artworks by ten Malaysiannew generation women artistskarya seni oleh sepuluh orang senimanwanita generasi baru Malaysia

1

artworks by ten Malaysian new generation women artistskarya seni oleh sepuluh orang seniman wanita generasi baru Malaysia

2

This catalogue is published in conjunction with the exhibition OUT OF THE MOULD : The Age of Reason held at GALERI PETRONAS from 25 October until 2 December 2007 and Malmö Konstmuseum, Sweden in 2008.

PUBLISHERPETRONASLevel 71 Tower 1PETRONAS Twin TowersKuala Lumpur City Centre50088 Kuala Lumpur

Copyright @ 2007 PETRONAS.

All rights reserved.This catalogue is copyright. Other than for academic research, criticism or review, as permitted by the Copyright Act 1987, no part or image from this catalogue may be reproduced by any process without written permission of the copyright owners. All works of art are reproduced with permission of the copyright owners.

ISBN 978-983-9738-64-3

EXHIBITION CURATORShireen Naziree

TRANSLATORBrigitte F. Bresson @ Saleha Abdullah

DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHyRaymond, Ivy, YB Wee & Jason @ E-Poch Creations Sdn Bhd

PRINTERPercetakan Proaktif

The views expressed in this catalogue are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Katalog ini diterbitkan sempena pameran OUT OF THE MOULD : The Age of Reason yang diadakan di GALERI PETRONAS dari 25 Oktober sehingga 2 Disember 2007 dan Malmö Konstmuseum, Sweden pada tahun 2008.

PENERBITPETRONASAras 71 Menara 1Menara Kembar PETRONASKuala Lumpur City Centre50088 Kuala Lumpur

Hakcipta @ 2007 PETRONAS

Segala hakcipta terpelihara.Selain untuk tujuan kajian ilmiah, kritikan atau ulasan, sepertimana yang dibenarkan di bawah Akta Hakcipta 1987, tiada sebarang bahagian ataupun imejan daripada penerbitan ini yang boleh disalin melalui sebarang proses tanpa kebenaran bertulis penerbit.

Penerbitan semula semua karya seni adalah dengan kebenaran pemilik hakcipta.

ISBN 978-983-9738-64-3

KURATOR PAMERANShireen Naziree

PENTERJEMAHBrigitte F. Bresson @ Saleha Abdullah

REKABENTUK & FOTOGRAFIRaymond, Ivy, YB Wee & Jason @ E-Poch Creations Sdn Bhd

PENCETAKPercetakan Proaktif

Pandangan dan pendapat yang terkandung di dalam katalog ini tidak semestinya mencerminkan pandangan dan pendapat penerbit.

3

CONTENTS

FOREWORD 5by Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim

FEMINIST REPRESENTATIONS 8by Shireen Naziree

OUT OF THE MOULD 15by Shireen Naziree

CROSSING THEIR LINES 21By Ana P. Labrador

ARTWORKS 25

ARTIST PROFILES 63

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 69

KANDUNGAN

PRAKATA 5oleh Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim

REPRESENTASI FEMINIS 8oleh Shireen Naziree

OUT OF THE MOULD 15oleh Shireen Naziree

MERENTASI GARISAN 21oleh Ana P. Labrador

KARYA 25

ARTIST PROFILES 63

PENGHARGAAN 69

8

The evolution of the Malaysian feminist aesthetic attests to the enduring spirit of the

many individual artists’ talents that have expanded from an ardent humanism, which in

the context of Malaysian art history may be defined through its own genius - one that has

remained ever vigilant, exuberant and undefiled. As this creativity evolved in the context

of all the affirmations of the Malaysian experience, the forces of socialization created

the determination in Malaysian women art practitioners to address issues of humanity,

dignity, identity and at times even equality. In this historical sense, women artists may be

understood to have digested the various experiences and aesthetic standards that are

uniquely Malaysian.

The origins of Malaysia’s art history are deeply embedded in its cultural history, which

itself has been richly embellished by external oriental influxes that pervaded throughout

much of South East Asia as well as the later colonization by western powers. By all

historical accounts, the close connections that concerned the relationship between

merchant and artisan appear to have been male dominated. Though history celebrates

“feminine reason and beauty” the notion of gender in the older forms of public life was

built around the opposition between a public sphere of male activity and a private and

female domestic realm, there is no doubt that powerful and learned women did exist, for

despite the liabilities of feudalism, not all women were deprived of economic status and

power. For example, within the Minangkabau tradition of Negeri Sembilan the culture

is matrilineal with property and land passing from mother to daughter. Islam is deeply

rooted within the culture and though religious matters have been the province of men,

strong affirmations continue to exist between Minangkabau law and Shariah law, which to

outsiders are often perceived to marginalize women.

The characterization of the female aesthetic was principally determined as an extension

of their domestic role. The contemporary practice of distinguishing between the origins

of fine art and crafts can be traced back to the reclassification of painting, sculpture and

architecture -disciplines that generally excluded women. Our knowledge of the daily

lives and customs of women in the early history is shadowed though we do know that

their roles were organized around work. Traditionally in Malay communities, pottery

Perkembangan estetik feminis Malaysia menjadi bukti semangat kekal bakat pelbagai

pelukis yang telah berkembang daripada humanisme yang kuat, yang dalam konteks

sejarah seni Malaysia boleh didefinisikan melalui bakat luar biasa sendiri – yang sentiasa

berjaga-jaga, masih penuh semangat dan tidak tercemar. Sewaktu kreativiti tersebut

berkembang dalam konteks kesemua pengakuan pengalaman Malaysia, kuasa-kuasa

sosialisasi melahirkan azam di kalangan pengamal seni wanita Malaysia untuk

menumpukan perhatian kepada isu-isu kemanusiaan, maruah, identiti malah kekadang

juga kesaksamaan. Dari segi sejarah, pelukis wanita boleh dikatakan telah mencernakan

pelbagai pengalaman dan standard estetik yang unik di Malaysia.

Asal-usul sejarah seni Malaysia terbenam dalam sejarah kebudayaannya, yang sendiri telah

dihiasi dengan kemasukan Timur yang merebak melalui kebanyakan Asia Tenggara di

samping penjajahan oleh kuasa-kuasa barat. Menurut semua kisah sejarah, hubungan rapat

antara saudagar dan artisan kelihatan seperti dikuasai lelaki. Walaupun sejarah meraikan

“kemunasabahan dan kecantikan wanita”, tanggapan gender dalam bentuk lama

kehidupan awam dibina di atas tentangan antara bidang awam aktiviti lelaki dan bidang

peribadi wanita di rumah. Walau bagaimanapun, wanita yang berkuasa dan

berpengetahuan sudah tentu wujud, kerana meskipun dimudaratkan feudalisme, terdapat

juga wanita yang menikmati kedudukan yang tinggi dalam ekonomi serta kuasa. Misalnya,

dalam tradisi Minangkabau di Negeri Sembilan budaya adalah nasab ibu dengan harta dan

tanah diwarisi dari ibu ke anak perempuan. Islam berakar umbi dalam budaya tersebut dan

meskipun perkara keagamaan menjadi bidang kuasa lelaki, hubungan kuat masih wujud di

antara undang-undang Minangkabau dan undang-undang Syariah, yang kerap dianggap

orang luar sebagai meminggirkan wanita.

Penyifatan estetik wanita ditentukan terutamanya sebagai lanjutan daripada peranan di

rumah. Amalan kontemporari yang membezakan antara asal seni halus dan kraftangan

boleh dikesan berpunca daripada klasifikasi semula catan, arca dan seni bina – kesemuanya

bidang yang secara umumnya tidak melibatkan wanita. Pengetahuan kita tentang

kehidupan harian serta adat wanita pada awal persejarahan kabur meskipun kita

mengetahui bahawa peranan mereka dirancang sekeliling kerja. Biasanya di kalangan

FEMINIST REPRESENTATIONSBy Shireen Naziree

REPRESENTASI FEMINISoleh Shireen Naziree

9

was typically a woman’s work, which she would do once her chores were over, or

perhaps when harvesting was completed and the rice fields not yet ready for ploughing

(Encyclopedia of Malaysia - Crafts and the Visual Arts, p.20). In the Malay Archipelago, the

basket weaving, mat plaiting people, primarily women, worked fibres mainly for domestic

consumption: selling only surplus production to itinerant traders. Explorers, adventurers

and colonialists of the past 200 years seldom mention the homely art in their writings.

(Ibid, p. 41). The Malaysian aesthetic is rich in its textile traditions, which have been

richly embellished with influences from China, India and the Middle East. The traditional

art of tekat - gold and silver thread embroidery, originally associated with the royal

courts - continues to be associated with Malay women with distinct designs and motives

identifying their state of origin. Typically feminine, the ornamentation of these crafts

reflected the prodigies of the grace and freshness of floral motifs sometimes incorporated

with Islamic geometric patterns.

The association between nature and artifice in its relationship to human nature is best

profiled through the woven traditions of the Iban women of Sarawak, whereby the

demand that women restrict their craft activities to what was perceived as naturally

feminine may be debated.

An achievement-oriented society, all Ibans have had opportunities to distinguish

themselves, men through acts of bravery, women through weaving. (Margaret Linggi,

Ties that Bind- Iban Ikat Weaving, p. 2). For women, the means to acquire status was to

excel in the weaving of textiles. A weaver’s stages of development were seen as parallel

to those of a headhunter. If not in practice, then at least ideally, a woman was expected

to weave a Pua and a man was expected to take a head before marriage. The creation of

new patterns (tengkebang) brought special prestige, as did the knowledge of dyeing with

morinda. (Traude Gavin, The Women’s Warpath - Iban Ritual Fabrics From Borneo, p. 27).

This textile tradition, characterized by highly stylized motifs, delicate lines and differing

patterns is today recognized as an art form with much appreciation for the rituals and

spiritual assistance that preceded the actual physical execution of the weaving of a Pua.

These profound and symbolic artistic statements of the Iban women’s weaving tradition

present an example of an early shifting trend in their artistic understanding, the

importance of which related to women’s status in traditional society.

The development of capitalism and the emergence of the modern state in the early

twentieth century transformed economic and social relationships within then British

Malaya. The influx of migrant Chinese into the Malay Peninsula opened new possibilities

masyarakat Melayu, membuat tembikar merupakan kerja lazim wanita yang dibuat setelah

kerja lain siap, ataupun selepas penuaian sementara sawah belum boleh dibajak lagi

(Encyclopedia of Malaysia – Crafts and the Visual Arts, ms. 20). Di Kepulauan Melayu,

penganyam raga dan tikar, kebanyakannya wanita, membentuk gentian terutamanya untuk

penggunaan sendiri, dan hanya menjual keluaran yang lebih kepada saudagar yang lalu ke

situ. Penjelajah, petualang dan penjajah selama dua ratus tahun yang lampau jarang

menyebut kraf rumah dalam tulisan mereka (ibid, ms. 41). Estetik Malaysia kaya dengan

tradisi kain yang diperkayakan oleh pengaruh dari negara Cina, India dan Timur Tengah.

Seni tradisional tekat – sulaman dengan benang emas dan perak, yang pada asalnya

dikaitkan dengan istana – masih dikaitkan dengan wanita Melayu, dengan corak dan motif

khusus berdasarkan negeri asalnya. Tipikal bagi wanita, hiasan pada kraf tersebut

mencerminkan kehalusan dan kesegaran corak bunga yang kekadang digabungkan dengan

corak geometri Islam.

Hubungan antara alam semula jadi dan kemahiran dalam kaitannya dengan sifat manusia

digambarkan secara paling berkesan melalui tradisi tenunan wanita Iban di Sarawak, di

mana desakan bagi wanita untuk mengehadkan aktiviti kraf kepada apa yang dianggap

sebagai sesuai untuk wanita boleh dipertikaikan. Sebagai sebuah masyarakat yang

tertumpu kepada pencapaian, semua orang Iban mendapat peluang untuk mendapat

nama, lelaki melalui kegiatan berani, dan wanita melalui tenunan (Margaret Linggi, Ties

that Bind- Iban Ikat Weaving, ms. 2). Bagi wanita, cara mendapat kedudukan ialah dengan

menjadi cemerlang dalam tenunan tekstil. Fasa perkembangan seorang penenun sejajar

seorang pemburu kepala. Walaupun bukan amalan tetapi secara ideal, seorang wanita

dijangka menenun sebidang Pua dan seorang lelaki dijangka memancungkan satu kepala

sebelum boleh berkahwin. Ciptaan corak baru (tengkebang) membawa prestij, seperti juga

pengetahuan mewarna dengan morinda (Traude Gavin, The Women’s Warpath – Iban

Ritual Fabrics From Borneo, ms. 27). Tradisi tekstil ini, yang dicirikan oleh motif-motif yang

sangat digayakan, garis-garis halus dan corak-corak berlainan, kini diikhtirafkan sebagai

bentuk seni dengan apresiasi terhadap upacara dan bantuan rohaniah yang mendahului

pelaksanaan fizikal penenunan Pua. Penyataan-penyataan seni tradisi tenunan wanita Iban

yang dalam serta simbolik memberi contoh peralihan awal pemahaman seni, yang penting

kerana berkaitan dengan kedudukan wanita dalam masyarakat tradisional.

Perkembangan kapitalisme dan kemunculan kerajaan moden pada awal abad 20

mengubah hubungan-hubungan sosial dan ekonomi di Malaya jajahan British. Kemasukan

pendatang Cina ke Semenanjung membuka peluang baru untuk peniaga Cina yang kaya

10

yang mencari perlindungan dari tentera Jepun yang mencerobohi Empayar Cina pada akhir

1930-an. Di sinilah terletak asal kapitalisme moden serta pendefinisian semula seni catan

dan arca. Dan di sini juga suatu perspektif seni baru dan penting mula berkembang –

penubuhan Akademi Seni Nanyang di Singapura pada tahun 1938. Ketidakstabilan politik

dan kesukaran sepanjang tahun-tahun huru-hara di Cina menjadi lebih buruk lagi di

bawah pemerintahan komunis Mao Tse Tung. Ia menandakan penghijrahan baru ke

daerah ini, terutamanya cendekiawan dan pelukis yang kemudian berkait rapat dengan

Akademi Nanyang dan apa yang kemudian dikenali sebagai Gerakan Nanyang, yang

mendukung ekspresi-ekspresi tempatan di dalam pergabungan gaya seni Timur dan Barat.

Georgette Chen (1907-1993) merupakan salah seorang pelukis émigré tersebut. Dilahirkan

di Perancis, Georgette Chen Liying belajar catan barat di Paris, New York dan Shanghai, dan

tiba di Singapura pada tahun 1953 untuk mengajar di Akademi Nanyang – kerjaya yang

akan menjangkau selama 27 tahun. Akademi menjadi tempat perkembangan seni yang

paling menguja di Malaya pada tahun-tahun selepas perang (Pameran Retrospektif Pelukis

-Pelukis Nanyang, ms. 26). Dianggap sebagai salah seorang pelukis perintis unggul, seni

beliau amat dipengaruhi oleh pengalaman-pengalamannya di Perancis, Cina dan Asia

Tenggara.

Sebagai seorang pelukis Impresionis, kemahiran beliau melahirkan perasaan melalui

pelbagai catan yang termasuk pemandangan, lukisan alam benda dan potret yang sensitif

menggambarkan bukan sahaja kualiti kewanitaannya tetapi juga penglibatannya yang gigih

dengan persekitaran sosial. Pendekatan Nanyang dalam lukisan alam benda yang

menggabungkan pengaruh Cina dan Barat jelas kelihatan dalam karya Georgette Chen

yang berjudul Nasturtiums (1947). Pengolahan ruang yang papar dan lembut berasal dari

catan Cina sementara warna-warna terang dan garis luar yang kuat menunjukkan

pengaruh pasca-impresionis. Rumah Panjang (Longhouse, 1959) oleh Lai Foong Moi juga

mengandungi pengolahan linear yang berasal dari gaya catan Timur Jauh dan teknik-teknik

lukisan serta warna yang dipengaruhi oleh pasca-impresionisme (Redza Piyadasa, Tradition

and Change, Modern Malaysian Art, ms. 60). Kemahirannya menggabungkan kepekaan

catan Cina dan pengolahan gaya pasca-impresionisme juga banyak dipengaruhi oleh latar

belakang akademiknya. Dilahirkan di Seremban, Lai Foong Moi (1931-1995) merupakan

pelajar Akademi Nanyang dari 1950 hingga 1953 apabila beliau dianugerahkan biasiswa

kerajaan Perancis untuk belajar di Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts di Paris.

Pertama kali bagi seorang warganegara Malaysia, beliau begitu cemerlang dan memenangi

pelbagai anugerah semasa belajar di Paris. Sekembalinya beliau, seperti juga Georgette

Georgette ChenIKAN KERING

Cat minyak atas kanvas74 x 62.5cm

1940

Lai Foong Moi PEKERJA-PEKERJA SUN SUI

Cat Minyak 90 x 60 cm

1967

for the affluent Chinese merchants who particularly sought refuge

from the invading Japanese armies into Imperial China during the late

1930s. It is here that the origins of modern capitalism as well as the

redefinition of the liberal arts of painting and sculpture lie. And it is

here that a new and important artistic perspective developed - the

establishment of the Nanyang Academy of Arts in Singapore in 1938.

The political instability and the extreme hardship that resulted from

China’s ensuing tumultuous years escalated under the communist

rule of Mao Tse Tung. It signaled a new migration into the region,

particularly of intellectuals and artists who would become closely

associated with the Nanyang Academy and what would ultimately

become known as the Nanyang Movement that espoused expressions

of local flavours in a fusion of Eastern and Western art styles.

Amongst this group of émigré artists was Georgette Chen (1907 -

1993). Born in France, Georgette Chen Liying studied western painting

in Paris, New York and Shanghai, arriving in Singapore in 1953 to teach

at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts - a career that would span over

the next 27 years. The academy provided a venue for some of the

most exciting artistic developments to be witnessed in British Malaya

in the post war years (Pameran Retrospektif Pelukis -Pelukis Nanyang, p.

26). Regarded as one of the most distinguished of our “pioneer” artists,

her art was greatly influenced by her experiences in France, China and

South East Asia.

As an Impressionist painter, her ability to express herself through a vast

portfolio of paintings that included landscape, still life and sensitive

portrait paintings portrayed not only her feminine qualities but also

her keen involvement with her social environment. The Nanyang

approach to still life fusing Chinese and Western influences is evident

in Georgette Chen’s Nasturtiums (1947). The flattened and airy spatial

treatment is derived from Chinese painting whereas the bold colours

and strong outlines are indicative of post-impressionist influences. Lai

Foong Moi’s Longhouse (1959) also incorporates linearisms derived

from Far Eastern painting and the painterly techniques and colours of

post-impressionist influences. (Redza Piyadasa, Tradition and Change,

11

Modern Malaysian Art, p. 60). Her ability to infuse the sensibilities of Chinese painting

with the stylistic treatment of post-impressionism was also largely influenced by her

academic background.

Born in Seremban, Lai Foong Moi (1931-1995) was a student at the Nanyang Academy

from 1950 until 1953 when she was awarded a French Government scholarship to study at

the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. A first for a Malaysian, she excelled

with numerous awards while a student in Paris. Upon her return she, like Georgette Chen

and many of their male counterparts, started a teaching career at the academy while

actively continuing her role as a painter.

Malaysian art history’s conception of the post-war years preceding Malaysia’s

Independence in 1957 as a historically and culturally unique period, is largely based on

the achievements of men. The contributions by women artists to the visual culture do

not necessarily fit neatly into the activities of the art collectives such as the Wednesday

Art Group, the Penang Art Teachers’ Group and the APS (Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung),

which thrived in Kuala Lumpur and Penang alongside the efforts of the Nanyang

Academy in Singapore. Without exception, women members would have benefited

from the patronage that accompanied these organizations - though the work of Grace

Selvanayagam (1936) relates more directly to that of her male counterparts. Initially a

member of the Wednesday Art Group under the tutorage of Peter Harris and a qualified

art teacher, she was amongst the early generation of Malaysians to study at a British art

college as a Federal Government scholar. After graduating in Textile design from the

Manchester College of Art in 1964, she continued at the Royal College of Art.

Adapting batik as a medium, she was very active in public arts programs during the 1960s,

participating in numerous exhibitions in Malaysia and abroad.

Following the establishment of the National Art Gallery in 1958 - a year after the nation’s

declaration of Independence, the Malaysian art scene of the 1960s became infused with

a vibrant cosmopolitan mood, largely as a result of artists returning from art schools

abroad. As expected many served as art lecturers in government institutions particularly

as art was by then formally introduced into the tertiary levels of education. By the 1970s

Malaysian contemporary art emerged to display distinct idioms based on the various

values that constituted the multi-ethnic tapestry of the country. The universal popularity

of American abstract expressionism with its emotive and gestural considerations drew

parallels within much of the spiritual values that were inherent in the oriental impulses.

Chen dan ramai rakan lelaki lain, memulakan kerjaya sebagai tenaga

pengajar di Akademi sambil aktif bergiat sebagai pelukis.

Tanggapan sejarah seni Malaysia tentang tahun-tahun antara perang

dan kemerdekaan pada tahun 1957 sebagai suatu era yang unik dari

segi sejarah dan budaya, lazimnya berdasarkan pencapaian lelaki.

Sumbangan pelukis wanita kepada budaya visual tidak begitu padan

dengan aktiviti-aktiviti kumpulan seni seperti Wednesday Art Group,

Penang Art Teachers’ Group dan APS (Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung)

yang aktif di Kuala Lumpur dan Pulau Pinang di samping usaha

Akademi Nanyang di Singapura. Semua pelukis wanita, tidak seorang

pun terkecuali, tentu akan mendapat manfaat dari naungan yang

mengiringi persatuan-persatuan itu – meskipun karya Grace

Selvanayagam (1936) berkait lebih rapat dengan karya pelukis lelaki.

Pada asalnya seorang ahli Wednesday Art Group di bawah naungan

Peter Harris dan seorang guru seni yang berkelayakan, beliau di antara

orang Malaysia terawal yang belajar di institusi seni di England sebagai

pemegang biasiswa Kerajaan Persekutuan. Selepas tamat pelajaran

dalam bidang Seni Reka Tekstil di Art College pada 1964, beliau

menyambung pelajaran di Royal College of Art. Menggunakan batik

sebagai bahan, beliau aktif dalam program seni awam pada tahun 1960-

an dan menyertai pelbagai pameran di Malaysia dan di luar negara.

Selepas penubuhan Balai Seni Lukis Negara pada tahun 1958 – setahun

selepas pengisytiharan kemerdekaan negara – pemandangan seni tahun

1960-an di Malaysia disemai dengan suasana kosmopolitan yang

bertenaga, kebanyakannya akibat kepulangan pelukis dari institusi seni

di luar negara. Seperti yang dijangka, ramai bertugas sebagai pensyarah

seni di institusi-institusi pendidikan tinggi. Menjelang tahun 1970-an

seni kontemporari Malaysia muncul dan menunjukkan idiom-idiom

jelas yang berdasarkan nilai-nilai yang membentuk warna-warni negara

yang berbilang bangsa. Kepopularan universal Ekspresionisme Abstrak

Amerika dengan pertimbangan emotif dan gerak isyaratnya

mempunyai persamaan dengan kebanyakan nilai rohaniah yang

terkandung dalam dorongan-dorongan timur.

Sharifah Fatimah Syed ZubirSURYA KENCANAAkrilik atas kanvas100 x 100cm2002

Nirmala ShanmughalinghamFRIENDS IN NEEDAkrilik dan kolaj atas kanvas121 x 121cm1986

15

For most artists in recent decades, the open-ended conception of meaning has been

galvanizing and productive in a general sense. As contemporary art is often obsessed

with the world beyond its boundaries - the challenging of traditional boundaries and

attitudes as well as the opening up of a more international awareness are indicative of the

enthusiasm with which ideals have been embraced by the new generation of Malaysian

women artists. It has led to an overwhelming proliferation of formal modes and the

sense that anything and everything is possible. In its dialogue with mainstream culture, in

discussions of the social and cultural responsibilities of art, its legitimacy is often defined

by the degree of its exchange with others than its own, rather than the qualities that might

make it different to experiences elsewhere.

Malaysia’s modern history and metaphor is filled with cultural journeys and geographical

places intertwined with a political realm of grand narratives of economic progress in

its contemporary psyche. At a time in global history when political activity is even

more focused on new forms of organization and the exaggerated attention paid to the

politics of culture, art has in strikingly inverted terms become a very vocal vehicle for the

communication of such content. And certainly the art that emerged in the 1960s made

a profound impact on the future of visual arts in Malaysia, and has now been further

revolutionized by a new mass consumerism that was previously unknown and more subtly,

the displacement of one form of image-making by another. The agents of change have also

allowed for more choices of methods and the range of choices are constantly widening.

Art now, like then, presents ways of debating social, economic and political issues: subjects

that are at the forefront of contemporary Malaysian society and in particular touch the

various roles of women. Considering Malaysian women’s involvement and contribution

to the development and growth of the nation, it is therefore certainly no accident that

some of the strongest voices that have emerged in contemporary art are from women. The

interrelationship between the traditional and the contemporary has encouraged a wide

variety of social and cultural disciplines to be crossed, questioned and fused, allowing for a

greater cultural diversity to exist and be nurtured. Thus the package of practice and context

needs to be reviewed in aesthetic totality whereby the physical artwork takes its place

Bagi kebanyakan pelukis dalam dekad-dekad belakangan ini, konsepsi makna terbuka telah

merangsangkan mereka secara umum. Sementara seni sezaman biasanya terlalu memikirkan

dunia di luar batasnya, pencabaran batas dan sikap tradisional serta pembukaan kesedaran

yang lebih antarabangsa menandakan betapa ghairahnya generasi baru pelukis wanita

Malaysia telah mendukung prinsip. Ia telah mengakibatkan pertumbuhan pesat gaya formal

serta perasaan bahawa semua dan apa sahaja boleh. Dalam dialog dengan budaya aliran

utama, dalam perbincangan tentang tanggungjawab sosial dan kebudayaan seni,

kewajarannya lazimnya didefinisikan oleh tahap pertukaran dengan yang lain, dan bukan

oleh sifat-sifat yang mungkin membuatnya berbeza mengikut pengalaman masing-masing.

Sejarah moden dan metafora Malaysia penuh dengan perjalanan kebudayaan dan tempat

geografi berjalin dengan alam politik yang merangkumi naratif-naratif hebat tentang

kemajuan ekonomi di dalam jiwa kontemporari. Pada saat dalam sejarah sejagat aktiviti

politik lebih menumpu perhatian kepada bentuk-bentuk penyusunan baru serta tumpuan

yang berlebih-lebihan terhadap politik budaya, seni telah sebaliknya menjadi alat untuk

bersuara lantang tentang penyampaian kandungan tersebut. Dan sememangnya seni yang

muncul pada tahun 1960-an telah meninggalkan kesan yang mendalam ke atas masa depan

seni visual di Malaysia, dan kini telah direvolusikan lagi oleh konsumerisme massa baru yang

sebelum ini tidak pernah dikenali dan secara kurang ketara, penggantian bentuk

pembikinan imej. Faktor-faktor perubahan juga telah mengambil kira lebih banyak pilihan

kaedah dan kepelbagaian pilihan sentiasa semakin meluas.

Seni kini, seperti dahulu, mengemukakan cara memperdebatkan isu-isu sosial, ekonomi dan

politik: beberapa subjek yang berada di barisan hadapan masyarakat Malaysia kontemporari

dan terutamanya menyentuh peranan wanita. Memandangkan penglibatan dan sumbangan

wanita Malaysia terhadap perkembangan negara, tidak memeranjatkan kalau sesetengah

suara paling lantang yang muncul dalam seni sezaman merupakan suara wanita.

Perhubungan antara yang tradisional dan yang kontemporari telah mendorong pelbagai

bidang sosial dan kebudayaan dikacukkan, dipersoalkan dan digabungkan, yang

membolehkan kepelbagaian budaya yang lebih banyak lagi wujud dan dipupuk. Justeru itu,

gabungan amalan dan konteks perlu dikaji semula dalam seluruh estetiknya, di mana karya

OUT OF THE MOULD: THE AGE OF REASON.By Shireen Naziree

OUT OF THE MOULD: THE AGE OF REASON.Oleh Shireen Naziree

25

AZLIZA BINTI AYOB

BIBI CHEW CHON BEE

HAYATI MOKHTAR

NADIAH BAMADHAJ

NUR HANIM BT MOHAMED KHAIRUDDIN

SHARMIZA BT ABU HASSAN

SHIA YIH YIING

UMIBAIZURAH MAHIR @ ISMAIL

YAU BEE LING

YEE I-LANN

30

The main objective is to utilize local materials and methods to convey the philosophical concerns related to the issues of identity within the Malaysian context, preserving and transforming ordinary things into something extra-ordinary, in order to appreciate things that we might have taken for granted or neglected.

WHAT ARE WE MADE OF?

Tujuan-tujuan utama ialah menggunakan bahan dan kaedah tempatan untuk menyatakan isu-isu falsafah yang berkaitan dengan soal-soal identiti dalam konteks Malaysia, memelihara dan mengubah bahan biasa menjadi luar biasa, menghargai sesuatu yang mungkin tidak dihargai atau diabai.

KITA DIPERBUAT DARI APA?

HOMEMADE • Mixed media • Site-specific Installation • 2007BUATAN SENDIRI • Media campuran • Instalasi tapak spesifik • 2007

BIBI CHEW CHON BEE

31

32

The death of a matriarch, the need to distribute the estate and the threat of a road-building scheme have together precipitated the sale of a family home. This work documents the clearance and closure of “Penawar”.

We enter an old house, set in a degraded compound. Moving from room to room, we gather more and more evidence of its past. But - just as we do - voices are heard, figures enter the frame, and we sense the imminent dismantling of that very history. We are witnessing not only the end of a life, but also the dissolution of a world.

Kematian seorang wanita tua, keperluan membahagi hartanya dan ancaman rancangan membina jalan raya sekaligus telah mempercepatkan penjualan rumah pusaka. Karya ini mendokumenkan pemugaran dan penutupan “Penawar”.

Kita memasuki sebuah rumah lama, yang berdiri di sebuah kawasan yang terbiar. Sambil bergerak dari bilik ke bilik, kita dapat mengumpulkan semakin banyak tanda masa lampaunya. Akan tetapi, -sebaik sahaja kita menemui bukti-bukti itu- suara-suara kedengaran, orang memasuki gambar, dan kita merasakan bahawa sejarah tersebut akan dihapuskan tidak lama lagi. Kita menyaksikan bukan sahaja penghujung sebuah kehidupan, tetapi juga kemusnahan sebuah dunia.

PENAWAR • 2-channel video projection (HDV) with mixed-media installation • Variable • 2007PENAWAR • Gambaran video 2-saluran (HDV) instalasi campuran • Variable • 2007

Acknowledgement/Penghargaan: Tan Sri C.M. Hashim Scholarship Fund, MacAsia Sdn.Bhd., Panasonic Malaysia Sdn.Bhd., Cinerent Sdn.Bhd, Linus Chung, Effendee Mazlan, Ahmad Imran Sulong, Azlan Abdul Hamid, Mohd. Zaimi Omar, Indira, Yenty Desita Aristun Shah, Mr. Lee and Do Shin Norimono Freight Enterprise, Shahrul Esham, Hafidz Kamarulzaman, Adam Sofian, C.Y Lim, Calvin Loo, Dato’ Murad and Datin Kay Hashim, Puan Hajjah Zaharah Hashim and James Gardner.

HAYATI MOKHTAR

33

34

35

44

The simplicity of the language of fairy tales, with inventive layering and masking of the truth behind the surface, is a romantic strategy to deconstruct and rewrite a common history. I took these ideas, trying to make them workable for myself and the time I live in.

Sifat mudah bahasa cerita dongeng, dengan pelbagai lapisan berdaya cipta dan penyembunyian kebenaran di sebalik permukaan, merupakan strategi romantis untuk menyahbina (deconstruct) sejarah dan menulisnya semula. Saya mengambil idea-idea itu dan cuba untuk menyesuaikannya untuk diri sendiri dan zaman saya.

1. ONCE UPON A TIME • Oil on canvas • 122 x 122 x 5cm, 250 x 200cm • 2007 PADA SUATU HARI • Cat minyak atas kanvas • 122 x 122 x 5cm, 250 x 200cm • 2007

2. SLEEPING BEAUTIES’ INNOCENT DRAGON AND PRINCE CHARMING’S WEDDING CAKE • Oil on canvas • 139 x 101cm (2pc) • 2007 SLEEPING BEAUTIES’ INNOCENT DRAGON AND PRINCE CHARMING’S WEDDING CAKE • Cat minyak atas kanvas • 122 x 122 x 5cm, 250 x 200cm • 2007

3. FAIRY GODMOTHER, SNOW WHITE, TWO SLEEPING BEAUTIES, AND TWO MERMAIDS • Oil on canvas • 137 x 101cm (4pc), 139 x 101cm (2pc) • 2007 FAIRY GODMOTHER, SNOW WHITE, TWO SLEEPING BEAUTIES, AND TWO MERMAIDS • Cat minyak atas kanvas • 137 x 101cm (4 buah), 139 x 101cm (2 buah) • 2007

SHIA YIH YIING

45

1

47

2

69

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

70

71

DATO’ P.G. LIM

BALAI SENI LUKIS NEGARA, MALAYSIA

MALMö KONSTMUSEUM, SWEDEN

TAN SRI C.M. HASHIM SCHOLARSHIP FUND

ANA P. LABRADOR

GUSTI

The Artists in this exhibition and all the women artists who have contributed to the development of the Malaysian art movement

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSPENGHARGAAN

72

GALERI PETRONAS was established in 1993 by PETRONAS, Malaysia’s national oil company, to support the development of arts in Malaysia, by providing a versatile, world-class art gallery for Malaysian and foreign artists to display their works. Nestled between the PETRONAS Twin Towers in Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur’s premier shopping destination, GALERI PETRONAS has received thousands of visitors since its opening to the public. With numerous local and international exhibitions, GALERI PETRONAS aims to make art accessible, enjoyable and engaging to the public and will continue to enthral audiences with exciting exhibitions and public programmes.

GALERI PETRONAS Level 3, Suria KLCC, 50088 Kuala Lumpur Tel : +603 2051 7770 Fax : +603 2051 2895Open Tuesdays – Sundays (10 am to 8 pm); Closed Mondays

www.galeripetronas.com.my

GALERI PETRONAS telah ditubuhkan pada tahun 1993 oleh syarikat minyak negara, PETRONAS, untuk menyokong perkembangan gerakan seni Malaysia dengan menyediakan ruang pameran seni yang serba guna dan bertaraf dunia untuk para seniman Malaysia dan antarabangsa mempamerkan karya-karya seni mereka. Terletak di Suria KLCC, Menara Berkembar PETRONAS, destinasi membeli-belah yang ternama di Kuala Lumpur, GALERI PETRONAS telah dikunjungi beratus ribu pelawat sejak ia dibuka kepada umum. GALERI PETRONAS telah menganjurkan pelbagai pameran kesenian dari Malaysia dan juga luar negara. Hasrat GALERI PETRONAS ialah untuk menjadikan seni sesuatu yang mudah didekati, menyeronokkan dan memikat hati segenap lapisan masyarakat dengan menyediakan pameran-pameran dan program-program awam yang menarik secara berterusan.

GALERI PETRONAS Aras 3, Suria KLCC, 50088 Kuala Lumpur Tel : +603 2051 7770 Fax : +603 2051 2895Dibuka Selasa – Ahad (10 pg - 8 mlm); Ditutup setiap Isnin

www.galeripetronas.com.my