Galeri Petronas Showcases “Changing Phases” for Malaysia’s 52nd Birthday

 

Malaysia will be celebrating her 52nd Birthday on 31st of August 2009, and  it is timely that Galeri Petronas  has taken its painstaking efforts to showcase “CHANGING PHASES : Relative Spaces”, a unique exposition of selected artworks from the PETRONAS ART collection, which explore the development of Malaysian art practices, examining the contemporary social environment of Malaysia and its relationship with its neighbours since the 1950s.

Launched by PETRONAS’ Vice President of Human Resources, Dato’ Anuar Ahmad, at Level 3 of Suria KLCC, Petronas Twin Tower, the fascinating exhibitions showcases 44 artworks by 24 artists, starting from established artists like Latiff Mohidin, Syed Thajudeen, and Khoo Sui Hoe, the mid-career artists like,  Simryn Gill and Mad Annuar Ismail, to new generation artists Ivan Lam, Yee I-Lan, Yau Bee Ling and Roslisham Ismail, to name a few.

 

Curated by Shireen Naziree, this exhibition will allow art enthusiasts to visualize a journey about the development of modern Malaysia, depicting the evolution of Malaysia into a progressive nation as of today. Also present at the launch was, Puan Hajjah Hartini Haji Abdullah, Director of Galeri PETRONAS.

Changing Phases : Relative Spaces, will be showcased at Galeri Petronas, Level 3, Suria KLCC,  from 7th August till 18th September 2009 (admission is free), while PETRONAS will also embark on several activities to commemorate Malaysia’s 52nd anniversary of nationhood, like revisiting of PETRONAS’ most memorable Merdeka television commercials which will be aired beginning 17 August; a joint photo exhibition organised by The Merdeka Award Secretariat and New Straits Times; distribution of PETRONAS Merdeka car stickers carrying the theme One Legacy, One Destiny, 1Malaysia; and the participation of PETRONAS’ contigent at the National Day Parade.

“Eng Tay-The Exhibition” at Galeri Petronas, Suria KLCC

Selections of etchings, oil paintings, sculptures life-sized and marquettes, including hand-painted ceramic works are the most comprehensive artworks showcased at “Eng Tay – The Exhibition” Galeri Petronas this April. The Malaysian-born and New York-based artist, Eng Tay will give Malaysian public an opportunity to catch a glimpse of development of the figure types as well as vision of Eng Tay’s inimitable style of story-telling that, journeys into the landscapes of the heart, touching on tender moments of love, togetherness and camaraderie.

 

Officiated by YBhg. Tan Sri Kamarul Ariffin bin Mohamed Yassin, former Chairman of the National Art Gallery Board of Trustees and respected patron of Malaysian arts, a 250-page exhibition publication published by GALERI PETRONAS was also unveiled.

 

 

Speaking at the media launch, Puan Hajah Hartini Abdullah, Director of Galeri Petronas said,”…as part of its organisation objectives, Galeri Petronas is committed to bringing the works of established artists such as Eng Tay to the Malaysian public as opportunity for the public to experience and learn about these internationally acclaimed artworks. The exhibition also intends to spur scholastic discourse among Malaysian art practitioners and academics in the development of new knowledge within the context of Malaysian contemporary art…”.

 

 

Eng Tay holds strongly to his little homely themes about ordinary people, but he paints them in big, grand theatrical style and in terms of the figure dominance. The notion of balance, as in the Yin-Yang order of things, is also a key to his works. Music, which was infused into his repertoire since 1981, forms a compelling background.

 

   

The September 11,2001 incident has transformed Eng Tay’s life and artforms, into more of the outdoors, going bolder and brighter, painting on huge canvases with a wider panoramic scope and intriguing multiple perspectives all with the mission of bringing people – the Family of Man – closer together. He retells his inner human drama with a more intimate touch.  

 

In sculptures, Eng Tay has done public works 10 times the height of his usual 30cm-tall marquettes. In this exhibition, two huge bronzes are displayed: one of which is a larger-than-life violinist (Jubilation II) located inside the gallery, while the other, entitled Boy, is positioned right at the entrance, cheekily welcoming visitors.

 

Eng Tay brings into this defining exhibition invaluable insights into the formative visual and intellectual elements and the spirit of innocence. In this uncertain time of hate and climate change, Eng Tay’s art is a joyous respite, and a closure, for a return to humanism and the innocence.

 

In conjunction with this exhibition, GALERI PETRONAS is organising an Artist Talk-Demonstration session on print-making techniques led by Eng Tay himself on 4 April 2009 at 4.00 p.m. A curatorial walkthrough with the Guest Curator of the exhibition, Ooi Kok Chuen, will also be conducted on 18 April 2009 at 4:00 p.m. Both programmes are free to the public.

 

 

“Eng Tay – The Exhibition” continues in GALERI PETRONAS, Level 3, Suria KLCC until 17 May 2009.

Galeri Petronas Launches A Unique Artwork that Depicts Human Behavior-Human Watching by Jeganathan Ramachandran

To ask someone what day they were born, is a silly question…but it is a rare feat to have an artist with a unique form of artwork that consists of seven paintings and seven potraits, and  each representing the significance of the day in the week to man and women. With such an extraodinary unique understanding of human behavior through the drawings of potraits, GALERI PETRONAS has joint hand in hand with the highly respectable senior Malaysian figurative artist, Mr. Syed Thajudeen to unveil the much-awaited ‘Human Watching – mystical realism and the art of Jeganathan Ramachandran’ exhibition at Galeri Petronas, 3rd Floor Suria KLCC.

 

 

 

 

After culmination of 14 years into human behavior, Mr. Jeganathan Ramachandran, has invented a code of values that is loosely based on a calendar of human character, interaction with Nature, between each other, and ultimately, how it affects the Universe around us. This exhibition showcases an oeuvre of elegant works comprising seven paintings and seven portraits, each portraying the importance of the day in the week to human. These mesmerising and aesthetically-pleasing works are replete with mystical symbolisms that render them as mysterious, yet therapeutic and enlightening as the artworks uncover elements that are personally relevant to the viewer. Officiating the launch by, Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim, the Director of GALERI PETRONAS, concurs: “The sheer beauty of Jega’s art reveals him to be an accomplished colourist, a proponent of complex forms whose new age narratives add considerably to the carefully considered unity of his pictures.”

 

 

Complementing the artworks is a video, comprising fragments of photographic portraits of famous and anonymous individuals. The video seeks to demonstrate the relationships between facial attributes, gender, personalities and a person’s day of birth. Termed ‘Mystical Realism’ by art writer and curator J. Anu in his essay for the exhibition, ‘JEGANATHAN RAMACHANDRAM : Old Gods, New Gods and the Meaning of Life’, the artist’s works reflect a philosophical and visual investigation into the mysteries surrounding the co-existence of the Universe, Humanity, Nature and Fate.  Despite this, Jeganathan’s works in Human Watching present their many layered meanings through metaphor-driven symbols and clues, which the artist insists be kept open to interpretation. He insists on an active emotional dialogue between the viewer and the image, which will release the `personal energies’ of each.

 

To give an insight into ‘Human Watching’, GALERI PETRONAS will be holding a walkthrough with the artist himself on Saturday, 14 March 2009, at 4pm.  ‘Human Watching’ paintings will be displayed at Galeri Petronas, 3rd Floor of Suria KLCC, till 22nd of March 2009. The programme as well as the exhibition are  free to the public.

Galeri Petronas Launches “Go Block: Five Contemporary Printmakers” at Suria KLCC

Art is subjective and it comes from various  form of natures and sources. Its beauty can be produced  from inexpensive materials like concrete, wood, soil, and aluminium foil that has undergone the repetitive process of casting or moulding or printmaking techniques, that carved the final outcome  into a desired shape to attract the humans’ eye.

Understanding all these various concept of art,  Galeri Petronas Malaysia has underlined the importance of  natural artwork in printmaking techniques by launching Go Block : Five Contemporary Printmakers at Suria KLCC recently. The launch  has showcased printmaking artworks by five Malaysian artists namely; Juhari Said, Ng Kim Peow, Izan Tahir, Zulkifli Yusoff and Shahrul Jamili.

Curated by Badrolhisham Mohd Tahir, the 15 artworks explores printmaking as a dynamic techniques and innovative medium that strongly impacts the Malaysian art movement today. This ongoing exhibition is to enlighten the public that there is an alternative to the usual printmaking process that only limits to the use of ink, block, paper, and stamping.

Though printmaking is consider as an inexpensive process, these  five Malaysian artists have utilised this artform and turn it into their forte. They have been responsible pushing beyond the the boundaries of printmaking, by enabling audiences to delve into their complex minds and thought process by displaying their captivating their artworks that are deftly installed into powerful narrative art pieces.

The “Go Block: Five Contemporary Printmakers” exhibition will continue to display all the five artists’  stunning printmaking artworks until 15 th March 2009 at Galeri Petronas, 3rd Floor, Suria KLCC.

Ahmad Zakii Anwar Introduces “DISCLOSED” At Galeri Petronas, Suria KLCC

Ahmad Zakii Anwar, a very illustrious Malaysian homegrown artist, has introduced his latest remarkable works of art themed “DISCLOSURE” at Galeri Petronas, Suria Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre recently.

The event was graced by Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Perak Darul Ridzuan, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah ibni Sultan Azlan Muhibbudin Shah, who officially opened the exhibition and unveiled the most extensive exhibition publication of Zakii’s works todate, published by GALERI PETRONAS.

Curated by GALERI PETRONAS’ Senior Curator, Anurendra Jegadeva, DISCLOSURE will be the first comprehensive study of Zaki’s career as an artist over the last two decades. Influence by the development of figurative realism within painting in contemporary Malaysian art practice, Ahmad Zakii Anwar or Zakii, has explored a huge range of ideas and style through his works, which includes works from the early Still-Life Series to his monumental Charcoals on paper.

Zakii’s artworks has been consistently outstanding due to his continuation in using Figure when addressing social, religious and political issues while exploring ideas about self and identity through their very different narratives and styles.

Speaking at the event, Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Perak Darul Ridzuan Raja Nazrin Shah, voiced admiration on Zakii’s work by addressing the audience, ” Zakii possesses a unique ability to translate the everyday and the ordinary into extra-ordinary works of art. His creations are pleasure to eye and is careful, meticulous and precise in the art forms he creates. Zakii is not only an artist but an advocate, where his works are powerful and direct, evoking viewer emotions at first glance”.

Also present at the launch of DISCLOSURE, was Y.M Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim, Director of Galeri Petronas echoed Raja Muda of Perak’s sentiment, by saying, ” the Zakii’s works that are exhibited at Galeri Petronas speak volumes about the artist’s immense skill and his total mastery over his craft”.

The 300-page exhibition publication, also bearing the title “DISCLOSURE”, is considered as the most extensive one ever produced on Ahmad Zakii Anwar, possessing over 100 high resolution images of his most significant works accomplished throughout his career as an artist, is available at GALERI Shop, Suria KLCC and retails at RM190 per copy.

The Ahmad Zakii Anwar’s exhibition will be held at Galeri Petronas until 24th August 2008. However, several public programmes have also been organised like, curatorial walkthroughs for public, led by Anurendra Jegadeva will be on 22nd and 29th July. On 9 August, the artist will hold a MasterClass workshop on drawing with charcoal for art students, follows by an afternoon of Ghazal music from Johor, the home state of Zakii, as part of GALERI’s World Music Series Programme.