Emerging artists from the MEA Award honoured by the CIMB Foundation during the Thirteen Best Artists Showcase
BY DANIAL FAUZI
Art is a subjective term that resonates and is perceived differently by people. Some find the comfort of art within books and poems written by various authors, whereas others find the meaning of art in musical compositions and the dances that often come with it.
On the other hand, some find the allure of visual arts to be most appealing. Taking in the form of paintings, drawings, sketches, photography or even filmmaking, the visual arts possess the spectacular capability of visually expressing the creativity of the artists for people and enthusiasts to admire.
Being a multicultural nation, Malaysia is rich in art, especially within the realm of visual arts, be it traditional or modern.
Recently, an exhibition at Limkokwing University at their International Gallery showcased more than 65 pieces of art from the winners and finalists of the Malaysian Emerging Artists Award (MEAA) 2022.
The MEAA is the product of renowned artist Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Founder of HOM Art Trans, and sponsored by the CIMB Foundation.
Additionally, the MEAA is founded as a biennial art competition that honours the talents of young emerging artists in Malaysia, whereby its goal is to act as a platform to recognise the nation’s top emerging talents and provide them with the necessary opportunities to break into the local and international art scenes.
INSPIRING CREATIVITY
The arts are an exceptional medium to illustrate and portray the creativity of artists. To represent the creative side, inspiration is needed to nudge the artists in the right direction.
Before the MEAA 2022 finals, the 13 finalists visited Indonesia for inspiration in their artworks.
“For this round, the organisers agreed to organise a visit to Indonesia for the 13 finalists,” said Bayu. “Additionally, the organisers would also set up an exhibition for the finalists involved during the visit.”
The visit to Indonesia provided more significant exposure to the young artists for inspiration for their artworks and networking and fostering business relationships with other like-minded artists and art collectors as part of the enriching experience. The visit lasted an intense 10 days.
Datuk Tiffanee Lim, Chief Branding Officer of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, attested to this notion of inspiring creativity.
“Malaysia has tremendous talent,” she said. “Here, we celebrate the excellence of Malaysian emerging artists and the idea that art is an asset and the foundation of Limkokwing.”
“Creative people also make everlasting contributions to society, like my late father, Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing. An artist himself, Tan Sri created galleries like this, and Limkokwing University, 20 years ago, hoping to draw the world’s attention to our capacities and key training.”
Indeed, the recent showcase in Limkokwing University’s International Gallery displayed the amazing talent of the MEAA artists, with each piece of artwork demonstrating the creativity of the 13 artists.
ART AS AN ASSET
The art showcase not only aims to display the immense creativity of artists but also to demonstrate that the creativity industry is important to the country’s economic development.
Datuk Mohd Nasir Ahmad, Chairman of CIMB Foundation, mentioned: Recently, the portrait ‘Lady with a Fan’, the last painting by Gustave Klimt over 100 years ago, was transacted for US$108 million. It was not the first time a painting was sold exceeding US$100 million.”
True enough, in 2016, the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II, also by Gustav Klimt, was sold for US$150 million to an unidentified Hong Kong art collector by celebrity talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
“We need to realise and treat the art and artists as our valuable assets,” expressed Nasir. “The creative industry must evolve and develop to contribute significantly to Malaysian Society and our country’s GDP.”
Nasir added: “These artwork showcases offer a big glimpse into the behavioural of our artists and will undoubtedly attract art enthusiasts and collectors alike.”
Dato’ Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, Chairman of MyCreative Ventures, agreed wholeheartedly.
“Art is a large contributor to the economy and also plays an important role in shaping our identity, as well as contributes to nation building,” he expressed.
“As such, I am pleased to see corporates such as CIMB, through its Foundation, championing the local art and culture scene through their support in MEA.”
“I encourage and urge corporates and companies in Malaysia to build their art collection comprising works by our gifted Malaysian artists to strengthen and complete our art ecosystem.” – @Green
