Being an old cosmopolitan centre, Penang has its fair share of successful artists, and more. But, despite its strong pulse, the future of its art is not certain.

by Zedeck Siew

Obituary: Yasmin Ahmad, 1958 – 2009

The dreamer, her films I didn’t like, and why we will miss her.

by Ooi Kok Chuen

Peter Harris told me: “I never laid down any rule. I didn’t tell them what was the right style. I only taught them the method, not the style. I can’t tell them what to paint, or how to paint it. I only forbade the use of erasers because I wanted them to know where they went wrong.”

by ARTERI

Some exhibitions deserve to be touted way before they open, just so that everyone can mark their organisers and make sure they don’t miss it. To wit: an opportunity to indulge in the secondary art market!

by Ooi Kok Chuen

In his statement in the 1994 MWS catalogue, Mansor reflected: “I feel my work reflects the melancholy, the serenity and the joyous life apparent in the village. My style of work is spontaneous, devoid of inhibitions to reflect my feelings.”

by Zedeck Siew

In the spirit of sharing:

If you are an observer in any capacity of the videogame industry, 2008’s Braid was hailed as a significant milestone for the games-are-art argument. It’s easy to see why: painterly visuals and ingenious, spare gameplay mechanics — which tie into the game’s primary meditation: time, or our longing to reverse past wrongs.

by ARTERI

Peter Barton Harold Harris, seminal founder of the Wednesday Art Group (WAG) in 1952, passed away on 14 March 2009. The Wednesday Art Group counted amongst its members Patrick Ng Kah Onn, Dzulkifli Buyong, Cheong Lai Tong as well as Syed Ahmad Jamal, who are modern art pioneers in Malaya.

by SHARON CHIN

Chuah Thean Teng passed away on 25 November 2008, just months before the opening of his retrospective at Balai. This makes the viewing of his works especially poignant, above and beyond the sense of nostalgia that runs throughout the show. I felt I was looking at a Malaysia I had never known: I can’t recognize myself in his scenes of pastoral kampung life, and the people he lovingly depicted at work, rest or play are strangers to me.