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The Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Weekend for the arts: Yoshisuke Funasaka's printmaking, Galeri Petronas reopens
EXHIBITION: ASIAN MASTER SERIES: 03 YOSHISUKE FUNASAKA'S 'INTIPATI' Venue: Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya, KL Date: ends July 31 Step into the world of renowned Japanese artist-printmaker Yoshisuke Funasaka, 86, in this eye-catching exhibition - his first in Malaysia. Intipati showcases Funasaka's distinctive fusion of traditional woodblock printing with contemporary techniques like silkscreen and katagami stencilling, resulting in striking, modernist compositions. The show, organised by Japan Foundation, LL, features nearly 100 works dating back to the 1970s. It offers a glimpse into the craft that has made Funasaka a celebrated figure in Japanese printmaking. Curated by veteran printmaker Juhari Said - who studied under Funasaka in Japan in the early 1990s - the exhibition is also a tribute to their shared artistic journey. As part of his legacy, Funasaka has generously donated over 240 original works to Universiti Malaya, enriching its permanent collection and paving the way for future research and exhibitions. In conjunction with the Museum of Asian Art show, Funasaka will lead a special Traditional Japanese Baren Making Workshop, alongside a talk by Juhari Said on Saturday (June 14) at 2.30pm. Free admission exhibition. Gallery is closed on Sundays. More info here. 'TaTaTa', brought to life by Anne James (right) and Audrey Chua - explores the quiet, often unspoken spaces between generations. Photo: Low Pey Sien THEATRE: KONGSI PETAK'S 'TATATA' Venue: Dewan Serbaguna Seri Kembangan, Selangor Date: June 14 and 15 Here's a show, presented by the Kongsi Petak collective, that takes you straight to the heart of a small town community. It's worth the road trip for a different kind of theatre experience — a repurposed community hall with its own charm. After a memorable opening night on Friday, don't expect weekend tickets to stick around — snap them up while you still can. Part performance, part memory capsule, TaTaTa transfoms the rough-and-ready Dewan Serbaguna Seri Kembangan hall into a stage where memories and generations meet. Marking Lai Wen Xin's directorial debut, this interdisciplinary work - brought to life by veteran performer Anne James and rising talent Audrey Chua - explores the quiet, often unspoken spaces between generations. Blending theatre, dance, and multimedia, it reflects on the emotional distances that can form between the elderly and the young, offering a layered meditation on memory, aging, and the shifting dynamics of care and connection. The result is a tender, thought-provoking work that invites audiences to reflect on what it truly means to grow older. More info here. Visitors pass Azim Rodi's 'Langkah Terasing', an installation spotlighting roadside fruit sellers and the city's everyday scenes shaped by social class divides. Photo: The Star/Muhamad Shahril Rosli EXHIBITION: 'OLD SCHOOL X NEW RULES' Venue: Galeri PETRONAS, Level 3, Suria KLCC Date: ends Sept 28 Curious about the rising wave of Malaysian artists reshaping the scene? Old School X New Rules, the group exhibition at the newly reopened Level 3 gallery in Suria KLCC, offers a compelling entry point. Spanning a range of mediums - from installations and video works to paintings and found objects - the show brings together a diverse, thought-provoking line-up of emerging voices. It's more than just a survey of fresh talent; it's a snapshot of shifting perspectives, new languages of expression, and the evolving relationship between tradition and experimentation in local art. Featured artists include Zulkefli Jais, Aimman Hafizal, Azim Rodi, Yong Hui Lin, Chong Yan Chuah, Yuki Mun, Burhanuddin Bakri, Foong Yeng Yeng (with Lim Soon Hock), Afiq Romi, Haziq Syawal, Husni Osman, Syazwan Jehan, Syuhada Yaacob, and Akif Azmi - each bringing their own distinct perspective and artistic voice to the table. Galeri PETRONAS, which paused its programmes during a pandemic-era realignment in May 2021, is marking its return with a series of public programmes around this new exhibition - making it clear that it's back and reengaging with audiences. Free admission exhibition. Galeri PETRONAS is closed in Mondays. More info here. A closer look at Kugan's work titled 'Cascade', which uses graphite on cigarette gold foil. Photo: Jerome Kugan EXHIBITION: JEROME KUGAN'S 'ALL LIFE IS RECYCLED' and 'TIME IS A DONUT' Venue: Temu House, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Date: June 14-29 Sabahan artist-writer Jerome Kugan brings together his work in poetry, music and visual art in this deeply personal exhibition, which opens this weekend at Temu House. All Life Is Recycled and Time Is A Donut gather Kugan's works from 2017 to 2025, highlighting his ongoing exploration of recycled and found materials as tools for reflection and memory. These objects, each carrying their own histories, are transformed into thoughtful, tactile works that speak to both personal experience and the wider human condition. The show also features pieces from Time Is A Donut, created during the Kota Kinabalu-based artist's three-month residency in Frankfurt, Germany under the AIR_Frankfurt programme. Developed after the death of his mother, whom he cared for over five years, this series is a meditative journey into how humans process time and grief. There is a quiet emotional depth that threads through the collection, inviting viewers to pause and contemplate the stories we attach to the things we leave behind. The opening reception is at 3pm this Saturday. Admission is free. More info here. A view of Bayu's latest solo exhibition 'Resonance Of Soul', which is showing at the Harta Space gallery in Selangor. Photo: The Star/Glenn Guan EXHIBITION: BAYU UTOMO RADJIKIN'S 'RESONANCE OF SOULS' Venue: Harta Space, Ampang, Selangor Date: ends June 29 Bayu Utomo Radjikin's latest solo exhibition, Resonance Of Souls, signals a striking new chapter in the veteran artist's career. Known for his expressive intensity, Bayu returns with a series of large-scale paintings that explore the human condition through anonymous male figures - contorted, raw, and emotionally charged. Far from conventional portraiture, these figures are stripped of identity, becoming vessels for universal struggle, vulnerability, and resilience. Executed in deep, brooding tones and visceral textures, the works inhabit the Harta gallery space with a quiet force. This exhibition marks a significant evolution in the Sabah-born artist's practice, blending abstraction with figuration in ways that are both physical and affective. As a founding member of the Matahati Collective and Hom Art Trans, Bayu brings over 30 years of experience to this show - proving that his artistic journey is far from static, and still very much in motion. More info here. Khabir's solo debut exhibition at KL's Wei-Ling Gallery, explores time through themes of decomposition, repair, and transformation. Photo: The Star/Raja Faisal Hishan EXHIBITION: KHABIR ROSLAN'S 'SUKMA: MEGAH, TUNDOK' Venue: Wei-Ling Gallery, KL Date: ends June 21 After his time in the WLG Incubator Young Artists programme in 2023 under the mentorship of Yau Bee Ling, emerging artist Khabir Roslan presents a solo debut exhibition at Wei-Ling Gallery, exploring time through themes of decomposition, repair, and transformation. Using compost soil mixed with pigments and oil, along with stitched bandages and cloth, Khabir creates large-scale, tactile works layered with care and memory. Hexagonal motifs - echoing Singgora clay roof tiles from Nusantara architecture - repeat across the surfaces, evoking both fragmentation and continuity. Titled from the Bahasa Malaysia words sukma (soul), megah (greatness), and tundok (humility), the show reflects on cyclical rhythms of making. Neither quite painting nor sculpture, the works unfold as soil-stained scrolls that stretch floor to ceiling, anchored by a fragment of a boat's hull - merging gesture, object, and grounded reflection. For those new to his work, Khabir is a transdisciplinary artist whose practice weaves together science, cosmology, and philosophy. A Fine Arts graduate from UiTM Shah Alam, he was awarded "Most Promising Artist" after winning the UOB Painting of the Year 2020 in the Emerging Artist category. More info here. Tong's painting titled 'Wood Drill And Tool Box', which is part of his 'Occurs' debut exhibition in KL. Photo: Tong Fung Chuar EXHIBITION: TONG FUNG CHUAR'S 'OCCURS' Venue: The Changing Room, Zhongshan building, KL Date: ends June 22 It's always encouraging to see emerging artists take the spotlight, Occurs marks Tong Fung Chuar's solo debut - a raw, introspective series put together by independent curator Umar Sharif. With titles like Blister, Screaming Car, and Bloodletting, Tong's paintings explore everyday anxiety and quiet chaos. Trained in France, Tong channels pain and tension through naive, unstructured forms. Figures are absent, allowing space for personal reflection, while the curation leans into mood over narrative. More than a promising debut, Occurs also highlights the power of independent art spaces - where experimentation and expression thrive beyond the institutional frame. More info here.
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Fury as ‘Brit' pole-dancers swing from hallowed Greek landmark as local says ‘would they do it at Buckingham Palace?'
A GROUP of pole dancers has sparked outrage in Greece after staging a semi-nude photoshoot outside a revered historic palace. The raunchy shoot unfolded outside the Old Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu, a 200-year-old former royal residence and 3 A group pole dancers staged a semi-nude photoshoot at a historic palace in Greece Credit: Facebook/StefanDimoulis 3 The women were spotted taking the raunchy snaps outside the Old Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu Credit: Facebook/StefanDimoulis 3 The pole dancers were later slammed by furious locals online Credit: Facebook/StefanDimoulis Footage shared by Greek media shows two women in bright red lingerie balancing on a pole. Another clip captures a dancer in a black thong leotard being cheered on by a woman shouting: 'Yes Shelly, nice!' Dozens of furious residents slammed the shoot online, branding it 'disgraceful' – and accusing the performers of being British, local outlet One person fumed: 'The Corfu Palaces: they once hosted royals. Now, pole dancing. Read more world news 'If Lord Byron saw pole dancing at the Palaces, he would have returned to England without a second thought.' Another commenter raged: 'Would they do the same at Buckingham [Palace]? Of course, here we have been the inferior in Europe for years on vacation and binge. [sic]' Concerns were also raised over possible damage to the site, with one user asking whether the performers had 'pierced the slabs in the ground' to secure the pole. So far, there's no evidence the historic structure was harmed. Most read in The Sun The Palace was commissioned by British Lord High Commissioner Sir Thomas Maitland in the early 19th century. It is one of the best-preserved examples of Regency architecture outside the UK and now houses the Museum of Asian Art. Moment Brit woman is dragged off Ryanair flight & thrown to floor after 'assaulting passengers and making bomb threat' The Directorate of the Museum reportedly had no idea the shoot was happening, according to Protothema. Outraged locals flooded Facebook with questions. 'Did the permanent residents of the historic centre and their association take a position for this event?' one asked. 'Who gave the permission slip?' demanded another. 'Someone should call the police,' a third added. It comes as a tourist is facing a £168,000 fine after hurling a huge rock into a gorge at Spain's Picos de Europa National Park. The incident occurred on the popular Cares Trail, which draws 300,000 hikers annually. In a viral video, the man is seen throwing the stone over the edge, followed by a loud crash below. Spanish Civil Guard are now investigating, warning: 'This stunt could cost you dearly. 'Throwing this rock could land this person with a fine ranging from €5,001 to €200,000… these are specially protected areas due to their high environmental value.' Park Environmental groups have also raised concerns about lasting damage to the fragile ecosystem. Authorities are working to identify the man and are urging better education, signage, and surveillance. A park official added: 'Reckless actions like this not only endanger lives – they disrespect the natural beauty and safety of the space we work hard to preserve.'
