Front Row

Find out about a young artist from Tawau, Sabah who through his winning work earned himself a residency at the UOB-Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Hear his story and about why the visual arts takes centre stage in his life and the theme that interests him. Most recently, his work graces the regional bank’s annual report.

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The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat initiated a new-play project, inviting would-be playwrights to spend six months, meeting weekly to work on their scripts. During these weekly meetings theatre practitioners came in to share their experiences. Hear what they have to say about the experience and if the great Malaysian play lies just over the horizon.

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Local theatre company theatrethreesixty celebrates #MalaysiaBaru by celebrating the spirit of collaboration in theatre-making. In their six-week theatre festival #wearetheatrethreesixty2018, the company is presenting three different productions that are multicultural and multilingual. Directors Christopher Ling and Nicole-Ann Thomas talk to us about the three plays they are staging, and the process of working across cultural and language barriers.

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Charis Loke often engages with Malaysian culture and contemporary issues in her art. Over the last few years, her series such as “Bunga Bantahan” and “Rally Sketches” have focused on issues like the Bersih movement and the need for clean and fair elections in Malaysia. She also recently documented the 14th general elections through a series of sketches. Charis talks to us about the need for artists to remain continually engaged with contemporary issues, and how her past works are reframed today in light of Malaysia’s new government.

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The Selangor International Indigenous Arts Festival is an annual event that aims to celebrate and increase awareness of Malaysian’s indigenous communities by highlighting their various art forms. The festival’s event manager Hafeezuddin Abdul Razak tells us what they have in store this year, and why it is important to create spaces where urban Malaysians can connect with indigenous communities. 

Note: Following the airing of this interview, we received a letter of protest from the Mah Meri Cultural Village over certain aspects of the Selangor International Indigenous Arts Festival, including the use of a derogatory term in reference to the Malaysian indigenous communities. The interviewer was not aware of the offence caused at the time, and we apologise for the distress the interview may have caused. The podcast above has been left in its original form.

Follow up podcast with Rashid Esa on the controversy: Representation of Orang Asli

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Dead insects, dried plants, and tiny skeletons are captured in an otherworldly photo exhibit called “Redux” by Shareem Amry. She talks to us about her debut solo exhibition, what drew her to photographing these unlikely subjects, and why she uses film photography in her works.

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Music from the 80s and recollections of teenage love come together in “Stories from a Mixtape”, a musical by Malaysian band Leonard Theng and The Cerita. Band frontman Leonard Theng, and members Sharon Chong and Mizzie talk to us about how they will be bringing together narrative and live performance in a unique way for the show.

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The fifth biennial international percussion festival organized by Hands Percussion. Bernard Goh introduces the international and local guests, including Ariefwaran who with choreographer Kathyn Tan, work with the drummers to create a new vocabulary of movements for the performance. Ariefwaran hints on what to expect from the percussionists. Together Bernard and Ariefwaran point to some new directions that this Malaysian troupe will be taking to create their works.

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The visiting artist and adjunct professor of illustration at Pratt Institute at Brooklyn was in Kuala Lumpur to exhibit her works, some 20 portraits depicted in a dreamlike state. While several of her works are dark--like the one of her son with two bombs falling into the sides of his head--most in this collection are light and whimsical. Like women with cupcakes and wedding cakes on their heads. Foster reveals what she strives for in her art and also on her most recent project, capturing women.

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When it comes to the local indie music scene, Azmyl Yunor needs no introduction. As a fiercely independent musician, Azmyl views his art as a way to comment on the social, cultural, and political aspects of life in Malaysia. With the country being under a new government, we talk to Azmyl about the role of popular art forms in a democracy - particularly as a form of dissent, critique, and protest.

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