This thought is espoused in the art exhibition “Twilight: The Dawn of Dusk”, held at Artas Galeri in Kota Damansara, Selangor, throughout this month. It features the works of three young, promising and highly sought artists, which largely depict natural landscapes.
Artas Galeri director Roy Ng told FMT that the exhibition is meant to remind Malaysians that the world still has much to offer. “We may live in a world tainted by pollution, but we must never forget the beauty of nature,” he said.
First up is 24-year-old Alisya Fahmi, a UiTM graduate whose skills in figurative art have left an impression on local enthusiasts.
This year, she had the privilege of presenting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, with a portrait.
Lately, she has been moving out of her comfort zone to work on realistic landscapes, with her series “Senjakala” on display at Artas Galeri.
As evidenced by her featured piece, “Pengubat Rindu”, Alishya has drawn inspiration from scenes of everyday life in her hometown of Kuala Nerang, Kedah. Most of her works depict quiet moments in the equally quiet Malaysian countryside, with paddy fields basking in the vibrant glow of the evening sky.
“It took me some time to complete this entire series, which I based on photographs taken while visiting my hometown,” she told FMT.
“I am attracted to the evening sky, with so many colours coming together all at once. And dusk is a time that symbolises the day’s end, when labourers return to their homes to rest.”
Her artworks are akin to a diary for her, and she hopes viewers will appreciate the simplicity and beauty of village life in Malaysia.
Fellow UiTM graduate Haziq Syawal has a different approach to depicting landscapes. The 29-year-old’s exhibited series, “Dusk and Night”, features his signature style of a saturated colour palette and overlapping geometric planes.
Given that most artists can easily create a landscape painting, Haziq said he wanted to inject his identity into his work and stand out from the crowd.
In that regard, he has succeeded: it is hard to distinguish the foreground from the middle and background of his works, setting them apart from traditional landscape painting.
The washed-out colours are also deliberate, as Haziq wishes to share how a colour-blind artist might see the world.
Faiz Mahdon’s exhibited series, “MINDtalk”, is a mind-boggling one. Comprising fantastical, and yet realistic, landscapes, the works by the 29-year-old Sabahan are very much from his own imagination, rife with surreal imagery from a fictitious world and often devoid of human life.
Depicting gorgeous waterfalls and towering clouds, one cannot help but notice a strange feature in some of his paintings. Take a closer look and you will see a cardboard box, looking out of place amidst the scenery.
This is no mistake, however, as the box symbolises something important to Faiz. “It represents me,” he told FMT, explaining that he is “an introvert at heart” who finds it very difficult to speak to people.
“I struggle with my identity and gender dysphoria, and this is one way I can reflect myself in my own paintings.”
Drawing inspiration from Rembrandt, Faiz said art is one way to share his state of mind with a select few – a way of “expressing your feelings, albeit on canvas rather than through words”.
‘Twilight: The Dawn of Dusk’ is on display until Aug 28. For more information, check out Artas Galeri’s website, as well as Facebook and Instagram profiles.
Artas Galeri
36, Jalan PJU 5/20D,
Kota Damansara,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor