The Art Journey of Pekan Nanas, an art
exhibition by 40 artists and 10 photographers, from
Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and China, is presented in a showcase of paintings
exhibited at Think City Johor Baru from now till Nov 15.
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| Lee Chin Chian giving an introduction to the Art Journey of Pekan Nanas art exhibition in JB |
This collection was the
fruit of their three-day-two-night art and heritage experience in Pekan Nanas
that happened on June 15 and first presented
in an exhibition held at Johor’s historical Pineapple Town, Pekan Nanas.
The impressive work of these local and foreign artists are the impressions of their
experiences of local culture and heritage as they sketched and painted live
scenes and wall murals in Pekan Nanas new village.
This Sketch
Walk through the Pekan Nanas new village in the theme, Art Journey of
Pekan Nanas, was a project led by watercolours artist, Lee Chin Chian, whose
hometown is nearby Pontian.
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| Viewing the video made for the launch event for My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People |
Lee had applied for a grant under the Iskandar Malaysia Beyond Boundaries Programme (IMB2P) last
year for this Sketch Walk and we met at
the offices of Iskandar Regional Development
Authority (IRDA) when
he made his project pitch to the Award Committee.
I cannot forget the way Lee passionately described
his project and how participants of the Sketch Walk could appreciate the
on-location art experience along with the popular local food in this area.
The Pekan Nanas new village, fondly known as
Kampung Cina Pekan Nanas, has some 70 years of history and is still thriving,
with many homes occupied by third generation families.
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| YB Cheo Yee How saying a few words |
His Sketch Walk project reminded me that “new
villages” have a significant role in our nation’s history because it was in
fact, a counter insurgency technique employed by the British here in the
mid-1950s during the Malayan Emergency.
New villages were formed by the relocation of the population,
mainly Chinese, into guarded camps in order to isolate them and prevent the
army insurgents led by the Malayan Communist Party, from receiving their supply
of food, material, information and in getting new recruits.
Since the nation’s independence in 1957, these new villages
have evolved into residential areas and most have been demolished for
redevelopment.
The few that remain are precious pieces of history
and I can understand why Lee aims to preserve the charm and beauty of the Pekan
Nanas new village in his project.
The scenes captured in this Sketch Walk are, in
fact very valuable because they represent a slice of history which is fast
disappearing in our modern world.
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| My turn to say a few words... |
In those days, there was a trend to install metal
grilles in windows and the makers came up with attractive designs that are
still seen in village homes today.
In the exhibition, a series of 12 paintings that
feature various designs of window grilles in new village homes was completed by
Jonas Lim, a young watercolour artist under Lee’s tutelage.
Local art activist, Cha Ming Cheng of Batu 27
Creative, captured these window grille designs in photographs, and Lim was tasked
with converting them into paintings.
After a successful showing in Pekan Nanas, Lee brought
the exhibition to the city for more people to appreciate the beauty captured in
the Art Journey of Pekan Nanas.
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| Gerald Woo [Left] presenting me with a sketch of my portrait by Lee Chin Chian |
When Lee sent me the invitation to the exhibition’s
opening at Think City JB, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was named as
a Guest of Honour along with the assemblyman for Perling, YB Cheo Yee How.
The guests at this small event included the
representative from IRDA, Gerald Woo, Think City JB friends and local artists,
as well as a couple visiting from Indonesia who were also artists.
At the ground floor space in Think City JB, known
as Ruang, there is a screen where their corporate videos are played in a loop
with the volume turned off.
As one of the successful recipients of Think City’s
Grant Programme, I was among the grantees featured in their videos being played
on the screen.
Watching the silent videos with segments on My
Johor Stories book projects, I could identify with Lee’s pride and joy in
successfully accomplishing his Sketch Walk under IRDA’s IMB2P grant programme.
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| Gerald Woo [Left] with Lee Chin Chian at the exhibition |
While waiting for the others to arrive, Think
City’s Faezah Ayub gave a brief intro to the work of Think City and went on to introduce
me (Blush! Blush!) as an Ambassador for Johor and one of the success stories of
Think City JB.
Her intro was perfectly timed to coincide with the
video on the screen which was the one screened at the book launch event for My
Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People that featured
stories from various Johor towns and Heritage Traders, with me (the
Storyteller!) doing the narration.
At once Faezah asked for the volume to be turned up
so that we could watch the 8-minute video and get a glimpse of the contents in
my book sequel.
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| A series of paintings that feature window grilles in new village homes |
I’m sure this video gave the viewers a better idea
about My Johor Stories and when I was invited to speak about Lee’s Art
Journey project under the IMB2P grant programme, it was easy for them to appreciate
my support for Lee’s project in Pekan Nanas, another Johor town.
The assemblyman for Perling, YB Cheo Yee How,
agreed with me that this art exhibition – The Art Journey of Pekan Nanas – with
paintings of authentic new village scenes, rendered in watercolours and oil
paints, captures the essence of a gated and guarded community from a bygone era.
This art exhibition is indeed a rare treat for city
folks – one you cannot miss.
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| One for the album: Artists and friends at Think City JB for the Art Journey of Pekan Nanas art exhibition |
The Art Journey of Pekan Nanas exhibition is on now
for a limited time until Nov 15, at Ruang, Think City Johor Baru, No. 27
Jalan Dhoby, 80000 Johor Baru, Johor.
Open daily from 9am to 5pm; Closed on Saturday.
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