Artish Mastura Abdul Rahman at the official launch of her Pesan Ibu: Alam DiJaga PetuaDi Ingat art exhibition in Fergana Gallery.
PETALING JAYA, July 28: The ongoing art exhibition, Pesan Ibu: Alam DiJaga PetuaDi Ingat or Mother’s Message: Take Care of Nature, Remember the Wise Sayings, at the Fergana Art Gallery is a culmination of three years of hard work by artist Mastura Abdul Rahman to sum up her world, the Malay world as much as possible in a rich tapestry that reflects the simple things held dear in their daily lives to their modest, yet bigger dreams.
Mastura, who has used traditional Malay art and craft features as well as simple, as well as daily essentials in her paintings to express the stories of the Malay world, has uniquely juxtaposed these objects be it agriculture and garden produces like vegetables, or a fish on a plate, with modern designs, to reflect that traditions and culture are being kept alive amid the present day modern living.
‘It is all about remembering where you came from, the main purpose and most important things in life. Many objects in my paintings were inspired by the words of wisdom from my late mother and mother-in-law on the importance of taking care of nature.
“For me, as a Malay woman, a Muslim, a mother, a grandmother and wife of a stroke survivor, the paintings are also about me, the need to balance, be responsible.
“Inspiration for the paintings also came from the elders general sayings via “pantun, peribahasa, syair” to lead a balanced life, amid the modern ways, technologies, and not to get lost or lose focus on the importance of life amid the many distractions happening around us,” Mastura, who also lectures at a university, told Weekly Echo at the official launch of the exhibition.
Curator M Jaafar Ismail, meanwhile commended Mastura’s works as “quiet, yet powerful” and “very definitive, very authentic” with their underlying messages of simplicity of traditions well mixed with modernity, and yet in line with modern art forms.
It is not a collage of traditional motifs or items but well presented paintings that reflect Mastura’s extensive knowledge and understanding of the Malay world, a Muslim woman, home, family ties, traditions and culture and the need for a Malay identity.
To catch the Pesan Ibu: Alam DiJaga PetuaDi Ingat art exhibition, which will be on until this Monday, July 31st, please visit Fergana Gallery, Publika in Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.
–WE