B&W – short for Black and White – is an exhibition featuring artworks created primarily using charcoal. In a way, the exhibition is experimental, since a number of these artists do not usually utilize charcoal as part of their art-making process. This makes for an interesting exhibition, urging these artists to leave their comfort zone. And the resulting art produced by all twelve artists certainly went beyond our expectations.

But you may ask, why “black and white”?

It’s quite well accepted that monochrome visuals provide a heightened sense of drama and intrigue. Hence a black and white photograph of a particular scene seems more intense than a same scene in color. But perhaps what author Vikram Verma  (better known as Vikramn) wrote in his book 10 Alone may help elucidate:

The world we live in is nuanced, the numerous shades that lie between the certainty of Black and White are the details and intricacies that we so often overlook when trying to precisely state a viewpoint or describe something we see. It is this very idea of a nuanced existence that emerges in the artworks exhibited, the numerous degrees of subtle shades that lie between black and white examine the intricacies of our everyday lives.

Black and White may be the absence of color for some, but in truth what may be found in between are the subtle shades that form the nuanced reality of what we commonly know as “life”.

B&W was conceptualized and curated by Harni Jonet, to whom Artemis Art would like to convey our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for her tireless efforts in ensuring that this exhibition came to be. Harni has close to 15 years of experience within the Malaysian art industry, and we hope to be able to collaborate with her more in the years to come.

Last but not least, Artemis Art thanks the participating artists for their contribution towards making B&W happen, and for accepting the challenge of working with a medium you may not be entirely comfortable working with. We believe that your willingness to try something new bodes well towards the advancement of your respective artistic careers.   

The collection of works exhibited in B&W is presented below, with a short introduction to the respective artists. Further details may be found in the eCatalog, scheduled to be released just prior to the opening reception, and which will be uploaded to this exhibition feature page. In the meantime, enquires about the availability of artworks by these artists may be directed to us via email at in**@ar***************.com.

Adeline Alyssa Tan

b. 1988 in Penang, Malaysia

Diploma in Fine Arts, The One Academy of Communication Design, Selangor, Malaysia
BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance, University of the West of England, United Kingdom

Adeline left the world of investment banking to pursue her real calling – to become a visual artist. A relative newcomer to the Malaysian art scene, she has been fairly active in the past year, taking part in a few group exhibitions, including one co-organized by the three galleries at Publika earlier this year, where she was one of the artists proposed by us.

B&W marks the first time Adeline is showing her works at Artemis Art’s gallery space.

Ajim Juxta

b. 1983 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bachelor of Science in Architecture, MARA University of Technology, Shah Alam, Malaysia

Although charcoal is a medium that he doesn’t frequently use, Ajim Juxta contributes four superb emotive artworks for this exhibition. 2019 has been a busy year for the artist, having shown with Artemis Art in several art fairs, staged his first international solo exhibition in Manila, and in addition opened a new space for the Titikmerah collective.

B&W sees Ajim reacquaint himself with this ubiquitous medium, presenting four character figures from his Arcology universe, each with a unique emotive façade. The works presented by him in exhibition is further testament to Ajim’s versatility as a visual artist.

Cracko

b. 1978 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Diploma in Graphic Design, Kinabalu Commercial College, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Crig Royno Francis – better known within the art scene as Cracko – is a multi-disciplinary artist, and who is one of the co-founders of Sabah’s Cracko Art Group, a loose collective of artists that has been around since the early 2010’s, and acknowledged as being one of the state’s important artist movements.

Cracko has been busy with a number of public mural projects in the past several years, including the massive 350 m long conservation mural commissioned by Sabah Foundation in Kota Kinabalu. His participation in B&W sees the artist exhibit two works that differ from the usual splash of colors that are more recognizable, instead providing us with a nuanced yet dramatic rendering of his thoughts. 
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Erica Wong

b. 1972 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Diploma in Graphic Design, Malaysian Institute of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Erica is an executive producer and runs a production house, she has been in the advertising industry for 25 years. 2 years ago, when she filmed a documentary that asked “What would you regret not doing 20 years from now?”, the question picked its way through her soul and she decided to pick up the brushes again.

She likes watercolor, and often paints her subjects in black and white. Charcoal is a new medium to her. However, she sternly believes “If you don’t try, you will never know how far you can go”… 

Fong Jia Lok

b. 1977 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Diploma in Fine Art, Dasein Academy of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Passionate in painting and drawing, Fong Jia Lok’s figurative works explore his personal response to the condition of contemporary society. He is currently seeking opportunities to expand his works through taking part in exhibitions.

Jia Lok prefers to paint randomly to allow chances to emerge in his canvases instead of work according to pre- planned compositions rigidly. He uses charcoal to draw on both primed and unprimed canvas, using the medium to create shadow and line on canvas to present a different effect, bringing out the tension that he wants from the work. 

Haris Rashid

b. 1992 in Kedah, Malaysia

Diploma in Illustration, The One Academy of Communication Design, Selangor, Malaysia

Art has been a part of this young artist’s life from early on, particularly since his high school days, encouraged by his mother, who also was his school’s art teacher. For a short period Haris Rashid studied Textile Technology at the tertiary level, but later switched to Illustration, obtaining his diploma from The One Academy. After completing his formal studies, he opted to pursue art as a career, and is today a full-time artist.

As he continues to develop his visual language, Haris often experiments with various media combinations and surfaces, wood and textured pressed paper being two surfaces he likes working with most. In addition to producing his art, Haris is also the founder and leader of a young artist collective studio known as Studio Mekar.

Much of his current artworks embody the idea of nature exhibiting human characteristics, a notion that has fueled a number of pieces in the last several months. Using elements from the rich Malaysian fauna and flora, Haris explores common Malay metaphors and proverbs in his works selected for B&W, providing a new visual take on phrases we have heard many times before.

Iona Danald

b. 1994 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Self-taught artist
Bachelor of Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Scotland

Iona Moira Evemarie Danald is a Bidayuh artist who works with textile and, oil and acrylic on canvas. Her work is the expressive exploration of mental health issues and her journey to recovery.

Born in 1994, she is a Sarawakian self-taught artist who was raised in Glasgow, Scotland and who is currently based in Penang, Malaysia. Graduating from University of Aberdeen, Scotland; her academic background is specifically in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In 2017, she joined Intel Programmable Solutions Group, Penang, Malaysia as an R&D engineer. However, she recently resigned as her mental health had deteriorated and it began to affect her life.

After seeking out for help via counseling and therapy, Iona is positively in a better state of mental health and has rediscovered her initial dedications in life. Her main commitments are to work with the less fortunate and the disabled, with visual arts integrated, and to create a positive impact on the community simultaneously generate awareness towards their abilities. She is currently working with adults with disabilities and is also an Artist in Residence at Asia Community Services’ Stepping Stone, Penang.

She officially started working as an artist beginning November 2018, and in a very short period of time began to attain some recognition, including being selected as a finalist in the Malaysia Emerging Artist Award for 2019.

Iona’s works are deeply introspective, initially the process of creation and looming a catharsis for the trauma that she herself had been experiencing. Upon self-reflection, she acknowledges that her art has transitioned towards the exploration of femininity and sexuality, expressed in the two artwork assemblages included in this exhibition.

Katrina Yong Yeat Fhan

b. 1988 in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia

Diploma in Illustration, The One Academy of Communication Design, Selangor, Malaysia

Originally from Sabah, Katrina currently teaches art at The One Academy here in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Her works draw from memories and nostalgia, rendering scenes that may have been commonplace once upon a time, but are fast disappearing due to “progress”. 

Katrina’s sensitivity towards the multitude of shared cultures in Malaysia become inspirations for her art, recognizing that the uniqueness of Malaysia is because of our rich cultural variety, and certainly not despite it. She is one of the winners featured in the recent Nando’s Malaysia YOUthReka 2019 exhibition co-organized by Artemis Art, held at Galeri Prima in Kuala Lumpur, and in 2018 was selected as one of the finalists in that year’s iteration of the UOB Painting of the Year award.

Kimberley Boudville

b. 1999 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Diploma in Fine Art, The One Academy of Communication Design, Selangor, Malaysia

Kimberley is the youngest of the twelve participating artists and is a recent graduate from The One Academy. Her impressive pen and ink work previously exhibited at Artemis Art is only one facet of this very talented artist, whose comfort level with various mediums grows more apparent with every exhibition she participates in, clearly shown in this exhibition where the primary medium is charcoal.

Her works are expressions of her inner thoughts, her hopes and her aspirations articulated through a visual language that continues to develop as she progresses as an artist. Her series of works included in B&W articulate the importance of family, something she feels has personally benefited from. 

Monica Lee

b. 1979 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Diploma in 3D Animation, The One Academy of Communication Design, Selangor, Malaysia

Artemis Art first became acquainted with Monica Lee when we exhibited her back in 2016 during the Faber-Castell AMPLIFY group exhibition. B&W marks the second time this talented artist is showing with us, where she showcases two works done with intricate skill. Her prowess in figurative drawings has earned her deserved attention within various artistic circles, not only in Malaysia but internationally as well.

Although not her primary medium of choice, her two artworks in charcoal selected for this exhibition are testament to the skill the artist demonstrates, as well as her versatility in the use of different mediums.

Putra Nazri

b. 1993 in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Bachelor of Fine Art (Hons.), MARA University of Technology (UiTM), Shah Alam, Malaysia

For young artist Putra Nazri, the most important aspect of his art is in the process of creation itself, his attention to the sense of touch and the strokes that go into his creation process. By appreciating the process, he has come to the realization how extraordinary the experience of depicting the ordinary can be.

The ideation of ‘sense of touch’ itself, for the artist, represents the emotional, narrative and constant discovery that go into the artworks he creates. 

Yasmeen Cheong

b. 1994 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Diploma in Fine Art, Dasein Academy of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Since exhibiting as one of the five artists in AveNew back in 2015, Yasmeen Cheong has been featured fairly regularly at Artemis Art. Unlike many of the participating artists in B&W, charcoal happens to be Yasmeen’s medium of choice, both in the more traditional manner in her earlier portraiture work, as well as in more daring ways where she experiments mixing the medium with other media. The three artworks selected for this exhibition are examples of how this young artist has used the medium in somewhat non-conventional ways.

As a young person still on the path towards self understanding and discovery, the three artworks depict her inner struggles and emotional panic upon discovering certain “dark” attributes about herself. It is her way of rationalizing and coming to terms with what she continually discovers about herself, as she forges ahead with the natural process of self-discovery, and the soul-searching and contemplations that come with her endless endeavor to understand her being.

For artwork enquiries or further information about the artists and their artworks email us at in**@ar***************.com