'Living the Tanjong Life' exhibition celebrates the late artist Azmi Hussin

The Star

2 days ago

WITH his signature buck-toothed smile on full display, Joe G cheekily dangles from an old awning outside a high window at 37, Jalan Kampung Jawa Lama, Penang.
Feet spread apart like a frog, the card-carrying Penang boy looks set to burst through the glass for the start of his next adventure.
Joe G, of course, is a comic character drawn by the late Malaysian artist Azmi Hussin, who passed away suddenly on March 5.
After entering the local art scene in 2013, the 40-year-old was enjoying a heyday in his career, with five books published, popular murals scattered around the state, and three Malaysia Book of Records accomplishments under his belt.
Tragically, however, the Butterworth native experienced chest pains on his way back from a Ramadan bazaar in Paya Terubong during the holy month and passed away en route to the hospital.
At the time, he was gearing up for a number a projects, including a possible collaboration with the George Town Festival (GTF) – an annual showcase celebrating Penang's capital being recognised as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
After his untimely passing, three of Azmi's friends and colleagues – Goh Choon Ean, head of creative studio LUMA, art curator Ivan Gabriel and GTF festival director Jack Wong – came together with the hope of celebrating his life and work.
With assistance from a few other friends, the "Living the Tanjong Life: A Tribute to the Late Cartoonist Azmi Hussin" exhibition was put together and is currently on display in and around the Hin Bus Depot arts hub in George Town.
A total of four main stops make up the exhibition that starts at the entrance of Hin Bus Depot, where visitors can see a large print of Azmi's Crossing Tanjong Street artwork.
Around the corner, the graffiti-styled The Great Escape adorns a wall where, nestled inside the arts centre, a hidden treasure called Run Joe Run can be picked out only by those with discerning eyes.
The main part of the exhibition is housed in LUMA (a pre-war house located within the Hin Bus Depot area where the earlier mentioned cut-out of Joe G hangs outside a window) and visitors here can take a closer look at many of Azmi's creations, including original hand-drawn pieces that made up his last book, Tanjong Life: Back to the 90s.
Two of his iconic works – Kampung Nasi Lemak (2023) and a signed print of Ferry From Hollywood (2024) – have also been loaned by collectors for the exhibition.
On Sunday (Aug 10), Azmi's family, including his wife Marjanah Shammoon Rali and their three children, visited the exhibition for a special guided tour.
Admiring the 15 large cut-outs of Azmi's cartoon characters and samples from his collection of drawings, the group toggled between smiles and tears as they celebrated the beloved artist's accomplishments over the years.
'It was so good to remember his work and efforts.
"This makes me feel like he is still here and lives on through his art,' Marjanah, 39, said.
Living the Tanjong Life: A Tribute to the Late Cartoonist Azmi Hussin is a joint collaboration of LUMA, Hin Bus Depot and GTF.
It will run until Sunday (Aug 17) and is open to the public, free of charge.