Malaysian Arts 2014 - A Review

While in his 1967 film, Bob Dylan advised us all “Don’t Look Back”, it is the New Year, and there will always be a fondness for the year which just slipped past our reach. So for the sake of “auld lang syne”, and as a taste of what might be to come, here is a brief Malaysian art encounter with 2014, the year recently departed.

Last year (2014), should there have been any doubt, has further demonstrated that all things to do with Malaysian ‘Art’ is currently on the rise. While there were somewhat silly stories of famous Chinese film stars having their portraits constructed of chopsticks, in general the making and selling of Malaysian art, both Modern and Contemporary, and the promotion of art by Malaysian Galleryists, at home and abroad, grew to a brand new maturity.

Last year saw a slight return of well respected expatriate Malaysians, H.H.Lim, and Rajinder Singh (both at Wei Ling, The Gardens), bringing their intriguingly thought provoking artworks ‘home’, to some contemporary applause and much plaudits, by some. Returned, and now deeply entrenched, expat Malaysian artists, re-making their marks on the Malaysian art scene in 2014 included Ivan Lam (Wei Ling Contemporary), Lim Kim Hai (Vallette Gallery) and Jolly Koh (The Edge Galerie).

There continued to be a great surfeit of art galleries, art auctions, art exhibitions and art expos all vying for our brief attention, with up to three exhibition/display launches on the same day, ensuring that there was, indeed, ‘Art’ for everyone in Malaysia, in 2014, as the Malaysian Tourism Board would have us believe. It was not as though Malaysian art had stayed static. It most assuredly had not. Last year witnessed ’Guru of Colour’, a posthumous exhibition of artworks by the prestigious artist - Syed Ahmad Jamal, delighting European audiences while on show at Zagreb’s Museum of Arts and Crafts, Croatia.

Elsewhere in the occident, ’START Art Fair’, London, hosted by (some say) the most respected, (others over rated) Saatchi Gallery. Therein were a tricolour of arts from Malaysia, including The Prudential Global Eye Malaysian component; Galeri Chandan (KL) and Richard Koh Fine Art (KL/Singapore). This art fair gave another opportunity for younger Malaysian artists to shine abroad. The Prudential component came from a selection of artists; Zelin Seah, Kow Leong Kiang, Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, Sabri Idrus and Anne Samat who had participated in the Prudential Malaysian Eye exhibition at mapKL Publika. 

At ‘START’, Malaysian Galleryist Richard Koh sold a large Tryptych by Natee Utarit (from Thailand) for $480,000 USD, demonstrating that all aspects of the Malaysian art business were alive and thriving. Galeri Chandan held the second stage of their ‘Cheritera’ exhibition, at ‘START’, featuring Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, Azrin Mohd, Chong Ai Lei, Fadly Sabran, Haris Abadi, Haslin Ismail, Kow Leong Kiang, Marvin Chan, and Stephen Menon.

On the other side of this increasingly minuscule world from London, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) had promoted “Discover Malaysian Art’, launched in Melbourne, Australia, while in China; ’The Malaysia Art Activity Centre’, in Beijing, and the ‘11th Annual Asian, African and Mediterranean International Modern Art Exhibition in Hangzhou’ continued to assist Malaysian artists extend their Asian foothold.

Twenty fourteen saw non-figurative Malaysian art take the lead at a variety of art auctions throughout the year. While some auctions appeared to be avidly favouring Awang Damit Ahmad as star artist, it was the more established artists, Abdul Latiff Mohidin and Ibrahim Hussein who were undoubtedly shining brighter last year. The late Ibrahim Husein’s ‘Red, Orange and Core’ (1984) fetched an impressive RM 797,500 at one Henry Butcher auction, while The Edge Auction saw ‘Seascape’ (2013) by Abdul Latiff Mohindin reach RM 572,000. KL Lifestyle auctions throughout the year produced RM 451,000 for Abdul Latiff Mohindin’s ‘Landscape’ (Gelombang 1991 series), RM253,000 for ‘Tao Landscape’ (Homage to Lao Tzu, 1999) and RM246,400 for his ‘Mindscape’ (1983). In Hong Kong, the previous year (2013) Abdul Latiff Mohidin’s ‘Pago-Pago’ had reached an incredible1,230,000.00 HKD

Those pieces available by Syed Ahmad Jamal felt decidedly under valued, especially after the artist was lauded and applauded during his Croatian one man show. Sad to say, during the Henry Butcher Malaysian & Southeast Asian Art Auction, November 2014, only ‘Berenang’ (1965) did well, realising RM 179,200, a paltry sum when compared to Ibrahim Hussein’s RM 797,500. In the same auction Syed Ahmad Jamal’s ‘Set Untuk Keris i’ (2007) achieved RM11,500, and ‘Set Untuk Keris ii’ (2007) achieved RM10,925.

Obviously Malaysia is not seeing the staggering prices at auction that Hong Kong is. As the Malaysia art market is relatively young, and comparatively small, there were some baby steps up the ladder this past year. The key is, as ever, education. The more art is understood, the more it will be valued.