I am just a TOY..therefore I am...

My works are based from my childhood experiences. My idea is to create happiness in my works. Living in the city, my childhood playthings are toys and playgrounds. Like many children in the city, I was a kid who spent time out of school with only my imagination playing with my childhood playthings. My inspiration also comes from my childhood cartoon such as Doremon, and Casper. The aesthetic experiences from my observation on these particular subjects are formalistic approaches and Japanese culture-Kawaii.

The formalistic approaches are based on toys mainly towards its plastic surfaces, simple-organic forms, colored and also functional. While Japanese culture Kawaii in Japanese Manga which mean cuteness are also popularly used to describe anything cute, sweet and childlike. This are also had been stateted by my references artist Yoshitomo Nara; "My art represents my childhood experiences. It is not influenced by Japanese pop culture. I played with sheep, cats and dogs when I came home from school," I would like to see that my works can be participating by audiens as if they play with my childhood playthings.

Young artists support each other to challenge and exchange ideas

By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ(The star,Feb 10 2009)

NEW talents are constantly emerging on the art scene and art galleries play an important role in bringing the works of the young artists to the attention of the public. To this end, the NN Gallery in Ampang Hilir recently held an exhibition called Smash, which featured the works of a young art collective, Warna, as well as guest artists Azizan Talkis, Adlan Aman and Angela Liu Jing.

Warna, which was formed in 2006, is a group of young artists whose unique expressions are inspired by nature, the environment and aspects of youth and popular culture. The artists – Faizal Suhif, Azli Wahid, Ali Azraie Bebit, Halim Hasan and Razlan Adnan – were students of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and represent four major disciplines in art, namely drawing, painting, print and sculpture.

Textures and markings: Works by Faizal Suhif.

They support each other conceptually and artistically to challenge and exchange ideas reflective of a new generation. Faizal makes his prints from objects he has found, such as driftwood and cement. His piece entitled Gajah is a fine example of this.

“Using cement as a print mould gives the work textures and markings. You will notice that the elephant does not have a trunk because the mould didn’t have that shape. I create with objects which I think represent something,” he said at the exhibition.

Meanwhile, Halim paints in oil and acrylic, and is also a printmaker. He uses ants as metaphors for humans in his paintings. “Ants and humans have so much in common. They work in teams for survival, helping each other. Ants also have a social hierarchy like humans have. That’s why I have ants in my works,” he explained.

Razlan and Ali’s works are based on their early childhood exposure to toys. Razlan approaches toys for their inherent plastic qualities, vivid colours and smooth surfaces.

Interesting: A sculpture by Ali Azraie.

“Most of my works are inspired by Japanese cartoons, and the ideas come from the characters that I have watched; I pick the essence and put it into my sculptures,” he said.

Ali, on the other hand, picks up cartoon images such as Doraemon and Snoopy, and using metal automobile parts, constructs three-dimensional kinetic works. The metal he uses may be rough, spiked or textured.

The works that were displayed were priced between RM1,000 and RM3,000.

Simply smashing

By AMY DE KANTER(The Star Feb 1,2009)

The Smash: Warna exhibition shows that young local artists are on the right track.

ONE of the stimulating things about art is that it is, to a point, subjective. The personality or even the mood of the viewer affects how the piece is interpreted.

In recent months, there has been much news (though not enough) of the smuggling of animal parts. Mohd Faizal Suhif’s art may not be the first thing a visitor sees upon entering the NN Gallery in Ampang, Selangor, but the large white canvas with the image of an elephant has a magnetic pull. Faizul’s beautiful animal is missing its tusks and trunk. Also incomplete is the title of the piece, stencilled in large letters on the canvas itself: G _ _ A H.

Mohd Faizal Suhif’s G_ _ AH shows cement cut on canvas.

Closer inspection reveals something that shows up on all of Faizal’s other works. Be it an elephant, a fish, platypus or crocodile, the creature’s eyes shows depth, gentleness, intelligence... and it is the eyes that make you linger just a little longer.

Faizal is a member of an art collective called Warna, made up of young, up-and-coming artists, and the other collective members are Azli Wahid, Ali Azraie Bebit, Halim Hasan and Razlan Adnan. The exhibit at the NN Gallery, called Smash, showcases their work as well as that of guest artists Azizan Talkis, Adlan Aman and Angela Liu Jing.

Two very familiar characters, Snoopy and Doraemon, make an appearance at the exhibit courtesy of Ali Azraie Bebit, who uses familiar icons made from welded metal to deliver his message. His metal Snoopy is entitled Kapten Yang Masih Tidur (The Captain Who is Still Asleep) and in its stomach is a working alarm clock, set to go off every ten minutes.

Halim Hasan’s Enjet-Enjet

“The Kapten must not sleep, he must struggle and do what is right,” explains Ali, who likes his sculptures to be interactive. He leans over and sets the alarm to go off again. My favourite of Ali’s pieces is that of a little warrior who wears a bicycle chain as a bullet sash. There is an element of the ridiculous about its large froglike head on a body posed for fight, but it looks as if it could just as easily be dancing or throwing a tantrum.

Like an action figure, the warrior’s pose can be changed, Ali says. “I don’t want my work to be boring. With moveable parts, the owner can change it.” (It is with a mixture of pleasure and regret that I notice an orange dot next to the warrior. It the first day of the exhibition and six pieces have already been sold).

Guest artist Azizan’s images seem to reflect current headlines, and this time, its the atrocities in Gaza. Apo-calyptic images include the Mona Lisa wearing a gas mask; a head nodding forward to reveal an expo-sed brain; and the tormented, terrified face of a child looking like he is trying to break out of the canvas, into the safety of the viewer’s world. Yet, all these images, the artist says, are a reflection of himself. The escaping child is Azizan as a boy, confused, angry and “a little bit stupid”, as growing boys tend to be, yet desperate to find his way.

Smash is a collision of contrasts: Angela Liu Jing’s art is elegant; Adlan’s paintings of his cats add an element of warmth; there is no love at first sight for Halim’s giant ants swarming over series of canvases, but there certainly is fascination.

A thought-provoking piece by Azizan Talkis.

“These ants are a metaphor for humans,” explains Halim of his piece that is meant to resemble what we can achieve if we “work hard and work together.” In one of his more direct pieces, ants struggle up a hill under the weight of their cause, but still keep going, strengthened by community and belief.

There is no doubt that the Smash artists are talented: Azizan has a way with perspective so you feel you are either about to “fall’’ into his paintings or be grabbed by one of its subjects; Razlan’s sculptures possess the confidence of a creator who knows exactly what he wants to say and how he wants it said. However, it is Ali’s work I find most exciting, although he says it takes him months to come up with the ideas. He is also the one I think most likely to make it abroad. Before leaving, I make yet another tour of Faizal’s works. I was wrong in my initial interpretation. Faizal does not expose ugliness ... he shares his gift for observation which helps him find and reveal beautiful images in unlikely surfaces – be it a slab of cement or a piece of plywood – and these are coaxed into objects of beauty.

Smash Warna-An Introduction for Warna Artgroup.

Growing numbers of art groups, associations and organizations in Malaysia reflect the encouraging sign of progression in the visual arts. They enhance the development of the arts amongst young artists, and move towards positive changes and fresher outlook. It shows that irregardless of the economic up and downs, artists continue to search for expression.

In the early 1930’s, Malaya witnessed the first ever art group namely the Pelukis Cat Air Pulau Pinang. This was then followed by the Wednesday Art Group (formed in 1954), Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung (1956), Anak Alam (1974), Matahati (1993) and since several art collectives have formed focused intently on their respective mediums, disciplines and philosophies. WARNA(2006) is the latest addition to this legacy.

Five young artists formed WARNA. They are Faizal Suhif, Azli Wahid, Ali Azraie Bebit, Halim Hasan and Razlan Adnan. The group emerged when they were students at the Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam and represent four major disciplines in art: drawing, painting, print and sculpture. Members in WARNA are a young collective developing their unique expression inspired by nature, the environment and aspects of youth and popular culture. They support each other conceptually and artistically to challenge and exchange ideas reflective of a new generation.

Faizal Suhif, makes his block prints from found objects, such as drift wood and cement. His piece entitled ‘Gajah’ uses cement as a print mould which results in accidental textures and markings. Azli Wahid, Ali Azraie and Razlan Adnan are sculptors. Azli uses wood for his sculptural work, which is inspired by boats. Azli deconstructs traditional elements of boat-making and plays with shadow effects to create organic sculptural forms and objects. Both Ali and Razlan are nostalgic about their early childhood. Ali re-appropriates cartoon images such as Doraemon and Snoopy and by using metal autoparts, television, he constructs three dimensional kinetic works. The metals used are rough, spiked and textured. On the other hand, Razlan approaches toys for their inherent plastic qualities, for their vivid colours and attractiveness and tactile smooth surfaces. Halim Hasan paints in oils and acrylic and is also a printmaker. Using ants as metaphors for human he paints subliminal canvasses reminiscent of Chinese ink paintings.

For their first exhibition WARNA invites three other young artists: Adlan Aman, Azizan Talkis and Angela Liu Jing, each showing a distinctly different account of personal expression.

- By Suzlee Ibrahim (Artist & Lecturer UITM Shah Alam)