'The world will ask you who you are, and if you do not know, the world will tell you.' - Carl Jung The Scorched Earth Series was an experiment in 2020 (Covid time) to utilise mediums and materials which were found locally or within my environment. To find meaning from the materials and to form an expression. In the search for meaning, I have had to look within (sometimes at uncomfortable things). There was no holding back, fearing, and no use fighting with the materials. It served one purpose : to bring forth and to reveal what was buried beneath the work. To put things into order from chaos. The essence of transcendence and transmutation is chiefly about this process. A painting or a work is never finished, it is interrupted. We cannot foretell the future - Only alter our memories of the past to fit our narratives. To learn from the past, to sort and shift - is what the work was about. There is time, and there are the times where we do work. Work doesn't happen on its own. I spent about 6 months making these (there are a few more, stored away). These were made in times of solitude, distress even, but there were always realizations and insights. And then one day, the works were done. I was done. I couldn't add nor remove anything from the works. 'Untitled', 60x60 inches, Mixed media on panel, 2020 'Illuvium I', 24x24 inches, Mixed media on panel, 2020 In a way, they exist in this space as a culmination of the materials they are composed of. They are byproducts of time and space. A becoming of something independent. Something which beckons to be seen, felt, experienced. Why do these things exist? There is no logical answer to that. We can try to decipher it - But it is quite impossible. And we live with that knowledge and limitation as best as we can. In the works, I'm not seeking representations. There's a premise of design : What feels right. What feels wrong. There exists beauty in design, but there's always an undertone of destruction and chaos. The work goes beyond paintings. Layer upon layer was built up. And removed. There's an aura to these works. A spirit and aesthetic; like an old musty book. There's something there which you can't put a finger on. It's this, but it's also something else. The leaves were randomly placed. Just chucked on. It's an organic method of working. Nature is chaotic and we create order from it. I intended the work to be serendipitous. On a walk to buy dinner one day, I may find some twigs on the floor. On another trip out, I may see a bunch of leaves but I don't collect it. So it's through trusting this intuition that the materials came to be on the canvas. The works naturally happened through curation. 'The Sun, The Moon and The Stars of Our Interior Lives', 60x120 inches, Mixed Media on canvas, 2020 The work comes from a place of connection and communication with the creative spirit. Just being in a flow state. There were no concepts, no one telling me outright what or what not to do. Curation is about the need to file things. To sort things. To rearrange the context of things. To put order to things is what creation is about. The works are also about death and impermanence. It's about letting go. It's about remembering the value, emotion and feelings of those that have passed. Something new breaks through the cracks when I destroy a work or a painting. There is a sense of adventure. It's bravado. It's about questioning the status quo. It's about reaching further. Of diving into the unknown. Of tapping into the cosmos; The great provider. Life lends itself to more life. It's about giving fear the middle finger - saying You there! You are bullshit. I'm not afraid of you. 'Scorched Earth', 36x36 inches, Mixed Media on panel, 2020. Sold 'Heart Of The Matter', 24x24 inches, Mixed Media on panel, 2020 The work is about time. A moment, a space and place which I exist and am tethered in. The series is a recording of that. It's about dreams, fears, ruminations. Of checks and balances.
Dried leaves and cement talks about decay and destruction. It talks about our time on earth and how and what we are doing to impose or improve on that. With the materials, I wanted to transmute things. To turn things into other things. It's up to the viewer to define what exactly it is we're talking about. And that's life isn't it? How we all look at things from the past and how we construct narratives from them to fit our frameworks. It's how we reform memories and events in order for it to suit us. So we can move forward. In making sense of things. Without this capacity, we'd be annihilated. We learn, and we get better. There is a sense of history in the work. Things are difficult, before they are easy.
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'There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen.' - Rumi The new oil on aluminium works seek to combine 2 distinct styles that I've been working on for the past 6 years or so. They are : (1) The cityscape paintings and the (2) Oil on aluminium abstract experiments (namely, the Surface Tension, Terra Firma and Particle Series of works). I've always wanted to paint cityscapes on aluminium composite panels. What a challenge! Thankfully, 2023 (after many murals - which are great experiences) brings this intrinsic calling to realization. In making the works (there are others, which I will slowly parcel out on the socials) I am inured by errors in judgement, limitations and insight which make the work all the more human. The works are failable, immersive, raw and immediate. There's a sense of urgency - the piece almost falls apart. But it doesn't. It's not there yet, and at the same time it has arrived. A delicate balance. A quiet strength. One can very quickly go from - This is okay (not bad) to complete destruction. Aluminiums are very unforgiving surfaces, repelling paint and reacting in quite unconventional ways. We've definitely got a risky thing going on here. 'Elixir' (Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, KL), 48x48 inches, Oil on aluminium, 2023. Sold 'Untitled ACP04-2023', 48x48 inches, Oil on aluminium, 2023 This monologue only happens to the best of us. When we are at the precipice of understanding everything, yet oddly in unfamiliar territory. We still don't know what exactly it is that we're searching for. It's a place where experience meets wonder. Where realism dances with abstraction. Where strength meets pliability.
It's where structure meets chaos - beckoning more questions. It's disruptive. A shifting of perspectives. A new way of looking at things. These are concepts. Brought into the world through a desire to form, build, create, cajole, ossify. It is the calling that needed to be heard. It's difficult for me as an artist to leave the marks that were laid down - alone. Because it's final. It cuts off all other possibilities. But it has to be done. It's about instilling discipline into the process. It's about trusting that I have done my best. That we've reached the end. But of course, that never happens intrinsically. 'The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.' - Marcus Aurelius Somewhere behind Central Market leading up to Dayabumi. Shot in 2018 I grew up in a relatively small section of Petaling Jaya in the late 70's and 80's. Back then, there wasn't much in the way of highways or tall buildings. My first experiences with skyscrapers was the IBM Tower in TTDI, and while visiting relatives in Pekeliling Flats in KL, during my youth. My dad was always working to earn a living for the family, my mom, a housewife. In my teenage years I was able to experience personally, the large, immense city that we call Kuala Lumpur. It was then that I began clubbing, dancing, partying and gallivanting the streets and clubs at night till the wee hours of the morning. In the daytime, street, rap and skate culture led me to places like Lot 10 and Sungei Wang in Bukit Bintang. This was in the mid 90's. I began to realize that metropolitan cities like this were found everywhere else in the world. They provide a function of industrialisation; they are working and living spaces for millions of people. People travel and relocate to large cities, primarily for work. To earn better livelihoods and to make worthwhile, an education that was paid for by sweat and tears by parents, families and student loans. A better quality of life. That's the main idea is, isn't it? Cities nourish and prop up the capitalist ideal : to provide spaces that house the best variety in entertainment, finance, food and beverages, hotels, nightlife, stores, movie theatres, grocers and a multitude ways to spend your hard earned cash that would never exist in a kampung. So why do millions of people that live, commute and work in the city feel lonely and alienated? Why do they feel depressed? A disconnection happens when an individual is cut off from his/her family. Humans are social creatures. This is evident in our shared communal history. Essentially, we are all just very advanced animals / mammals that can wilfully create and believe in fictional, abstract ideas. Isn't the idea of money, law, countries and borders, entertainment, trends, social media - merely products of our imaginations? Aren't our combined and shared beliefs, the wellspring that make these things real and tangible? It exists in our minds. It resides there, conscripted to us from infancy. Why are people disconnected and lonely in big cities? Its been demonstrated that the ideologies of capitalism do not benefit our natural state of being. Cities are antithetical to the social animals that we are. When we hit crises in our lives, who do we turn to for support? Our families and friends - Echoing what The Beatles wrote in '67 : 'We get by with a little help from our friends'. I walk around the streets of Kuala Lumpur and I see elderly shopkeepers holding the fort in their businesses. Flower shops, mini markets and grocers, foodstall hawkers etc. - They have been living and working the city almost all their lives. They've been doing the same thing for 20, at times, 30-40 years. Exuberant as they may be, they are ruthless too. They don't take shit from anyone. It's a cutthroat world out there. And there's no time to dawdle. The natural instinct to survive and thrive in the city amazes me. I find this trait and skill admirable, brutally honest and noble. KL is very much like any big city in the world. There's your KFC, McDonalds, Uniqlo, H&M, Fridays, Starbucks, Samsung, Apple store - being in one mega mall is like being in any other mall in the world. The juxtaposition lies in the remnants of the past, embedded in the city's architecture. Abandoned buildings and skyscrapers still tower among us, deserted and neglected. Back alleys co-exist in the dark. They are dingy, broken and remedied streets. Dark alleys await us in the nocturnal light, anticipating the possibility of a passerby. This macabre juncture between the new and the old fascinates me. As a visual artist and human being, it is unavoidable. It's all there for us to look at, like a bad traffic accident. Desolate places where people who fall in between the cracks of life, live, rest and find respite. The streets mimic life ensconced. The ghosts of present and past are laid bare for all to see. Being an artist, this fissure attracts my attention. Old tiles from the 60's, old stairways leading nowhere, rickety plumbing and haphazard electrical wiring - these are spirits of the past; planners and doers contributed to these contraptions. They are now debauched. Uncared for. Put aside and set asunder. Filed away for an unknown future. This is the real KL - the real city we live in. It's the soul of the megacity. It's what swallows us whole, if we let it. For a lot of city dwellers, these are truths of their lives. It humbles me to think about the squalid affairs of things. But let's get real. It is important. And it matters. A homeless man sitting by the roadside at Jalan Walter Grenier. Shot in 2018 Many do not have families to go back to at the end of the working day. They are separated from their kin. There is no other option, sad as it may be. We are a civilised culture, or so we think. Countless wars, revolutions, civil unrest has befallen us throughout history and will continue to do so. In the face of adversity ('Tirar Para Arriba', meaning 'to toss upwards' but most often translated as 'to overcome adversity') - people do what they can and will. There are great, beautiful things that happen on a daily / hourly basis which we will never see in a shopping mall. It is in the giving of food to the less fortunately and homeless (soup kitchens). It is in the giving of money or alms to the needy when they never ask for it. It is in the strength of a community that rallies around to help others in times of need and disaster (earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, fires, COVID). It is in the good samaritan who holds the door open for the elderly. Or in the act of holding the lift doors open for others to enter. It is in the generosity of companies and corporations that appropriate yearly funds and resources to feed, clothe, buy school bags and books, toys, playthings, soccer balls, dolls - for the orphans in the outskirts of the city (through CSR programmes) and it is in the sending of money back home to siblings, families, elderly parents, aunties and uncles and ailing families and communities. This is not heroic. These are not superhuman feats. They are basic values, a common decency and natural for us as human beings - as natural as the sun rises and sets. As natural as breathing. 'Rubicon', 48x48 inches, Oil on canvas, 2022 The new Cityscapes embody this story of humanity, hope, responsibility, love and resilience. Never forget your roots. We live on this pale blue dot and in a yellow submarine. For as much hurt and suffering we may inflict upon ourselves and others, we also have an enormous capacity to heal, to take care of, and to believe in the impossible. We can realize our dreams and desires if we want to, no matter who or where we may be. Care for others. Listen. Be still and accountable. Embrace your humanity.
'Ex Nihilo', 48x48 inches Oil on canvas, 2021 (Sold) Ex Nihilo is a latin phrase that means 'out of nothing' or 'from nothing'. This alludes to the concept of creation : That from nothing, something is crafted and created out of thin air. The monotone cityscape 'Ex Nihilo' pays homage to the powers of the imagination. In art and most other creative acts (music, writing, dance etc.) the composer always begins with a blank slate or a blank canvas. From nothing, the artists applies the first stroke of paint and as the work progresses, the infinite number of possible images that could be made, decreases. Until the work is complete. The work beckons to be made, just like the unknown beckons to be made known. It is this parable, that this work arises from. 'Azzure', 48x48 inches
Oil on canvas, 2021 (Sold) 'Azzure' is my take on the busy and prosperous Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL where ArtWeMe Contemporary Gallery is located. The facade of Pavilion KL is depicted in all it's glory on the right of the painting. Like the city, 'Azzure' is a hotpot of hard vs. soft edges, stark lines juxtapose softer washes of oil paint in turpentine. There is a sense of balance and harmony, like a wet and rainy evening, where the lights bleed down the road - Illuminating the vibrant street scene. In the distance, the horizon line is fixed in the center of the work, shows a conglomerate of lights, shapes, people & cars receding in the distance. 2 primary oil pigments were used throughout this minimal and guttural painting; Mars Black and Titanium White. 'Azzure' is a play on the word 'Azure', which means a very bright blue like a sunny sky, or sapphire. 'Usurp', 36x36 inches
Oil on canvas, 2021 (Sold, but available as a print) I've been painting Cityscapes over the course of 7 years. There has been a constant refining to the techniques, palette and narrative - seeking to unify all disciplines in my creative endeavours; from harmony to mood. Emotion to objectivity. Composition to performance. Style and design to relevance. In essence, the works are meant to capture the monumental buildings and towers that are rife in any busy metropolitan city across the world. They are a reminder that even in these overcrowded steel skylines, there is beauty and energy in everything. Most details are done away with in place of mood and the paintings are generally completed in a few sittings. The paintings are a way to extend the romantic appreciation of architecture. A nostalgic nod to the city, its space and the concept of decay. It’s not my intention to paint scenes with lots of details, but in a more reasonable way of painting the mood of the city and it’s nocturnal energy. 'Turpentine', 48x48 inches, Oil on aluminium, 2022 (Sold) As I make these works I can't help but think about light, particles and the way consciousness affects these things on a molecular and atomic level. The 'Double Slit Experiment' has shown us that light behaves and changes its nature from particles to waves - depending on whether we observe them or not. From recent global experiments with plants, it has also been observed that our frequencies, intent, sound waves and thoughts affect the behaviour of living things. That is to say, in my own personal practice; my consciousness affects the work. For example, the type of music I play in the studio : Influences my moods, which in turn, influences the work, and how the oil and mineral spirits - in the beginning - inert substances, wait patiently for an energy source, a murmur, which will determine its course in nature and the unfolding of its purpose. In life too we are inert beings. Awaiting a cause and mobility towards a reason, a purpose and upon a resolution, we return to a state of awaiting. A cycle that repeats and replenishes itself, fulfilling its optimum state of being. Like a dance, a performance. A dream. So the question is, why fight it? This state of flow and being. This thing called life. The work aims to realize and actuate these important states of being, as well as thought processes which exist in nature and in the observable universe. Allowing the materials to become as they wish. Consequences of letting go fully and accepting that what it needs to become, it will so be. For me as an artist, it is a difficult thing to do. I like to work on things. Constantly tinkering. Why is that so? The work aims to discuss this, to ponder this reaction in myself and in all of us. 'Supernova', 48x48 inches, Oil on aluminium, 2022 (Sold) I began making aluminium works at the end of 2019. Constantly evolving the work through experimentation, the results intrigued me. With ‘Particles’, I have let go of the need to have things opaque and allowed the mediums transparency to show through. I wanted to highlight the reflective quality of the aluminium panels, finding a balance between form and suggestion. Instead of working on the floor (like before), for this body of work I made all the works at waist height : 30 inches. At this elevation, I found more control over the striations and in the medium. The balance between momentum and deliberacy are the elements that define the work, yet this mathematical and scientific process (to me), also sums up life and its myriad of choices. As an artist and as a student in the university of life, I am passionate and curious about these topics. With knowledge and understanding, we are able to cultivate and curate our own existences. We have access to a lot of knowledge which isn't taught in schools or in higher learning establishments. The unseen laws and philosophies which have worked for a millennia is available to all who seek it and to test in their own lives through practice, training, faith and belief. For example, earths gravity is such, that an apple falls down instead of up. Consequently, trillions of bacteria and cells work in unison and in harmony to create the human body as we see it. We are the shells in which consciousness resides in.
It's those unseen, immovable yet crucial forces in the universe that informs my work. I hope you enjoy the works and what meaning(s) they bring to your psyche - That we are all moving parts in a larger framework. Surface Tension
A Solo Exhibition at G13 Gallery 6th - 20th March 2021 Artist Statement Surface Tension is a scientific term that is used to calculate the properties of the surface of a liquid that allows it to resist an external force. Without it, the world in which we live would be vastly different, and the works which you see would not be possible. For artist mediums too, surface tension is required to allow paint to adhere to surfaces. I set out to make these works on aluminium at the beginning of 2020. Developing the work through my experimentations with various mediums and surfaces, the results intrigued me. With these recent works, I have let go of the need to have things opaque and allowed the mediums’ transparency to show through. I wanted to highlight the reflective quality of the aluminium panels, finding a balance between form and suggestion. Instead of working on the floor like before, for this body of work, I made all the works at waist height, 29cm. At this elevation, I found myself more in control over the striations and in the medium’s transparency. The balance between force and momentum versus cohesion and deliberation are the elements that define the work, yet this mathematical process (to me), also sums up life and its myriad of choices. Psychologically, we are all inclined to decide based on our experiences and knowledge. That is why (for example) someone living in Germany in the 1930-40s vs. someone who lived at the same time in America - will make different relationship or socio-economic choices. Each person is as much of an amalgamation of his/her upbringing, and their genetic code. But with good habits, proper tools, and knowledge, one can process and/or act out patterns most beneficial to the individual and society at large. As an artist, as a thinking individual, and as a student at the University of Life, I am very passionate and curious about these topics. With knowledge and understanding, we can cultivate and curate our existence. It is imperative that we do it on our own accord and not be led by external forces (for example, the mainstream media). The choice is always in your hands. Nothing grows in the comfort zone. Knowing and accepting the dynamics of our lives allows us to take control of it. To be aware, and not to react without having a purpose. It’s the ease of gathering and accumulating data that has allowed humankind significant progress. We have access to a lot of knowledge - which isn’t taught in schools or higher learning establishments. The unseen laws and philosophies which have worked for a millennium are available to all who seek them and to test in their own lives through practice, training, faith, and belief. For example, the earth’s gravity is such that an apple falls instead of up. Trillions of bacteria and cells work in unison and in harmony to create the human body. We are the shells in which consciousness lives in. It’s those unseen, immovable yet crucial forces in the universe I ask and want you to consider. I hope you enjoy the works and what meaning(s) they bring to your psyche - that we are all moving parts in a larger framework. 'Mien', 60x60 inches. Mixed media on canvas, 2020 (Sold) Mien implies a certain characteristic, mood or disposition. It's a way of being, appearance or manner. This work was conceptualized as a black piece to compliment my other beige/white 50x50 called 'Mujo'. In a gallery setting, they go hand in hand like siblings.
Composed primarily of disparate materials with textures ranging from matte, gloss to reflective and absorptive; what you're looking at is a curated blend of packaging, pages from 1950's - 1960's photography and art books and some handpicked flyers from gallery shows of local artists. I know everything about these materials, where they come from, what they're made of and how they were produced. On a deeper level, the work also deals with information overload and the power we've all given to the advertising industry. I've been thinking about whether all this information is a natural occurrence, or whether it's all just a man made synthetic situation? The answer, I think, lies in what our perception and definition of the word 'natural' means. I think if you look deep down inside, you'll see that everything in this universe is in fact, a natural occurrence anyway. Whether we like the ads and marketing material, how it pops up in our phones and proliferates our laptops and what we can do about it - is another story. As usual, in the work - I'm trying to synergise and transmute whatever non-animated materials I come across daily into a newly-formed-thing while keeping a mechanical technique for the painting application. Of course, while there's always some creative-artistic endeavour at play, I always leave space in the works to be happily surprised at the result. I hope you enjoy the work as much as I did while making it. '100 Malaysians', 22x30 inches, Ink and watercolors on paper, 2019 (Sold) Ah, 62 years old. Happy 62nd, Malaysians! Yeah this sounds pretty old compared to a human's lifespan, but 62 is a pinprick in the grander perspective of civilisations (I personally know of a few human beings who are older than Malaysia). Founded in 1957 under British rule, independence was declared by a conglomerate of clans, races and parties united. It was an amazing time right? Just look at all those old photos of Malaya in the 1960's. Man, these people were having a great time. I was born when Malaysia was just 20 years old.
What have we achieved so far? Besides the most recent political and financial fiasco which led to demonstrations over the years (Malaysians always execute their rights to congregate and rally for what's just), there were no major wars, no natural disasters, no nuclear fallouts. Overall, we've had quite an unmarked history. Still, like most countries we are slaves to the monetary system and banks but in general, most people are just looking to live out their normal lives. Now for some accomplishments: A Malaysian invented the USB flash drive. We rejoice whenever one of our sports persons / teams or academians receive worldwide acclaim. We have several cities listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We're home to tigers, orangutans and tapirs (not to mention a multitude of flora). We have our own language, national flag, anthem, laws and a federal democratic constitution (It's a little British, sure; but everyone's gotta start somewhere right?). This is a celebration for all of us. In a way, it's all our birthdays. Yes, we're still a teenager compared to USA, India, Japan, Indonesia, China et al. and we have so many things to improve on. But for now, enjoy this thing our forefathers worked so hard on achieving. Selamat Hari Merdeka! |
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