Latest news with #MalaysianInstituteofArt
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Celebrated Malaysian artist makes his mark in Paris
Artisti-que impression: Tay (right) describing his artwork to Eldeen (left) who attended his first solo exhibition in Paris, which will be happening until tomorrow. JOHOR BARU: Malaysian artist Tay Poi San is turning heads in the international art scene with his first solo exhibition in Paris, a career milestone that is decades in the making. Titled 'Les Rivières de l'Encre: L'Héritage en Mouvement de Tay Poi San' (Rivers of Ink: The Flowing Legacy of Tay Poi San), the exhibition held at the Vanities Gallery from May 20 until June 2 showcases his signature blend of tradition and innovation. The gallery described Tay, 72, as 'one of the leading contemporary masters of ink painting'. Tay said being able to hold an exhibition in Paris, a major art capital, is a great honour for him. 'Having my works displayed (in Paris) is a spiritual milestone in my artistic life. 'It reflects the strong foundation and creative strength of Johor's art scene as we possess not only solid techniques but also the ability to transform our local culture into an artistic language with a global perspective,' said the artist from Ayer Hitam. The exhibition features representative works from his career spanning over 50 years. It showcases the evolution of his personal style and also conveys his philosophical belief that 'tradition should flow like a river'. Tay said it also highlights how he uses ink as a medium to bridge traditional eastern techniques with modern expressive forms. His art inherits the subtle essence of traditional Chinese landscape painting while infusing a dynamic contemporary aesthetic, creating poetic worlds that balance the real and abstract, he added. Tay noted that Malaysia's cultural diversity has given local artists a unique South-East Asian aesthetic and life experience. 'I hope this exhibition will also inspire younger artists not to imitate but to create from the heart and discover their own voice. 'When we stay true to our roots and dare to dream, we have the power to bring Malaysia's unique artistic spirit to the world,' he said. Tay began his artistic journey under calligraphy master Wong Tham Sing. He was later mentored by Kao Bing Yee and in the 1990s, he studied under ink painter Cheah Thien Soong, who taught external courses in ink painting at the Malaysian Institute of Art. He also trained under US-based artist Tan Chin Long (Chen Long). Since the 1980s, Tay has continuously innovated his ink language, becoming one of the key inheritors of the Nanyang art tradition. Malaysian ambassador to France Datuk Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim, who attended the opening of the exhibition on May 21, praised his contributions to the promotion of eastern art. Over the years, Tay has received various international recognition. For instance, he was selected among the Top 500 Global Artists at the Hong Kong Global Ink Art Festival in 2021. He has also exhibited his work at biennales in Shenzhen (2022) and London (2023).
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Sivam Selvaratnam's kaleidoscopic Malay canvas
A picture of zen. This is how most remember the late Malaysian artist Sivam Selvaratnam, a pioneering female voice in the still-growing melting pot that is post-Independence Malayan art. The 'zen' was not just limited to her personality — her canvases spoke of a quiet confidence. Deeply meditative at times, and unpredictable at others, the artist's body of work spanned genres and mediums, resulting in an oeuvre that resonated with many. Over 200 works from Sivam's six-decades-long career, curated by Sivarajah Natarajan and Cyril Periera of Sutra Foundation (dedicated to promoting and preserving traditional and contemporary performing arts), have recently been consolidated into a book. Sivam Selvaratnam: A Life in Art charts the artist and teacher's life, more than 10 years since her passing. 'When I was studying at the Malaysian Institute of Art, I was introduced to art history. We don't have a history like India, but there was a group founded by Sir Peter Harris, an Englishman [in 1952],' says Sivarajah, over a phone call from Kuala Lumpur. 'This was the first art group that was formed, and they would gather every Wednesday and paint.' The Wednesday Art Group attempted to break away from Eurocentric traditions and platformed artists with distinctive, modern styles. Sivam was one of its key members. 'When my lecturer mentioned the name, I was fascinated at how Indian-sounding it was,' says Sivarajah, recalling his first brush with the artist. Into a world of colour Born in Kajang, Malaysia, to parents of Sri Lankan Tamil origins, Sivam grew up surrounded by rubber plantations, tropical sunshine and abundant monsoons. And so, nestled deep in her canvases, be it realist or abstract, were the greens and browns that were hard to miss. But before entering the world of colours, she pursued a degree in teaching in Malaysia, and continued her studies in the Manchester College of Art and Design (now Manchester Metropolitan University) and with a Masters in Art and Design at the University of London. Sivam's early western influences were that of Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky and Swiss-German artist Paul Klee. And from the Indian Modernists, the Bengal School of Art and artist Raja Ravi Varma. In 2012, Sivarajah led a curation of all of the artist's work, marking Sivam's first solo show ever. Titled Rapt in Maya, it was displayed at the Universiti Malaya Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur. During the course of the curation, over lemon cream biscuits, Sivarajah and Sivam would talk at length about the creative process behind each work done over years spent in travel with her husband. Some of her most noted works such as the Colour of Rain series, Self Portraits, MetamorphosisandIridescence, and Twilight Raga, are featured in this volume. Her family, whose personal accounts enrich the book, lends insights into the artist's personal life and values. Lakshmi Selvaratnam, her eldest daughter-in-law, fondly shares: 'My earliest recollection of her as an artist was at her home when we were children. They [her paintings] were colourful and abstract, unlike anything that you saw on walls at the time.' For Lakshmi, Sivam's sense of shapes and colour was a point of intrigue. 'Sometimes, some pieces become a blend of sound and colour, and very much an expression of her inner self,' she says. On the other hand, her observational sketches and drawings show her penchant for planning and execution, and perhaps held up a mirror to her love for teaching. Instinctive and curious Sivam was multi-faceted. 'We cannot frame her into one genre. She was very adventurous,' says Sivarajah. She was passionate about textile, jewellery design, and printmaking — dabbling in both linocut and woodcut printing. How she analyses colour theory in her abstracts stayed with Sivarajah. 'A regular to Chennai's annual Margazhi festival, she was influenced by Carnatic music and the ragas.' An educationist, she was always a teacher at heart, which also spoke to her perfectionist approach to art studies. 'She was instinctive, and always curious,' says Lakshmi. The artist's final piece of work titled Curioser (2014) — which reveals her unique exploration of memories through hieroglyphic symbols (and makes up the cover of this book) — is now at the National Art Gallery, along with another work titled Malapetaka (1962). Peppered with artworks and personal essays, the book charts a life well spent in the company of art. 'Sivam Selvaratnam: A Life in Art' is on shelves now. The journalist is based in Chennai.
