Print Layout 1 - Shireen Naziree

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FOOTSTEPS
The visual arts have long conducted a romance with time – the result of which is
demonstrated in the plural nature of contemporary art. This pluralism is due to many
factors that have resulted from the breakup of the Modernist consensus and the
appearance of postmodernism as well as other factors that recognize contemporary art
occupies an honoured position that is synonymous with a cultured society.
And when reflecting on time, we become momentarily unseeing. That moment of
concentration can transport one out of the present to a reflection of the past or towards a
dream of the future – an experience that becomes one, and which interrupts the flow of
everyday life.
Such serendipitous moments of free association of memory and purposeful intuition offer
the thematic introduction to FOOTSTEPS.
FOOTSTEPS marks the point where the Malaysian artistic tradition intersects with the
concept of a journey. But in this particular case the subject is situated in a time that is
present, or past with a consciousness of a future, and is imbricated with cultural and
personal connotations.
The unconfirmed parametres of artistic practice have been a perpetual point of conflux for
artists since the start of the process of art making. In Malaysian contemporary art,
numerous examples of superb art exist, spanning a wide spectrum of creative endeavor –
copious acts during the short history of Malaysian modern art that have generated some
inspiring examples of success both at home and abroad. Current reflection on the state of
Malaysian contemporary art acknowledges that we are comfortable with the identity of
art's agency that has evolved from this activity. And while art and culture have become
accepted vehicles of communication within Malaysia's contemporary industrialised society,
it is not surprising that the new generation of Malaysian artists begin to question the
cultural value of their particular discipline, and to ask how they may contribute to the
moment through what they do.
FOOTSTEPS is a collaborative exhibition involving the practices of seven artists,
showcasing works that reflect their diverse backgrounds and life paths. As art is a material
reflection of our world, FOOTSTEPS assumes a multifaceted form through its reference to
the different issues that time has imposed on the lives of these artists. It also seeks to
stage the relationships, conjunctions and disjunctions between the artists' identities and
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different realities that have determined their different life paths. And through revealing their
creative insights and at times inclusivity that have become important elements within their
individual artistic practices, is a creative trust that becomes the focus between the artist
and the viewer.
Much of what is stated in this exhibition is a very literal reflection of life, but it does
command strong address. In fact it is a visual documentary that collates a wide-ranging
view of the transposition of Malaysian cultural values. In a manner it explores the hopes
and dreams of a generation of Malaysians that has to deal with the realities of a new
sociological order of a developing nation that has radically changed over the last few
decades. It follows the links and acknowledges transitions which have resulted in the
multiculturism generally deemed to be beyond art's purview. It also allows us to engage in
a dialogue with our cultural melee and to examine the varied and fluid relationships
between the sociopolitical and aesthetic discourses that have provided for the multicultural
extravaganza that is Malaysia.
In the relationship between Malaysia's development of the last few decades and the local
art scene, it follows that, if the nature of society changes, then the identity and the
potential of art change as well. The defining changes of the late 20th century –
revolutionary technological advancements, rapid economic growth and increasing
urbanization as well as the awareness of global narratives – mean that art is now charged
with a different position and function. The overall outcome of this mapping has encouraged
a broad section of new generation Malaysian artists to commitments and engaging
statements that leave the traditional role and authority of the artist unchallenged.
Being mindful of the conditions that are effecting an extra-territoriality dependent more on
the access of global networks than on cultural entities has witnessed peoples as well as
art to have entered a closely-knitted Diaspora. FOOTSTEPS – with it's multiple lines –
steers a careful course within these views, riding the tension between the familiar and the
foreign in a dialogue that examines the varied and fluid relationships between social and
aesthetic discourses in order to establish common links that define our own unique
Malaysian social order.
FOOTSTEPS presents many sites of contestation; whether in terms of cultural identity or
social history within the emergence of new visions and imperatives. Personal expressions
are being revised and rewritten from a more hybrid cultural perspective. While there is no
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specific blueprint, art is being produced with the same flux of contradictory forces that
characterize all social conditions within our society that at times mean old centres and
certainties are losing their hold. But within these challenges, art becomes both an
enrichment and more responsive.
With all the pitfalls in mind, FOOTSTEPS sets out to explore the vast creative potential of
Malaysia's new generation of artists; attempting to examine areas of new ground, probing
the precariousness of "authorship" and investigating the potential of a visual dialogue
between artist and the viewer.
The artists in FOOTSTEPS come from varying backgrounds. While the view of this
exhibition is multi-directional, its purpose is to transgress conventional notions of culture
and territory. Each artist presents a unique dialogue within its own parametres and its own
inimitable process. Each creation presents a personal and a particular insight into our
society.
Above all, it is the translation between the different forms of expression and transposition
of cultural values that should occasion the most thought.
SHIREEN NAZIREE
Guest Curator
July 2004
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Jejak Langkah
Footsteps
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Yusof Majid
Dilahirkan di London, England pada tahun 1970,
Yusof Majid mendapat pendidikan di Kolej Seni
Chelsea, London. Pada tahun 1992, setelah
menerima Ijazah Sarjana Muda dengan Kepujian
dalam Seni Halus (Catan), beliau telah
dianugerahkan Biasiswa Herbert Read untuk
melanjutkan Ijazah Sarjana dalam bidang catan.
Sejak pameran solo pertamanya di Bergerac,
Perancis pada tahun 1993, Yusof telah menyertai
beberapa buah pameran berkumpulan dan solo di
Malaysia. Karyanya juga diberi penilaian yang
amat baik oleh juri Pertandingan Seni Lukis
Phillip Morris 1996.
Keterlibatan utama Yusof dengan karyanya
mencerminkan dedikasi kepada proses melukis dan
mewarna yang beradun dengan kenangan zaman kanakkanaknya. Walaupun karyanya bersifat puitis
dengan rujukan kepada cerita pari-pari, mainan dan
pesta liburan, namun ia merupakan karya yang
tajam pedoman dari segi daya tarik universal.
Dalam kualiti magikal karya beliau terkandung
proses berfikir yang disiplin, yang timbul
daripada penghasilan karya secara tradisi dan
keunikan menghasilkan sesuatu yang baru.
Semasa saya sedang membesar, imaginasi saya
bagaikan langit tak berpenghujung dan laut tak
bertepi, retina saya menangkap warna-warna dan
susun atur pengalaman berharga yang tidak
putus-putus .
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Yusof Majid
“AS A CHILD GROWING UP - IT HAS BEEN THE INFINITY OF THE SKY AND THE
DENSITY OF THE SEA THAT FILLED MY IMAGINATION AND PRIMED MY RETINA TO
CAPTURE THE COLOURS AND SETTINGS OF EXPERIENCES THAT I CONTINUE TO
TREASURE.”
Born in London, England in 1970, Yusof Majid studied at the Chelsea School of Art,
London. In 1992, after graduating with a BA Honors degree in Fine Art (Painting) he
was awarded the Herbert Read Scholarship to complete an MA in Painting.
Since his first solo exhibition in Bergerac, France in 1993, Yusof has participated in
several group and solo exhibitions in Malaysia. His work was highly commended by
the 1996 Phillip Morris Exhibition Committee.
Yusof's primary involvement with his art reflects his dedication to the process of
drawing and painting fused with reflections of his childhood. Although his art is
inherently poetic with references to fairy tales, toys and funfairs in its content, Yusof's
paintings are sharply realist in their references to universal appeal. Within the magical
qualities of his paintings belies a very disciplined thought process culled from
traditional art making and his own unique inventiveness.
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BUS IN MY SOUP
2004
cat minyak atas kertas/oil on paper
43 x 49.6cm
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HOMELESS
2004
cat minyak atas kanvas/oil on canvas
152.5 x 138cm
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THE DAISY CHAIN
2004
cat minyak atas kanvas/oil on canvas
152.5 x 138cm
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Chong Siew Ying
Anak kelahiran Kuala Lumpur ini mendapat didikan
seni awalnya di Kolej Seni Lukis dan Seni Reka
P.J. pada tahun 1990. Beliau kemudian melanjutkan
pelajarannya ke L’Ecole Des Beaux-Arts,
Versailles, Perancis selama empat tahun dan
menyambungnya lagi di L’Atelier 63 di Paris pada
tahun 1996.
Sebagai seorang pelukis profesional, dedikasi
Siew Ying kepada seni tidak sahaja boleh dilihat
daripada jumlah penyertaannya dalam pameranpameran solo dan berkumpulan tetapi juga
penghargaan yang beliau perolehi daripada
pelbagai institusi seni antarabangsa. Pada tahun
1999 beliau dipilih menjadi pelukis jemputan
dalam program residensi di Rimbun Dahan. Pada
tahun 2001 pula Siew Ying dianugerahkan Freeman
Asian Fellowship Award.
Kini Siew Ying tinggal dan berkarya di Kuala
Lumpur dan Paris. Keasyikannya terhadap kehidupan
insan semakin diasah melalui peningkatan minat
yang tinggi terhadap disiplin klasik seni halus.
Beliau kerap kali melihat dirinya umpama seorang
mualim yang cuba mencipta rasa subur yang timbul
daripada karyanya yang terhasil daripada bentukan
figuratif atau lebih kepada kajian eksperimental
seperti di dalam pameran JEJAK LANGKAH.
Saya amat tertarik dengan pertemuan yang tidak
disangka-sangka — wajah-wajah yang berlalu pergi
dalam hidup saya menjadi latar pentas kehidupan ini.
Kehadiran yang sensual dan saat yang tak tergenggam
telah saya abadikan sebagai perlambangan untuk
menghiasi gagasan tegar dan aksi untuk menggarap
hasil yang saya impikan dalam berkarya.
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Chong Siew Ying
“I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY THE CHANCE MEETING OF PEOPLE –
FACES THAT HAVE BELIED MOMENTS THAT FORMED THE BACKDROP IN MY LIFE.
THE SENSUAL PRESENCE AND ELUSIVENESS OF THE MOMENT HAVE SERVED
AS METAPHORS TO ILLUSTRATE THE COERCION OF THOUGHT AND ACTION TO
CAPTURE THE DESIRED RESULT IN MY ART.”
Kuala Lumpur born, Chong Siew Ying had her initial art education at the P.J. College
of Art and Design where she graduated in 1990. In 1991 she furthered her studies at
the L'Ecole Des Beaux-Arts in Versailles, France for four years, and continued on at
the noted L'Atelier 63 in Paris until 1996.
As a professional artist, Siew Ying's dedication to art is illustrated not only by the
numerous solo and group exhibitions that have been an important part of her career,
but very notably the recognition she has earned from a number of international
institutions. In 1999, she was the artist-in-residence at Rimbun Dahan and in 2001
she was awarded the Freeman Asian Artist Fellowship Award.
Siew Ying lives and works both in Kuala Lumpur and Paris. Her fascination with
human life has been enhanced by a great respect for the classical disciplines of fine
art. She often sees herself as a sort of navigator trying to create a sense of richness
and surface in work that may take the form of figurative painting or more experimental
studies as in FOOTSTEPS.
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A MOMENT IN TIME
2004, jejak kaki(habuk)atas kertas/footprints (dust) on paper
A MOMENT IN TIME
2004, jejak kaki(habuk)atas kertas/footprints (dust) on paper
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A MOMENT IN TIME
2004, jejak kaki(habuk)atas kertas/footprints (dust) on paper
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A MOMENT IN TIME
2004
dokumentasi video
video documentation
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Ivan Lam
Pada asalnya Ivan dilatih sebagai seorang pereka
grafik. Selepas tamat pengajian di Institut
Teknologi Kreatif Limkokwing pada tahun 1994,
beliau menyertai kerjaya pengiklanan di mana
beliau didedahkan kepada konsep kepenggunaan dan
trend. Ivan kemudian menyambung pelajaran ke
Kolej Seni Maine, Amerika Syarikat di mana beliau
dianugerahkan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Seni (Catan)
dengan kepujian pada tahun 1998. Ivan mula
terlibat dalam pameran antarabangsa sejak 1994
dengan pameran-pameran solo yang penting di Kuala
Lumpur, Singapura, dan Portland serta Maine di
Amerika Syarikat. Malah karya Ivan dalam
Pertandingan Seni Lukis Phillip Morris tahun 2003
terpilih sebagai pemenang Anugerah Juri.
Hasil kerja Ivan sangat terperinci dari segi
mereka dan menggunakan teknologi, namun ia
mempunyai tampakan dan sensualiti yang
menghairahkan juga. Di samping itu, keterampilan
yang dipaparkan selaku pengarang karya memberi
cetusan kepada penghayat untuk menterjemah karya
tersebut dengan rasa sensasi walaupun ia mungkin
muncul secara berlapis-lapis.
Ivan Lam kini mengajar di Institut Teknologi
Kreatif Limkokwing.
Baru-baru ini format penghasilan karya saya telah berubah —
ia mula menjauhi lanskap sosial yang dahulu menghidangkan
susunan isu-isu yang penting bagi diri saya. Perubahan ini
mencerminkan satu pendekatan yang lebih tenteram dalam
haluan peribadi saya. Karya saya merupakan sebuah pencarian
terhadap imej-imej yang bersuara kekariban dan juga
keterbukaan; ia berhubung kait dengan graviti dan ilusi yang
mana dalam konteks yang lebih luas selari dengan suasana
seni di Malaysia.
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Ivan Lam
“RECENTLY THE FORMAT OF MY ART HAS CHANGED – IT IS A DEPARTURE FROM
THE SOCIAL LANDSCAPE THAT ALSO SERVED AS A MATRIX FOR ISSUES THAT
HAVE BEEN OF CONCERN TO ME. THE QUIETER, MORE CONTEMPLATIVE
APPROACH REPRESENTS THE SHIFT IN MY PERSONAL DIRECTION. MINE IS A
SEARCH FOR IMAGES WHICH SPEAK OF INTIMACY AS WELL AS OPENNESS; IT
CONCERNS THE GRAVITY AND ILLUSIONS THAT IN A LARGER CONTEXT MAY
DRAW PARALLELS TO THE STATE OF ART IN MALAYSIA.”
Ivan Lam initially trained as a graphic designer. After graduating from Limkokwing
Institute of Creative Technology in 1994, he worked in advertising where he was
exposed to the bigger audience of trend-defining consumerism. His subsequent move
to the Maine College of Art in America ended with him graduating with full honours in
painting (Bachelor of Arts) in 1998. Ivan has exhibited extensively internationally since
1994 with significant solo exhibitions in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and in Portland,
Maine, U.S.A. In the Phillip Morris 2003 group exhibition, Ivan's mixed media artwork
was selected as the Grand Prize winner.
Ivan's work is extraordinarily detailed in terms of his designs and his address of
technology, but it is visually and sensually seductive as well. And however
multifaceted his work might appear, the applied presence of “author” encourages a
voyeuristic reading.
Ivan Lam lectures at the Limkokwing Institute of Creative Technology.
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CIRCA
1994, campuran/mixed media , 69 x 102cm
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FOOTPRINTS
2004
campuran/mixed media
168 x 122cm
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Azliza Ayob
Riwayat kerjaya Azliza Ayob dicirikan dengan
penyertaan aktif dalam berbagai acara seni di
samping kegiatan sebagai seorang pelukis. Beliau
kerap menjadi pemudahcara dalam pelbagai bengkel
seni untuk orang dewasa serta kanak-kanak. Pada
asalnya Azliza dilatih dalam bidang seni reka fesyen
dan pembelian. Namun minat mendorong beliau untuk
mempelajari catan sehingga lulus dengan Ijazah Seni
Halus dari Universiti Teknologi Mara pada tahun
2002. Azliza mula menyertai pameran berkumpulan
sejak tahun 1999. Karya beliau yang memenangi
Anugerah Penghargaan dalam pertandingan Bakat Muda
Sezaman 2002 turut dipilih untuk dipersembahkan
dalam pameran Di Sebalik Bayang dan Imajan di
Sweden dan Sepanyol pada tahun 2003.
Karya Azliza mendokumentasikan kehidupan
sekelilingnya dengan penuh semangat dan getaran
persekitaran Kuala Lumpur, iaitu habitat semulajadi
beliau. Karya instalasi beliau merupakan gambaran
monumental keriangan yang sering membayangkan ulasan
sosial peribadinya yang tegas. Keistimewaan yang
paling menonjol bagi gadis berusia 29 tahun ini
ialah kebolehan beliau untuk memisahkan kegawatan
bentuk dengan melepaskan sifat objek dari keadaan
sosialnya yang asal ke dalam luahan rasa kreatif.
Saya tidak selesa dengan batas-batas
persempadanan dan penjenisan yang mendifinisikan
khalayak arus perdana. Saya menghargai kemurnian
zaman kanak-kanak. Dan saya berusaha mencipta
saat-saat keriangan dan harapan dalam karya saya.
Ia juga cubaan untuk meraikan saat tersendiri
dalam tawarikh peribadi saya.
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Azliza Ayob
“I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE LIMITATION OF BOUNDARIES AND
CATEGORIES THAT DEFINE MAINSTREAM SOCIETY. I CHERISH THE INNOCENCE
AND SIMPLICITY OF CHILDHOOD. MY WORK TRIES TO CREATE MOMENTS OF
JOY AND PROMISE. IT ALSO TRIES TO CELEBRATE CERTAIN MOMENTS IN MY
OWN PERSONAL HISTORY.”
Azliza Ayob's art career is characterised by a hectic schedule of participation in
numerous art programmes as well as her work as an artist. She has facilitated and
participated in a variety of art workshops for adults and children. Initially trained in
fashion design and merchandising, Azliza studied painting and graduated with a
Bachelor of Fine Arts from MARA University of Teknology in 2002. She has been
participating in group exhibitions since 1999 and her award nominated work in the
Bakat Muda Sezaman (Young Contemporaries Award) 2002 exhibition organised by
the the National Art Gallery of Malaysia was selected for the show "Of Shadows and
Images" held in Sweden and Spain in 2003.
Azliza's work documents the people she sees around her in the vivid and vibrant
environments of Kuala Lumpur, where she has lived all her life. Her installation works
are monumental portrayals of joy that are often reflections of her personal, strong
social comment. Probably the most telling and significant feature of 29-year-old
Azliza's art is her ability to defy gravity in her oeuvre by releasing objects from its
social condition and casting them into creative expressions.
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SO, WHY SO SAD?
2004, instalasi/installation
213 x 213 x 244cm
(p35-p37)
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Eric Chan
Dilahirkan di Kuala Lumpur pada tahun 1975, Eric Chan
memperolehi Ijazah Sarjana Muda Seni Halus (Catan)
dari Kolej Seni LASALLE-SIA. Berkat program kerjasama
antara LASALLE-SIA dengan Institut Teknologi Diraja
Melbourne, Australia, Eric dianugerahkan biasiswa
untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat Sarjana Seni
Halus (Catan) pada tahun 2000.
Eric telah menyertai berbagai pameran berkumpulan di
Malaysia, Singapura dan Indonesia sejak sepuluh tahun
yang lalu. Semenjak tahun 2000, beliau telah
mengadakan 5 buah pameran solo di Kuala Lumpur,
Singapura, Hong Kong dan Jakarta. Beliau juga pernah
menjadi kurator beberapa buah pameran termasuk
pameran Permukaan di Galeri LASALLE Singapura.
Kreativiti Eric berakar daripada komitmen beliau
sebagai seorang pelukis yang menitik-beratkan aspek
formal dari segi garisan, bentuk dan warna. Pada
mulanya Eric memberi perhatian khusus kepada cara
sentuhan tampak dalam karya beliau — yang mana kerap
kali mempunyai kualiti sensual seni foto — dapat
diterokainya. Lama-kelamaan seni foto menjadi palet
tampak untuk karyanya. Melalui catan-catannya yang
terperinci, Eric berjaya menjalinkan metaforametafora falsafah dan estetik lalu menangkap saatsaat kerohanian yang tidak dapat disanggah lagi.
Perkara penting yang sentiasa menjadi asas dalam karya
saya ialah keikhlasan. Minat saya sekarang ini adalah pada
filem-filem hitam putih lama Melayu dan Cina sekitar tahun
1950an yang bukan saja menjadi galur warisan saya bahkan
telah menghunuskan inspirasi dari era tersohor ini. Isi
gaya ceritanya yang tulus akan terurai dengan sendirinya
kepada saya.
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Eric Chan
“IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THE BASIS OF MY ART
PRACTICES AND PAINTING IS HONESTY. MY CURRENT INTEREST IS IN THE OLD
BLACK AND WHITE CHINESE AND MALAY FILMS OF THE 1950s. THESE NOT
ONLY PRESENT TO ME A THREAD OF MY OWN HERITAGE, BUT AS I DRAW
INSPIRATION FROM THIS VERY IMPORTANT ERA, A WHOLE NEW NARRATIVE
CONTENT IS UNRAVELLING ITSELF TO ME.”
Born in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, Eric Chan obtained a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting)
from the LASALLE-SIA College of Art in Singapore. Through LASALLE-SIA's
collaboration with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Eric was awarded a
scholarship and continued his art education in Australia until he graduated with a
Masters of Fine Art (Painting) in 2000.
Over the past ten years, Eric has participated in numerous group exhibitions in
Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Since 2000, he has held 5 solo exhibitions in
Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong and Jakarta. He has also curated several
exhibitions, including "Surface" at the LASALLE Gallery in Singapore.
Eric's creativity originates from his commitment as a formalistic painter to line, form
and colour. Initially he paid particular attention to how the order and visual touch
within his work – which often carried the sensual qualities of a photograph – could be
explored. Subsequently photography became the visual palette for his art. And
through his detailed paintings, there is an indisputable way in which Eric links the
philosophical and aesthetic metaphors to capture a spiritual moment.
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FINAL TAKE
2004
siri tiga cat minyak atas kanvas/
triptych oil on canvas
¿ 120cm
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Zulkifli Zakaria
Zulkifli Zakaria merupakan salah seorang artis
sezaman yang berbakat besar milik Malaysia. Pelukis
yang juga jaguh tekno ini kerap menjangkau batasan
komputer grafik arus perdana dengan animasi digital
dan interaktifnya. Lahir di Besut, Trengganu pada
tahun 1964, beliau tamat pengajian di Politeknik
Kuantan pada tahun 1986. Zulkifli kemudiannya menjadi
wartawan pelatih di akhbar The Star. Kerjaya beliau
dalam bidang interaktif terus berkembang berikutan
hemat empat tahun sebagai kolumnis muzik akhbar The
Sun, dan diikuti pula dengan penceburan sebagai
penulis skrip dan pengaju televisyen. Projek-projek
kolaborasi antarabangsa beliau di negara-negara
seperti Sweden, Afrika Selatan, Amerika Syarikat dan
England turut diberi pengiktirafan. Pada tahun 2002,
beliau telah membuat persembahan solo muzik
ekperimental yang bertajuk P.A.U.S.E. dalam satu
projek yang berjudul Imej Umum di Acara Biennale
Gwanju di Korea Selatan.
Penghasilan karya Zulkifli mencakupi dua bahantara
utama, iaitu tamsilan video dan bunyi. Kedua-duanya
dilaksanakan dengan pantas getar yang mana telah
menyampaikan satu kemunculan estetik baru yang
dihidangkan sebagai ulasan sosial. Sementara karya
beliau cuba untuk menyatukan jurang-jurang budaya, ia
juga bertindak sebagai barometer yang mencerkap
ketegangan dan kekacauan sosial.
Ramai yang mempunyai ulasan sosial, namun kerap tertegun
dengan batas dan larangan ketentuan kendiri. Bahayanya tunduk
dengan tekanan seperti ini ialah keterbatasan jangkauan dan
kreativiti sendiri. Karya saya berkenaan dengan menjangkaui
parameter ini. Dan cara terbaik menghadirkan kebijaksanaan
artistik saya ialah dengan kembali ke asas, di mana segalanya
segar, mentah dan tidak dinodai oleh kesempurnaan.
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Zulkifli Zakaria
“MOST PEOPLE HAVE A SOCIAL COMMENT BUT ARE OFTEN HALTED BY A
LITANY OF SELF-IMPOSED LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS. THE DANGER OF
BOWING DOWN TO THIS KIND OF PRESSURE IS THAT IT LIMITS ONE’S SCOPE
AND CREATIVITY. MY ART IS ABOUT SIDESTEPPING THESE PARAMETRES. AND
TO BEST ARTICULATE MY ARTISTIC PRESENCE – I BELIEVE IN RETURNING TO
BASICS, WHERE EVERYTHING IS FRESH, RAW AND UNSULLIED BY PERFECTION.”
Zulkifli Zakaria is one of Malaysia’s most exciting talents. Part artist, part techno-whiz,
he often stretches the limits of mainstream computer graphics with his digital
animations and interactives. Born in Besut, Terengganu in 1964, Zulkifli graduated
from the Kuantan Polytechnic in 1986. A year as a trainee journalist with The Star
marked the debut of his multi-career which included a four-year stint as the music
columnist for The Sun newspaper and later as a scriptwriter and presenter on
television. Some of his international collaborations have earned him recognition in
Sweden, South Africa, USA and England. In 2002, through “Public Image” at the
Gwanju Biennale in Gwanju, South Korea, Zulkifli presented an interesting solo
experimental music performance called P.A.U.S.E.
Zulkifli’s art making encompasses two main mediums, video imaging and sound –
both of which are executed with a vibrant immediacy which convey an emerging new
aesthetic that serves as a social comment. While Zulkifli’s work attempts to bridge
cultural gaps, it also acts as an emotional barometer capturing the tension of social
disorders.
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STILLS FROM 1, 2, 3, 4!
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STILLS FROM 1, 2, 3, 4!
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Yee I-Lann
Yee I-Lann dilahirkan pada tahun 1971 di Kota
Kinabalu, Sabah. Pada tahun 1992, beliau lulus Ijazah
Sarjana Muda (Seni Tampak) dari Universiti Australia
Selatan, Adelaide, Australia, dan seterusnya
memperolehi Sijil dalam bidang catan dari Sekolah
Seni Central St Martins di London, England pada tahun
1993. Tambahan lagi, beliau juga memperolehi Sijil
Pengarahan Seni dari Sekolah Filem, Televisyen dan
Radio Australia. I-Lann merupakan peserta pertama
yang terpilih untuk menyertai program artis residensi
yang ditubuhkan oleh Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Australia di
Malaysia. Semenjak itu beliau giat terlibat dalam
pelbagai pameran di Malaysia dan luar negera. Sejajar
dengan aktivitinya dalam bidang seni visual, I-Lann
turut aktif dalam bidang perfileman, di mana beliau
telah berpeluang bekerjasama dengan penggiat-penggiat
filem ternama dari Malaysia dan antarabangsa.
Dalam pengkaryaannya, I-Lann bijak menyerap kejadian
yang berlaku di sekelilingnya. Tanpa menghakimi,
beliau hanya mengulas apa yang diperhatikannya. Namun
karya beliau tetap satu pernyataan deskriptif yang
jitu, mencabar dan memberangsangkan dengan kekuatan
isu-isu sosial.
Dari ilham ilmu, kekuasaan dan keindahan tersembunyi di
peta telapak kaki. Pemetaan itu menghidangkan perlambangan
ikonik sebagai pendita retorik identiti, adicita
penaklukan, dan perbezaan budaya politik sosioekonomi.
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Yee I-Lann
“IT IS THUS THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE, BEAUTY AND POWER OF OUR
HUMBLE FEET THAT THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SOLE, THE CARTOGRAPHY,
SERVES AS ICONIC SYMBOLISM ABLE TO MINISTER THE RHETORIC OF IDENTITY,
THE IDEOLOGY OF CONQUEST AND THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLITICS OF
CULTURAL DIFFERENCE.”
Yee I-Lann was born in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in 1971. She completed a Bachelor of
Arts (Visual Arts) degree at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia in
1992 and obtained a certificate in Painting from the Central St Martins School of Art,
London, England in 1993. In addition she has a Certificate in Art Direction from the
Australian Film Television and Radio School, Sydney, Australia. She was the first
recipient of the “Artist in Residence Program” accorded by the Australian High
Commission in Malaysia to promising Malaysian artists. I-Lann has exhibited
extensively in Malaysia and abroad. Drawing parallels to her art has been her
involvement with film, an engagement that has witnessed her working with some of
the most notable names in Malaysian and international filmmaking.
In her artistic practice, I-Lann makes liberal use of what is happening around her.
While she does not make judgments, she simply comments on life as she sees it. As
such, her art can be regarded as descriptive statements that are articulate,
challenging and exciting with a strong social comment.
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TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SOLE I
2004
cetakan digital/digital print
122 x 122cm
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TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SOLE II
2004
cetakan digital/digital print
122 x 122cm
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TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SOLE III
2004
cetakan digital/digital print
122 x 122cm
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