Front Row

Sivarajah Natarajan is known in Malaysia for his figurative artwork, with perhaps some of his most familiar paintings being his works featuring dancers. In his latest exhibition called Atma, he presents a series of mixed media works that explore past events, contemporary Malaysia, poetry, and the subconscious. We speak with Sivarajah about his inspirations and work process behind this series.

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The International Watercolour Society is an organisation that was set up to promote the art of watercolour. This year, the Malaysia chapter will be having the first Malaysia International Watercolor Biennale, which will feature works from watercolourists both local and around the world. We speak with the society’s Malaysia country head, Jansen Chow, and representatives, See Thoo Sin Fatt and Chiayee Lam, about the event.

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Art exhibitions are often seen as the finished product of an artist’s work. There can, however, be much value in things left unfinished. This is the theme being explored in an art exhibition called “Non Finito”, which highlights the many facets of abstract art. The exhibition is organised by Opposites Abstract, an arts collective that was begun with the aim of providing a platform for abstract artists. We speak with the group’s founders, Dymphna Lanjuran and Abdelaziz Gattoufi, who also co-curated the exhibition.

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Now in its 12th year, the BMW Shorties is Malaysia’s longest-running short film competition, where up-and-coming filmmakers get a platform to showcase their works. We speak to three of the filmmakers who made it to the competition’s finals, about their entries, their influences, and how they view Malaysian filmmaking.

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An art exhibition in Kuala Lumpur called “Break, Bind, Rebuild” features two Cambodian artists, Tith Kanitha and Amy Lee Sanford, who each interpret the theme of the show in entirely different ways - and in doing so, present their own unique versions and experiences of contemporary Cambodia. We speak with Kanitha and the exhibition’s curator, Ben Valentine.

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It’s been 10 years since the premiere of the Malaysian musical “The Edge” by Nick Choo, which went on to win three Boh Cameronian Awards. theatrethreesixty is now restaging the musical, which focuses on the issue of suicide and the complex web of relationships that often surrounds the issue. We speak with the show’s director Christopher Ling, movement director Kenny Shim, and performer Kai Chalmers, about revisiting the musical.

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Our guests tell about how they marry butoh and contemporary dance training, to create this work about birds--dead birds that compel questions about life. The choreographer-dancer, Yeow Lai Chee, stirred by encounters with images of birds in unusual settings explores the duality of things, concrete and abstract. This work is also informed by the writings of Ibn Arabi: The Universal Tree and The Four Birds. This dance explores “death” with the living; with dances moving on the floor and the audience, quite still in their seats.

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Our guests draw the connections between local traditions, customs and practices and and the creative process to choreograph dances. While the final performance pieces are considered contemporary, the instructor and the dancer share how they tap into their Malaysian-ness to create works. When the creative process begins from tradition as points of inspiration and initiation, we revisit the question, What is the Malaysian dance body? According to some choreographers, we (Malaysians) do things differently shaped by the syntax we carry in our daily lives.

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A Malay-language play called “Pokok” brings together two big names for the first time; the play is written by media veteran, writer, and arts commentator Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, and directed by U-Wei HajiSaari, who is renowned for his films like “Kaki Bakar”, “Jogho”, and “Hanyut”. “Pokok” revolves around the lives of four very different people, and while it takes a realist approach to its story, offers up layers that reflect on contemporary life in Malaysia. We speak to U-Wei and producer Syahid Johan about the show and the process of bringing it to life.

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Dubbed as “P. Ramlee meets Vegas”, “TARAKUCHA: Marilah Menari” is classic big band exuberance with a retro Malay twist. We speak to TARAKUCHA band founder Sean Ghazi and his singing partner Ida Mariana about their upcoming musical performance, and how they experiment with classic Malay music by throwing in new styles.

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