kuang. The artist, who has also ventured into performance art, is best known for infusing pop culture, the art of comic books, and political satire into his striking works. 

Samsuddin Wahab (b. 1984) graduated with a Batchelor’s Degree in Fine Art, majoring in print making from UiTM, Shah Alam. In 2008 he completed his first solo show entitled Enough at Taksu Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. He has also participated in numerous group shows including Energy Trap, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, 2010; Young Contemporary Art Show: New Object(tion), Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, 2010; Locals Only!, Taksu Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, 2009; Imcas, Malaysian Contemporary Art Exhibition, Danga Mall, Johor Bahru, 2009; Un-Cut, Malaysia Art Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2009; The 70th Mokwoohoe Members Exhibition and The Malaysian Figurative Artist, Korea, 2008 and ART Singapore, The Contemporary Asian Art Show, Suntec City, Singapore, 2008. He took part in the Rimbun Dahan Malaysia-Australia year-long residency programme in 2009-2010 and is part of the experimental sound and performance group SO sound.

MEAA 2010: Winner Showcase, Binocular by Al Khuzairie Ali

Mohd Al-Khuzairie Ali, a ceramics major from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), credits Umibaizurah Mahir – or Umi as she is casually known – for opening his eyes to the possibilities of ceramic as a medium for contemporary art. His exhibition, titled Binoculars, borrows its title from the optical instrument and symbolizes the artist’s act of looking into the distant future with his nineteen ceramic works, which in turn consist of three discernable series: Reborn, Mind Machine, and Android. 

Xerox I

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), wood box, electrical part, stainless steel & LED lamp

103 x 78 x 21 cm

Xerox II

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), wood box, electrical part, stainless steel & LED lamp

100 x 75 x 21 cm

Reborn : Substitute I

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), nut & screw, wire tube, wire cable & stainless steel hook
66 x 29 x 23 cm

Reborn : Substitute II

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), nut & screw, wire tube, wire cable & stainless steel hook
66 x 20 x 26 cm

Reborn : Substitute III

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), nut & screw, wire tube, wire cable & stainless steel hook
100 x 75 x 21 cm

Reborn : Substitute IV

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), nut & screw, wire tube, wire cable & stainless steel hook
80 x 22 x 19 cm

Reborn : Substitute V

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), nut & screw, wire cable & stainless steel hook

72 x 19 x 30 cm

Reborn : Substitute VI

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), nut, screw, wire tube, wire cable & stainless steel hook

69 x 25 x 20 cm

Minds Machine Series I

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp , steel & concrete 

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series II

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp , steel & concrete

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series III

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp , steel & concrete 

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series IV

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp, steel & concrete

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series V

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), electrical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp, steel & concrete 

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series VI

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp, steel & concrete

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series VII

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp, steel & concrete 

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series VIII

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp, steel & concrete

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series IX

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp, steel & concrete 

152 x 30 x 30 cm

Minds Machine Series X

2010 / Ceramic (stoneware), mechanical parts, wire tube, doll eye, LED lamp, steel & concrete

152 x 30 x 30 cm

MEAA 2012: Winner Showcase, Syahbandi Samat

Syahbandi Samat studied at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Bandaraya and has slowly been gaining momentum in the local art scene by participating in numerous group exhibitions. His exhibitions to date include Pelita Hati Gallery’s ‘Open Show’ and House of MATAHATI’s ‘Artriangle’ (both 2010), ‘Life and Nature’ at Pelita Hati in 2011, and TAKSU’s ‘Open Show’ earlier this year.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

As is widely accepted, folklore, proverbs and myth are stories that have been created and retold for the sake of entertainment and education. They pass down from one generation to the next and whilst many of the tales are related to human behaviour, the examples in these stories are often illogical nonsensical – especially in today’s circumstances.

However, what if examples from these tales really came true? What if a cat could grow horns? Or if the moon could really fall onto one’s lap? If the noses of liarsreally grew as long as Pinocchio’s, then this world would surely be filled with people walking around with long noses.

Bagai Menanti Bulan Jatuh Ke Riba... / 2012 / Ball point on canvas / 136 x 90cm

 

Bawang Merah & Bawang Putih

2012 / Ball point on canvas / 148 x 243cm (each)

Thinking in the Box (Why Don't I Make it Bigger) / 2012 / Ball point on canvas / 86 x 167cm

Tikam Belakang / 2012 / Ball point on canvas / 149 x 84cm

Twisted Fairy Tales Series Pinnochio (Still the Old Me) / 2012 / Ball point on canvas / 158 x 84cm

Twisted Fairy Tales Series the Frog Prince (Well, I Don’t Mind Not Turning Back to Human Now)

2012 / Ball point on canvas / 183 x 61cm

Twisted Fairy Tales Series Snow White (The Deer Head Look Nice on the Wall, Don’t They)

2012 / Ball point on canvas / 115.5 x 89.5cm

MEAA 2012 : Winner Showcase, Chong Ai Lei

A native of the state of Johor, Chong Ai Lei gained her Diploma in Fine Art from Dasein Academy of Art, Kuala Lumpur in 2005. She has focused on the figure since the beginning of her career and has carved a name for herself with her pastel-coloured, dreamy portraits of young women.

Chong has been participating actively in local group exhibitions since the completion of her formal art education. In 2010 and 2011, she received Honourable Mention from the Freeman Foundation Asian Artists Program, Vermont Studio Centre, USA. Chong currently lives and works in Kuala Lumpur.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

The ideas for my work have always been inspired by the things that surround me, such as literature, fashion, modeling, and animation. As such, it’s been natural for me to paint the female form. My earliest works were examinations of specific parts of the female body, and as my works have progressed, I’ve added more and more elements into each composition – a background, a room, a meticulously-detailed carpet.

The figures that I paint are often solitary and clouded in a pastel or flesh-coloured tint, evoking a sense of dreaminess. I feel this is apt, as my works touch on topics like solitude, detachment, and how people sometimes lose balance in their lives or in society.

Affection / 2012 / Oil on canvas / 124.5 x 168cm

Intoxicated / 2012 / Oil on canvas / 168 x 124.5cm

Coquetry / 2012 / Oil on canvas / 124.5 x 168cm

Playmate / 2012 / Oil on canvas / 155 x 135cm

Pleasure / 2012 / Oil on canvas / 124.5 x 168cm

Relaxation / 2012 / Oil on canvas / 168 x 124.5cm