Weekend for the arts: 'Apa Khabar?' art bazaar, 'Crossing Boundaries' exhibit


The 'Apa Khabar? Art Bazaar 2023' at Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery features a variety of family-orientated activities, including pop-up exhibitions, craft workshops and fun art talks. Photo: BNM MAG

APA KHABAR? ART BAZAAR 2023

Venue: Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery, KL

Date: ends Nov 12

Whether you are an art enthusiast or seeking to add creativity to your life, the Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery (BNM MAG) Art Bazaar 2023 is set to captivate your imagination. Themed "Apa Khabar?", this 10-day event celebrates local artists by showcasing their talents and nurturing their entrepreneurial skills.

The Apa Khabar? Art Bazaar, set to run until Nov 12 at Sasana Kijang, also coincides with BNM MAG's exhibition Gerak Bayang: The Art Of Storytelling, which celebrates the wayang kulit world of stories and shadows.

You can spend time browsing the pop-up stalls at Apa Khabar?, take part in the workshops and also check out the Gerak Bayang exhibition, too. It's definitely a family-day out to enjoy the arts.

More than 17 artists are taking part in the art bazaar, including Hazimah Harith, Farid Sarudin, Tong Xin Lim, Zulaika Simon, Zera Hamzah, Khairanee, Arman Rizaudin, Badrilzzaman Abu, Nasrul Rokes, Amirul Zulkifli, Dhakshini Jeganathan, Sok Yeng Leong, Zulhimi Fauzi, Nurfazleen Kasim, and Herman Rawi.

From paintings and drawings to printmaking and mixed media artworks, visitors can explore the intersection of art and holistic health. Throughout the art bazaar, there will be activities and programmes designed for all age groups.

Among the highlights this weekend are "Gouache Painting Workshop" by Hazimah Harith, and a tote bag painting workshop by artist Tong Xin Lim.

Admission to the Apa Khabar? Art Bazaar is free.

More info here.

Senior artist Sharifah's art is a prime example of how cultures can blend harmoniously to create beauty. Photo: Harmoni Soka Art & Culture
Senior artist Sharifah's art is a prime example of how cultures can blend harmoniously to create beauty. Photo: Harmoni Soka Art & Culture

‘SHARIFAH ZURIAH ALJEFFRI: CROSSING BOUNDARIES - HER ART AND LIFE EXHIBITION’

Venue: Harmoni Soka Art & Culture, Wisma Kebudayaan SGM, KL

Date: ends Nov 5

This is the last weekend to catch Sharifah Zuriah Aljeffri’s wonderful Crossing Boundaries exhibition, which blends diverse cultural influences, and revisits works from across her decades-long career.

Arabic calligraphy, Chinese ink painting, charcoal, and a love for nature – these are but a few elements that resonate through the works of Sharifah. Her art is a prime example of how cultures can blend harmoniously to create beauty.

Sharifah, born in 1938, in Sungai Petani, Kedah, grew up in a family that valued multiculturalism and inclusivity, which laid the foundation for her future artistic development.

In 1976, she began studying Chinese ink painting under the mentorship of the renowned artist Anthony Sum. Her first solo exhibition in 1978 made a sensation in the art scene and was commended as "A first by a Malay artist" by the late Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal.

More info here.

FESTIVAL MERAKYATKAN SENI WARISAN AKAR UMBI

Venue: Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur

Date: Nov 4 and 5, 10am-11pm

If you're looking for an arts and culture event with an entertainment spin this weekend, you can make your way down to the ‘Festival Merakyatkan Seni Warisan Akar Umbi’, Laman Santai Malaysia Madani 2023 at Istana Budaya.

This festival (free admission) is the biggest Laman Santai event of the year, where various day-long activities and programmes will be lined up, including exhibitions, art demonstrations, cultural performances and a pop concert.

"This festival has a relaxed and open concept while serving various cultural and heritage events such as heritage food, Borneo music workshops, silat, 'Let's Learn Cultural Arts' (workshops), Barongan performances, ‘Kuda Kepang’, and traditional fashion shows," said Istana Budaya director-general Zubaidah Mukhtar.

Tuku' Kame', Alun Menoa (Wanita Sape) and Pioneer Traditional Orchestra of Sarawak Youth (POTRES) will also showcase traditional music from Sarawak.

Visitors will also enjoy various promotions offered by various government departments and agencies, including the National Heritage Department, the National Visual Arts Development Board, the National Academy of Cultural Arts and Heritage, the National Youth and Sports Department, Tourism Malaysia and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Board.

More info here.

A close-up of Amar's painting 'Pillars' (oil and wax on jute, 2023), which is part of his solo exhibition 'Ignis Familiaris' at Rimbun Dahan. Photo: Rimbun Dahan
A close-up of Amar's painting 'Pillars' (oil and wax on jute, 2023), which is part of his solo exhibition 'Ignis Familiaris' at Rimbun Dahan. Photo: Rimbun Dahan

EXHIBITION: AMAR SHAHID’S ‘IGNIS FAMILIARIS’

Venue: Rimbun Dahan, Km.27, Jalan Kuang, Selangor

Date: ends Nov 12

Amar Shahid, who is wrapping up his Rimbun Dahan art residency, is welcoming visitors to his solo exhibition Ignis Familiaris at the Underground Gallery at Rimbun Dahan (an independent arts centre on the outskirts of Selangor).

In this new series, Amar's paintings in watercolour and oils take off from his father's collection of family photographs, but from careful selection of the photos that were most degraded, overexposed or subject to analogue printing mistakes, they venture into the realm of abstraction. The works also access the powerful potential of symbols, from iconography superimposed upon the original images in the form of jewels, planets and insects, suggesting the 'familiars' of the title.

Amar’s current work focuses on the intricacies of socio-linguist history with regards to the South-East Asian social and cultural sphere. Working both in conventional and experimental media, he aims to reflect on the conflicts of cultures and their ecosystems based on his personal anecdotes on the vernacular and conservative educational background of his Malaysian hometown.

Visitors can walk into the Rimbun Dahan gallery from 10am to 5pm on weekends, or make an appointment to visit on weekdays. The show has been extended until Nov 12.

More info here.

EXHIBITION: ANNABELL NG’S ‘INLAND’

Venue: Wei-Ling Gallery, KL

Date: ends Nov 18

Penang-born artist Annabell Ng, who creates ecological-inspired works by breathing life into unconventional materials, is presenting her debut solo exhibition Inland at Wei-Ling Gallery.

This exhibition reflects Ng’s affinity for plants, nurtured since her youth. It transcends the confines of traditional exhibitions, as she merges past and present, introducing twigs, barks, and leaves to create a tapestry of rich textures and layers.

Inland invites visitors to contemplate the Earth's natural beauty through pure earthly tones and graceful depictions that inspire reverence for Mother Nature's elusive charm. This exhibition is also a tribute to Ng’s innovation and a call to stewardship.

By appointment only exhibition. For reservations and further details, contact: 03-2260 1106.

More info here.

Moore's latest works comprise sculptures and paintings exploring how myth, nature, and the extravagance of consumer culture intermingle in thought-provoking ways. Photo: Chadwick Moore
Moore's latest works comprise sculptures and paintings exploring how myth, nature, and the extravagance of consumer culture intermingle in thought-provoking ways. Photo: Chadwick Moore

EXHIBITION: CHADWICK MOORE'S 'ENDLESS BUFFET'

Venue: The Godown Arts Centre, Kuala Lumpur

Date: ends Nov 5

This is the last weekend for art lovers to check out Endless Buffet: Recent Works by Chadwick Moore at the Godown Arts Centre.

American artist Moore's latest works comprise sculptures and paintings exploring how myth, nature, and the extravagance of consumer culture intermingle in thought-provoking ways.

The title of the show is an ironical reference to the all-pervasive consumerism that has taken over modern society.

“The show is a reflection on the idea and absurdity of excess consumption. It is about our entrenched compulsion to consume without thought or regard to the consequences," says Moore, who is based in Kuala Lumpur.

Moore's elaborate work shifts between drawing, painting, collage and sculpture, using a wide range of components – from discarded infant formula bottles and abandoned furniture to collage imagery from both found and personally taken photographs – to build dense psychological landscapes.

Free entry, but registration is required.

More info here.

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