Feast your eyes on SHOWCASE 2015

Art enthusiasts thrilled to the opportunity to enjoy visual and performing arts at the recent launch of the inaugural SHOWCASE art exhibition in the 12^th Johor Baru Arts Festival (JBAF).

One for the album: the organisers, artists and guests at
the launch event

Jointly curated by EH HE and Sync, SHOWCASE 2015 aims to be an art exhibition for the people of Johor by artists who are born here or have adopted Johor as their home.

Live music was performed by musician, composer and arranger, Paul Law, at the exhibition commissioned by the Johor Society for the Performing Arts (JSPA) in conjunction with the 12^th JBAF that features a wealth of diverse creativity brought together in one venue to engage viewers and let them connect with the various genres of art.

“The main objective of SHOWCASE is to identify, nurture and support young and budding artists and provide them with a platform to present their talents,” said exhibition curator, Yap Leong, also an artist and art director of EH HE or Earth Heart, a gallery in the heart of old JB.

A collection of his favourite portraits by Tay Hock Eng

He was excited with the positive response and hoped that this exhibition will be the benchmark for future exhibitions that will feature Malaysian artists during the annual JBAF.

Some award-winning artists’ exhibits include paintings uniquely created by Goh Lye Hock who applies a rare "cracking" effect in the background of his works, parables of children at play by Wong Fook Liung, fascinating watercolours by Lok Kerk Hwang and watercolours that combine impressionism, surrealism and expressionism by Tan Suz Chiang.

“His art seems to be strongly inspired by Balinese culture,” said Singapore Consul-General in JB, Ian Mak, a guest at the event as he admired the bold and bright colours on the imaginative subjects with faces that resemble Balinese sculptures in the painting by Adeputra Masli.

Pauline See Poh Chen with her creation,
"Song of Dreams"

While Wee Chiang Lung showcased a series of designs that feature polka dots and Tay Hock Eng displayed a group of his favourite portrait sketches, a collection of paintings entitled, “Song of Dreams” featuring a girl wearing a red dress by Pauline See Poh Chen was the inspiration for choreographer, Jeffery Yong, to create a dance dialogue that was presented at the event by a.p.a. Dance Theatre.

The dance, by Hedy Koo, Fiona Goh and Khoo Yi Ning as the girl in a red dress, was performed in the section of The White Box decorated with the signature Black & White art installations by the creative team of Beverly Bee and Cally Chin, known collectively as Bev C.

SHOWCASE also presents a series of thought-provoking photographs captured by three professional photographers, Az Tew, Raynce and Calvin Yew.

Viewers were delighted to watch the subject of Yew’s photographs, Chong Keat Aun, perform a provocative dance entitled, “The Moonlight – Yellow Lantern 4.0” to celebrate the current Mid-Autumn Festival season.

Chong, a cross-cultural performing artist, radio programmer, deejay, film critic and community art enthusiast, was the first Chinese broadcaster awarded the “Seri Angkasa National Award, Best Male Radio Deejay” in 2011 for his cross-cultural radio programme on RTM Ai FM channel.

Entry to SHOWCASE is free-of-charge at The White Box, Mall of Medini, Nusajaya, from now till Oct 10.  Open weekdays from 12pm to 10pm and weekends from 10am to 10pm.

A version of this was published in The Malaysian Insider on 19 Sept 2015