Weekend for the arts: dive into 'Art & Soul' fair, learn to make woodcuts


A view of artist Shukri Elias' 'Primal Scores' exhibit, presented by Artas Galeri, at the Artober - Art & Soul fair at Menara Ken TTDI. Photo: The Star/Daryl Goh

ARTOBER: 'ART & SOUL' FAIR

Venue: Menara Ken TTDI, KL

Ends: Oct 24

CIMB's Artober programme turns to its art fair section Art & Soul, which is being held at Menara Ken TTDI. It is a strategic space to bring art collectors and art galleries from Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur together.

Ten galleries are part of this stylish-looking art fair, including the youthful-minded Zhan Art I Space, Rissim Contemporary, Artas Galeri and Suma Orientalis, which are sharing floor space with the more established players such as Taksu, G13 Gallery, A+ Works of Art and Core Design Gallery. The gallery line-up is completed with Art WeMe Contemporary Gallery and La Galerie du Monde.

You can browse and discover all kinds of artworks at the gallery booths. G13 Gallery is showcasing over 30 artworks by 12 local artists, including Gan Sze Hooi, Juhari Said, Rafiee Ghani, Shafiq Nordin, Sharifah Fatimah, Suzlee Ibrahim and Tajuddin Ismail. At Artas Galeri, the focus is on Shukri Elias' abstract solo exhibit.

If you're keen to spot new talent, make a visit to Rissim Contemporary to check out Hana Tan, Paul Nickson Atia and Fadhli Ariffin, or stop to examine Zharfan Rashidi's colourful wall power piece at Suma Orientalis. That's just a sampling of the art spread, there are hundreds of works across the hall to investigate.

Free admission to the art fair.

More info here.

Tan Lu Man's 'Circle Of Life' (oil on canvas, 2022), which is part of the 'ber{SEMANGAT}' exhibition. Photo: Tan Lu Man
Tan Lu Man's 'Circle Of Life' (oil on canvas, 2022), which is part of the 'ber{SEMANGAT}' exhibition. Photo: Tan Lu Man

BER{SEMANGAT} – A MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXHIBITION

Venue: Galeri Puteh, KL Eco City Mall

Date: Ends Oct 30

Familiar names such as Gan Chin Lee, Sabri Idrus, Haslin Ismail, Andrew Pok and Ajim Juxta share gallery space with an Orang Asli art installation work from Gerimis Art and a video/objects display by Nadia Mahmud concerning the Suluk people (of Borneo) at the ber{SEMANGAT} exhibition. And that’s a small sampling of highlights at the new Galeri Puteh in KL.

This diverse exhibition, featuring 45 artists, is curated by Fergana Art.

It showcases physical artworks and visual documentation by participants who received support from Cendana’s Visual Arts Production Funding Programme (VAP), a pandemic initiative for creatives.

With a fresh crop of contemporary artists also in the line-up, ber{SEMANGAT} offers a variety of timely and topical Malaysian artworks being made during this pandemic recovery era.

A curatorial tour is happening tomorrow at 2.30pm at Galeri Puteh. Admission is free to the exhibition.

More info here.

PaPan Haus in Petaling Jaya will be hosting three woodcut workshops by Sabah-based art collective Pangrok Sulap. Photo: Handout
PaPan Haus in Petaling Jaya will be hosting three woodcut workshops by Sabah-based art collective Pangrok Sulap. Photo: Handout

MAIN-MAIN PAPAN: PANGROK SULAP

Venue: PaPan Haus, Petaling Jaya

Date: Oct 23, Oct 26 and Oct 29

Independent space PaPan Haus will be hosting Sabah-based collective Pangrok Sulap as part of its first artist residency event. The group, known for its woodcut prints and sharing untold stories of Sabah’s rural community, will be holding three public workshops at the venue this month.

Pick a date and learn how to make woodcut prints with Pangrok Sulap. Through the workshop fees and artwork sales during the PaPan residency, the art collective hopes to raise funds for a mini hydro installation at Kampung Penulangon in Ranau, Sabah. Seats are limited to 10 people per session. Tools and material will be provided.

More info here.

A scene from the theatre play 'Opium At Closing Time', which is showing at DPAC in Petaling Jaya this month. Photo: Chan Kien Ming
A scene from the theatre play 'Opium At Closing Time', which is showing at DPAC in Petaling Jaya this month. Photo: Chan Kien Ming

THEATRE: OPIUM AT CLOSING TIME

Venue: DPAC, Petaling Jaya

Date: Oct 21-23, Oct 26-30

New theatre company Amberjade Arts has hit the ground running with its debut production Opium At Closing Time, which tackles issues such as memory loss, family and national history.

On stage, the plot revolves around a woman Yen and her life with Alzheimer's - and her son Chai, her caregiver. The show uses a challenging, non-linear storytelling to reflect Yen's disjointed memories, and the script also explores the less-taught events in Malaysian history, those in World War 2, the 1967 Penang Hartal, and other stories.

Put together by the writer/director Tarrant Kwok, this authentic story, draws from his experiences as a carer, and subsequent research in maintaining a sense of historicity.

This production was also a recipient of the BOH Cameronian Grants for New Productions 2022.

Free seating, the show - featuring mature themes - is recommended viewers 15 years old and above.

More info here.

FILM: SMALL WORLDS OF GHAZI ALQUDCY

Venue: Five Arts Centre, GMBB, KL

Date: Oct 22

The Cinemata film collective is taking over Five Arts Centre’s studio in GMBB with a full-day retrospective screening of nine films by KL-based Singaporean filmmaker Ghazi Alqudcy. The films are programmed by filmmaker Keenen Yong, and Ghazi will be present for post-screening Q&As.

Ghazi has produced more than 55 short films, which screened at various film festivals in Europe and Asia. His directorial debut feature film, Temporary Visa (2018), was awarded Best Film (Discovery Section) at the Asian Film Festival Barcelona.

It will be shown at this film session at Five Arts Centre, alongside his short films.

Limited spaces left, so be quick and book a seat.

More info here.

An ink on paper artwork titled 'Searching For Networks' by Noor Zahran seen at the Malaysia Emerging Artist (MEA) Award exhibition. Photo: Hom Art Trans
An ink on paper artwork titled 'Searching For Networks' by Noor Zahran seen at the Malaysia Emerging Artist (MEA) Award exhibition. Photo: Hom Art Trans

ARTOBER | CIMB – MALAYSIA EMERGING ARTIST (MEA) AWARD

Venue: Glo Damansara Mall, KL

Date: ends Oct 24

The Malaysia Emerging Artist (MEA) Award exhibition, which is one of the banner events for CIMB’s Artober, is now showing at the Glo Damansara Mall.

Five names were picked out recently as the main MEA winners: Noor Zahran, Azaikmal, Syahmi Jamaluddin, Syazwan Rahim and Amar Shahid.

The exhibition, put together by Hom Art Trans gallery, features 168 works by 66 artists. It has taken up six spaces in the concourse area of this suburban mall. For the art enthusiast and curious visitor, there is plenty to explore here as the contemporary artwork mediums span paintings, mixed media, installations, fabric art and more.

Issues such as climate change and the environment are also prevalent themes among these young artists. Free admission.

More info here.

A general view of the 'You’re Not Alone: The Art Of Healing' exhibition at the DAGByFilamen gallery in KL. Photo: Handout
A general view of the 'You’re Not Alone: The Art Of Healing' exhibition at the DAGByFilamen gallery in KL. Photo: Handout

YOU’RE NOT ALONE: THE ART OF HEALING

Venue: DAGByFilamen, KedaiKL

Date: Ends Oct 31

MyWIPHealing, a community platform that promotes mental health education and healing effort through the arts, is collaborating with DAGByFilamen (a digital gallery space) in Kuala Lumpur for this art exhibition.

This immersive exhibition, featuring abstract artworks from people with mental health challenges, will brought to life in a digital setting at this niche gallery space. The show is set to greet visitors with “a melody of colours that capture the journey to overcome mental health struggles”, as outlined in the exhibition notes.

The walk-in show is ticketed (RM8) and it is open daily from 10.30am to 6pm.

More info here.

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