Malaysian sculptor's new series connects art, healing and music

“(The exhibition) 're:sonance' is inspired by the beauty that exists in nature, that is often unseen by us in our rush to get on with our now ‘new normal’ lives of anxiety, chaos and the unknown,' says Seet. Photo: Wizard Photography

Contemporary artist James Seet’s latest ceramics project is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the soul. An exercise in bringing healing through the arts, these ceramic pieces double as wind and percussion instruments that will be used in music performances throughout the exhibition run at APW Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur from Feb 26 to March 13.

With over 20 years of experience with sculpture work and ceramics, Seet has had a number of projects under his belt, including Tanahair, a floating ceramic installation on a lake in Johor, and a public art installation for an awareness campaign against domestic violence for Women’s Aid Organisation in Kuala Lumpur a few years ago.

In 2020, he had a solo exhibition, Wobbly Sabi, at Richard Koh Fine Art in Kuala Lumpur.

His first solo show, a collaboration between Richard Koh Fine Art and The Back Room, was held at Zhongshan Building in Kuala Lumpur, in 2019.

In a major post-pandemic outing, Seet's upcoming show re:sonance, comprising an exhibition, ceramic workshops and music performances, is the first where music takes on such an important role.

The inspiration for this multi-disciplinary project comes from a desire to create art for the community, with the musical aspect serving as a form of healing therapy.

Seet's 'The Whisperer II' is one of the ceramic wind instruments in his 're:sonance' project. Photo: Wizard Photogrpahy

“The idea of an art form to promote another art form is intriguing. But most importantly, it promotes community engagement and goes beyond the function of art to serve a purpose. Music often resonates within us and affects us emotionally and mentally. It calms us and it can generate positivity and hope, to bring comfort to people in this chaotic and uncertain time.

"Through this event, I hope the audience will be recharged and will be inspired to reconnect with themselves and with society at large. It is a reminder that we are not alone. By resonating with each other, we are healing our community,” says Seet, 52, in a recent interview.

The creations in this body of work are based on shapes from nature, from seeds to fungi and vines.

There are percussion instruments, where sound is made when they are struck; and wind instruments which are based on existing instruments like the flute, ocarina, didgeridoo and horn.

There is also a piece where Seet explores hydraulics in which sound is produced when water is forced to exit through holes in the instrument.

Seet's 'The Didg' is fashioned after vines and roots, following the undulation of the natural world. Photo: Wizard Photography

HaBa, the musical duo of Thong Yoong How and Kent Lee, will be making music with these ceramic pieces in a series of on-site performances.

Other performers – dancers, guitarists, flautists and singers (Aiwei Foo, Blue Monk, Buddha Beat, FrhythmS Percussion, Teebai, Winnie Xuan, Syamil Norzalahuddin and YS Tang) – will also “intervene” and engage with the ceramic works with improvised music and movements.

“It is about conveying the idea of resonance to the audience, where artists of different disciplines can interact with the music. Nothing here is rehearsed, which keeps it organic. Sometimes we are trapped within our confines of tradition and familiarity. What this aims to do is open up possibilities,” adds Seet.

This art event is supported by The Malaysian Creative Industry Stimulus Package (Prisma), MyCreative Ventures and the Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana).

Staying grounded

Seet’s love affair with creating things with his hands started with plasticine during his school days, followed by paper clay and polymer clay, before his ceramics of today.

“I work with clay as it requires me to work with my hands. It is a way for me to reconnect with the earth and ground me with its healing and regenerative vibrations. I can touch, see, feel, and almost taste it. I love the processes with ceramics, there is always something new to learn – either a technique or an ingredient to create interesting results. I am fascinated with geology, chemistry and the science involved in the process,” he says.

Fuelled by a sense of wonder for nature, Seet draws inspiration from his observations and incorporates different shapes and textures into his ceramic works. Photo: Douglas Ho

His ceramic works in re:sonance have different markings and colours on their surfaces.

Much like seeing patterns in clouds, one can easily spot motifs resembling plants, flowers and the nebula on these pieces.

They are all aesthetically pleasing, but a big part of the fun for Seet is that few are predictable outcomes.

The different markings on the clay surface are achieved with glazes mixed with wood ash, and through carbon trapping, where organic matter such as dried banana peel, corn husk, flowers, oats, paper and minerals like salt, copper carbonate and copper wire are wrapped around the clay piece and wrapped in aluminium foil before firing.

This produces soot that is trapped on the surface of the clay, forming an impression.

Seet's 'The Rattle Drum I', inspired by the shape of seeds and mushrooms, has beads embedded within its outer circumference. Photo: Wizard Photography

“The colours are subtle and can only be seen when compared with other parts of the work. It is unpredictable and I have no control over it, that is the beauty of it. And I love the ‘unboxing’ part, because I am still pleasantly surprised each time. I also love that I will never be able to create the same piece exactly as each piece is unique,” he says.

Seet finds it very therapeutic on the wheel and he notes that pottery has a way of teaching patience, acceptance and perseverance.

His advice to those new to this is to stick with it for a while.

“If you can’t master the first time, don’t give up, if you don’t get the results pictured in your mind, don’t give up and if it doesn’t go your way, try, try again. Once you have passed this stage, you will begin to love it. I am currently exploring other materials such as wood and glass, but I will never stop using clay,” he says.

'The Swirls' wind instrument is inspired by the twirls of vines and the writhing movements of the earthworm. Photo: Wizard Photography

Seet will be conducting the ceramic workshops that are free and open to members of the public of all ages. Each participant will be given a small piece of clay to make their own art piece.

This will be fired and used as part of a wall art installation at a later date.

“re:sonance is inspired by the beauty that exists in nature, that is often unseen by us in our rush to get on with our now ‘new normal’ lives of anxiety, chaos and the unknown.

"The workshop invites the audience to literally get in touch with a piece of the earth. Take a deep breath, reconnect with the vibrations of the earth and let it speak to you. When the installation is set up, they can then find their work among others as a form of re:sonance,” he concludes.

Re:sonance is on at APW Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur, from Feb 26 to March 13. To make an appointment for the ceramics workshop or to check out the music performances schedule, go to James Seet's Instagram or Facebook.