Carolyn Khor's blog

  This article was published in Eksentrika , The Sun Daily , CJ.MY , and Newswav . Cultural aesthetics were displayed wall to wall at The Courtyard at Beach Street for the launch of Chao Kai Chih’s solo art exhibition titled Material.Quality.Aggregation . The launch event was held on 13 July as part of the George Town Festival’s programme, which spans the entire month of July each year. The renowned artist, a Taiwanese currently a PhD candidate at the University of Seville in Spain, is celebrated as a visionary navigator boldly venturing into the uncharted territory where East meets West in his artistic endeavours, synthesising creation with culture. "I like to incorporate Eastern materials like paper and calligraphy and infuse them with Chinese characters and Western brushstrokes," said the soft-spoken artist. His visually appealing works capture the essence of cultural exchange, bridging disparate worlds in a fusion of the physical and abstract. His art contrasts flatne...

  This article was published in Eksentrika , The Sun Daily ,  CJ.MY , and Newswav . As Malaysia gears up to celebrate its forthcoming Merdeka and Malaysia Day, an artistic ode to national pride, "negaraku," takes centre stage. Curated by Ivan Gabriel of Hin Bus Depot from the RuMa Collection by Bingley Sim and his wife, Ima Norbinsha, this exhibition displays a rich collection of 26 meticulously chosen artworks from their 20-year aggregation of the RuMa collection. Sim, a banker by profession, and Ima are both esteemed budayawan in the Malaysian art scene. “At one point, when we had decided on the pieces for the exhibition and were thinking about the title for the show, we considered several ideas, but none stood out. Just then, my daughter, Iza, joined the conversation and casually suggested, ‘Why not ‘negaraku’?” “‘negaraku’ represents the country’s trials and tribulations, nation-building, and hope for a brighter future,” said Sim. “We are passionate about the col...

This article was published in Eksentrika , The Sun Daily ,  CJ.MY  and Newswav . Pop culture artist Nigel Sense, an Australian who currently resides in Penang, has set his heart on captivating art enthusiasts by capturing the essence of Pulau Tikus in ‘just three words’ and a ‘paletteful’ of colours. Not unlike the “what3words,” he has named his solo exhibition “Kopi Jackfruit Monkey”. His evocatively dissonant interpretation of Penang, using a coffee shop in Pulau Tikus as his backdrop, promises a unique visual experience. Incidentally, that coffee shop’s “what3words” are “funnels.stored.name.” Largely known for his humorous, idiosyncratic, and distinctive overlays, Sense brandishes his stylistic display of colours without being apologetic. Through his art, one can get the sense that he is indeed energetic, raw, and uninhibited. “You'll often find me with my iPad in hand, waiting for a train or bus, always drawing. It's a bit of an obsession—if I have 10 minutes free, I...