AFTER THE RESIDENCY
House of MATAHATI (HOM) regroups the artists from its past residencies

The HOM Residency is one of House of MATAHATI’s (HOM) main programmes. It gives young artists the opportunity to work in a studio space during the six-month residency, provides them with basic art supplies, and offers artists-in-residence vital exposure with an exhibition at the end of their residency.

But what happens to the artists once they leave HOM?

This month, HOM answers this all-important question by regrouping the young artists from its past residencies. Spanning seven artists who have participated in residencies between 2008 and 2010, audiences will be treated to a reunion-of-sorts and the chance to gain an insight into what really happens after a residency. The X Residence planned to be opened on April 30, Saturday, 8pm at HOM, Ampang.

“The idea of this exhibition is so we can see what they have been producing since they left the residency, to note their progress, and to see where they are now,” states Bayu Utomo Radjikin, HOM’s director and an established Malaysian artist.

He goes on to explain that the young artists that have been part of the HOM Residency are at a crucial phase in their career – the make-or-break stage – and this exhibition is a bid to chart their professional development, as well as note the value of an artist-residency for young artists.

Among the fray of exhibiting artists, there are committed full-time artists, teachers, and those pursuing further education, and the artworks they produce are equally diverse.

HOM’s exhibition this month strengthens the gallery’s goal of giving a voice to young artists and it will not only be a wonderful experience for audiences to see the latest works and present styles of the seven participating artists, but also how they have posited themselves within Malaysia’s increasingly competitive art scene.

“We want to make sure the outcome of the residencies suit the artists-in-residence,” concludes Bayu.

Catch The X Residence from 30 April to 14 May at House of MATAHATI (HOM), 6A Jalan Cempaka 16, Taman Cempaka, 68000 Ampang, Selangor.

For more information, visit hosueofmatahati.blogspot.com.

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Mimie Baharuddin
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The participating artists are:

Azam Aris (B.1983)
Since his participation in HOM Residency, Taiping-born Azam has been exhibiting prominently in local exhibitions and slowly but surely making a name for himself. His latest work for this exhibition, A Wolf at the Door, is a visible departure from the works he featured at Float, his residency exhibiton, as it sees the artist working with ball pen and kinetic motors.

Azizan Talkis (B.1984)
During his residency at HOM, the graduate of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) was preoccupied with expressive depiction of faces. Azizan Talkis’ work today – two years down the line – sees him return to portraits, but his intention is to portray his personal response and desire for freedom in love, life, and society.

Cheng Yen Pheng (B.1982)
A graudate of Kuala Lumpur’s Dasein Academy of Arts, Cheng Yen Pheng’s body of work during her residency at HOM comprised of paintings that featured skulls set against various backgrounds. Today, her works intensify this theme, but the artist overlays images of skulls against decorative patterns and plays with shadow and highlights to create a so-called ‘negative skull’, thereby reversing this symbol of mortality.

Hairi Hassan (B.1983)
During his residency in 2009, Hairi Hassan embarked on a journey of self-discovery with his many self-portraits. The Kedah-born artist returns to this subject matter in 2011 in his continual quest to find a portrait-style that is distinctively his own. Hairi is currently a full-time artist.

Melissa Lin (B.1982)
A self-taught artist, Melissa Lin’s participation in the HOM Residency in 2009 was the perfect outlet for her to further develop her skills in drawing and painting. She exhibited her imaginative works under the header of Serendipity, and today, returns to similar ground with a more dreamy quality than before. Melissa is currently pursuing further studies in art in the Netherlands.

Ruzzeki Harris (B.1984)
In his residency exhibition, Gravitate, Ruzzeki Harris exhibited works that featured a variety of media and his painting, Man-Made Pills, featured an appropriation of Adam from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel (The Creation of Adam). He returns to mythological (Medusa) and art historical icons (Michelangelo’s David) today, but the presence of these figures is now characterized by an element of pop art in them.

Tiong Chai Heing (B.1986)
Tiong Chai Heing graduated from Dasein Academy of Art and her residency at HOM in 2010 saw her exhibit various sculptures made from discarded garments, fabric, oil, and paint. Today, these sculptural forms have been mounted into frames and Tiong’s current works present an articulate challenge to conventional forms of painting.