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Outspoken, opinionated and at times, brutally frank, artist Jolly Koh’s assertive personality contrasts dramatically with the harmonious colour schemes and lyrically modern compositions of his acrylic paintings.
Having taught art for some 40 years, the artist stands firmly rooted in the belief that the art of our times should reflect the advancements made in the modern era and not be trapped in the moribund traditions of another period.
When it comes to Modern Art in Malaysia, there are but only a few artists who have stood the test of time since the 1960s and whose paintings show a depth of quality then and now.
Senior artist Jolly Koh, 72, may well be regarded as an enfant terrible in the local art world for his assertive personality, but among elite art collectors, he belongs to a rare category of artists who know precisely what he is doing.
The collaboration between senior artist Jolly Koh and The Edge Galerie represents the common objective of showcasing works of artistic importance and which reflect the best of Malaysian art.
For The Edge Galerie, this will be the new art space’s first solo exhibition with a top artist in Malaysia. For the artist, the exhibition represents a high point of his artistic career that spans some 60 years.
The latest issue of Personal Money magazine examines the issue of investing in art, posing relevant questions to well-known art collectors who have spent big bucks.
“Is Art A Good Alternative Investment?” is the title of the article by Sarah Voon which examines the prudence of buying art for investment in Malaysia.
Without any sort of regulatory body to guard against fraudulent deals, points out Voon, art buyers are left to conduct their own research and to buy at their own risk – and this is the great “adventure” that is art collecting.
The Edge Galerie’s Jolly Koh solo exhibition scheduled from Aug 23-Sept 30 aim to showcase the diversity of the senior artist’s technical prowess and artistic vision that spans six decades.
Entitled Towards The Nebula, the exhibition of 35 new and recent works will chart the progression of Koh’s signature landscape compositions that culminate in his latest Nebula series inspired by the galactic realm.
As one of the leading artists still active since the 1950s, Koh, 72, is regarded as one of the important Modern Art proponents in Malaysia.
In the realm of black-and-white photography, there have been a few passionate photographers who have produced marvellous images of Malaysian vignettes that are rather under-appreciated in the art world.
The notable personalities who have made their mark include Malaysia’s fourth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (1907-79), Datuk Loke Wan Tho (1915-61), and Ismail Hashim (1940-2013).
And continuing the artistic fervour are Soraya Yusoff Talismail, 45, and Eiffel Chong, 36, who represent the current talents in contemporary art photography.
At first, I see. Then I feel. I reflect. I record.” This is how Malaysia’s foremost black-and-white photographer O Don Eric Peris conceptualises his works.
“The controlling element here is patience,” explains Eric, 74, whose latest, and 34th solo exhibition, Earth, Water, Sky, is being held at Sutra gallery in Kuala Lumpur. It offers 18 works of Malaysia’s rural landscape, spanning 30 years. The exhibition ends on Aug 7.
Held at Xu Liao Yuan Museum of Modern Art in Chengdu, China between June 8th and July 8th, the recently completed exhibition, A Half Scene organized by Australia China Art Foundation (ACAF), received a remarkable response from many quarters.
In an era where artists are living to see their wealth, nine living Malaysian artists had their auction records broken at The Edge Auction’s inaugural sale on June 29. The question is, are auction benchmarks a good indicator of market value?
The Edge Auction’s inaugural sale on June 29 established 11 new local records for Malaysian artists. The auction raked in RM2.5 million, with 85% of the 33 lots sold. Of the 11 artists whose works broke records, eight are still living.