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Highlight: Singapore Preview
10 June 2013Art enthusiasts in Singapore will be the first to preview some of the best artworks from Malaysia selected for the inaugural sale of The Edge Auction on June 29 in Kuala Lumpur.
Masters of Portraiture
3 June 2013Dato’ Hoessein Enas and Lee Cheng Yong have much in common as artists as they were both greatly influenced by Western art and both practised in Penang. Both excelled in oil painting especially in portraiture, leaving an invaluable legacy of art that document the vibrancy of a bygone period.
Born in Bogor, Indonesia, in 1924 and died in Kuala Lumpur in 1995, Hoessein arrived in Singapore in 1947. He hid in a barge to escape the armed conflicts arising between Indonesian and Dutch forces for the rights to independence.
Beyond Watercolours
3 June 2013Known for utilising Southeast Asian ethnic themes in their paintings, Chang Fee Ming, 54, and Yeong Seak Ling, 65, are two of the most accomplished Malaysian artists today.
Skilled at rendering realistic paintings rich with symbolism, the artists bear more than a striking similarity in the best tradition of watercolour painting. Although each cast a strong light on subjects with a historical and social context, however, Terengganu-born Chang pushes beyond the boundaries of conventional compositions.
Penang Power
3 June 2013Many art reference sources claim that painterly efforts in Penang began in the 1930s, when artists such as Abdullah Ariff, Yong Mun Sen, Kuo Ju Ping and Khaw Sia painted local scenes such as the landscape in watercolour.
Face off
15 May 2013The current show at Segaris reveals some “shady” characters that defy typecasting.
Spearheaded by artist Jalaini Abu Hassan, the MukaKata: Beyond Portraiture exhibition allows each of the 10 participating artists to showcase their prowess but unwittingly also exposes their weaknesses.
Held at the Segaris Art Centre – located in an obscure section of the Publika Shopping Gallery in Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur – the collective works attempt to reflect a dialogue around the nature of portraiture.
Gaining Prominence
14 May 2013Christie’s has a winning formula in auctioning Southeast Asian art in Hong Kong,
reports Johnni Wong.
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More than 200 works by Southeast Asian artists will be included in Christie’s Hong Kong auctions of Asian 20th Century & Contemporary Art on May 25 & 26 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wanchai.
The Remarkable PG
14 May 2013The recent death of Tan Sri P.G. Lim marks the passing of an extraordinary lady who was guided in life by her sense of justice and her love for the arts.
Tan Sri Lim Phaik Gan passed away at the age of 97 in Perth on the morning of May 7 at the home of her daughter, Caryn Lim and son-in-law Jamaluddin. In her final hours, her son, Wilfred Wee Han Kim, daughter-in-law Jean and grandson Wee Cheng An were also at her bedside.
Sizing up the market
9 May 2013The art market is viewed as an ecosystem that needs the symbiotic relationship between artists, gallery operators and collectors. But how will auction houses tilt the equation?
It seems that the local art market needs to be nurtured and protected from speculative elements that could lead to its untimely collapse.
A group of art market stakeholders and individuals gathered to discuss its current state and were confronted with diverse views.
Best of Malaysian Art
9 May 2013Leading The Edge Auction’s inaugural sale will be Gelora Air 3, an iconic oil on canvas work by Abdul Latiff Mohidin, Malaysia’s foremost artist.
Painted in 1987, this work is significant as it is the first of Latiff’s Gelombang series and depicts the power of nature. Typical of the artist’s abstract compositions, the brush strokes have a sense of rhythm and purpose. This work is estimated to fetch between RM350,000-RM450,000.
Art Market Obsession Isn’t Progress
10 April 2013Has the Malaysian art scene actually regressed despite the proliferation of art exhibitions, galleries and auctions when compared to the rise of Singapore and Indonesia as regional art centres?
In spite of the growing demand for pricey artwork by top Malaysian artists, especially at local auctions, Southeast Asian contemporary art specialist Beverly Yong views the whole situation with jaded eyes.
“I wouldn’t situate us in a progressive time frame – early/middle/mature,” points out Yong in reference to the development of the Malaysian art market.