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| ▲ This photo, provided by Hansae Yes24 Cultural Foundation, shows Jemputan's artwork. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo, provided by Hansae Yes24 Foundation, shows the poster for 'Embrace Malaysia' exhibition. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Mar. 9 (Yonhap) -- A special exhibition that sheds light on Malaysian contemporary art which is rarely spotted in South Korea will be held on the first and second floors of Seoul’s Insa Art Center from Wednesday to Mar. 13.
Malaysia is composed of several ethnic groups, including Malays, Chinese, and Indians. Although Islam is the nation's official religion, its people, whose freedom of religion is guaranteed, represent multiple religions including Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism.
The upcoming "Embrace Malaysia" exhibition will introduce the artworks of 12 Malaysian artists who portray and represent their social and cultural backgrounds in their own unique ways. A total of 33 artworks in the form of paintings, photos, and videos, which demonstrate Malaysia’s ethnic and cultural identities as well as social changes due to industrialization and urbanization, will be displayed.
Through their works, the artists talk about the difference and harmony between oriental and western elements.
Park Il-ho, a professor at Ewha Womens University, said, “Malaysian contemporary art can be explained by finding its identity based on diversity and dynamism. The artists who have participated in our exhibition convey social and political themes but in their own interesting ways.”
Sean Lin will present a relief work made of iron that used automobile paint to seem like pottery by which the artist talks about the identity crisis that many Malaysians experience.
Choi Chun-wei’s artwork which has been made by using collage techniques will also be catching the eyes of spectators: A native of rural northern Malaysia, Choi was impressed with large buildings and artificial lighting when she moved to a southern urban area. Her depiction of an urban landscape densely packed with buildings was made by a collage of papers she cut out of countless magazines or prints, on which she added her own brush strokes.
Artworks that have been painted by using augmented reality (AR) will also be on display: The QR code next to Wong Chi-ming’s picture will show spectators an entirely different artwork with enthralling special effects displayed on their smartphone screens.
The exhibition has been organized by the Hansae Yes24 Foundation, founded by Kim Dong-nyeong, chairman of Hansae Yes24 Holdings.
The Foundation has been organizing and carrying out cultural projects to expand cultural exchanges between Korea and Southeast Asia. Starting with its very first Vietnam Art Exhibition in 2015, the Foundation held art exhibitions all around the world, including Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, and the Philippines. It will be returning with a brand-new art exhibition for the first time in four years since 2019 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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