The openning ceremony of my solo exhibition took place yesterday officiated by Encik Hanif in absence Dr. Najib Dawa the Director of the National Gallery. It was to be expected and although a little disappointed I had the feeling that this would be the case. I gave the first speach and my message to the small turn out was to point out the fact that the Fine Arts in this country is being marginalized and more often out of the picture with some institutions of higher learnings in this country. That the 'full time artist is finding it harder and harder to make a living wihtout having to take on another jobe to supplemant their incomes. I made the attempt to point out that Art is key to building up a nation that is ever original in its creative products and ideas.
Present were a number of people who patronize my art works since my first solo exhibition here, people who have been very supportive in all manners to make sure that I am able to keep on being productive as an Artist. Mrs. Ambi Devi, Joe Rosli Sidek and Leekhai are among those who were present and those not being able to make it due to other commitments that i would have also like to mention is Encik Hasnul Jamal Saidon, the Director of the Tuanku Fauziah Gallery at USM. There were a few fellow artists who were the and I received their thumbs up for the show.
I have made my mark on the Art scene in my own hometown, I have reached the 'Summit of The Mystic Mountain'. There is not much to view from the top to be greatly excited about having reached my goal but there is a sense of satisfaction nevertheless. I have stood before my peers and my children and delivered what i had committed myself to. This is another conerstone for my children to witness that their father is an accomplisher and despite the odds against him has has touched yet another level of success that not too many has in their lives. I always believe that the man is the model for his offsprings failing which the children would turn to others to emulate the good or bad habits in their lives. I also believe that one's actions and performances in life, one's success and accomplishments in life are the strongest message one can give to one's children for them to use as guidences in the lives.
I also touched the subject of why I chose to present myself as an artist is such a manner, documantation of my life through art and writing and has tus accumultaed so much over the years both in my written as well as art works. I am a seeker of Truth, my motivational force as I have always maintained is to 'Know who I am' beyond this physical existance, my 'Original Buddha Nature'. IN oreder to arrive at such a knowledge i have found that I had to unburden myself of all that which i think, all that which I had envisioned and all that my mind has preconceived of who I am. I have to unlearn, let go of and become empty of who I assume myself to be after all these years of existance. No amount of reading , no amount of listening to preachings and words of wisdom cna bring myself to catch a glimpse of my Original nature, if there is such a thing, but faith tells me that there is. Faith is a virtue i have come to grasp over the last few years since my wife fell ill and is no longer with me at least physically. This strong faith that grows daily from inside out results from all the years of soul searching, way seeking mind, the trials and errors of going through life taking what comes sometimes with pride and dignity as a man and sometimes squandering all my resistances and succumbing to weakness and vices that has pulled me towards my own self destruction.
Being a Muslim my faith in Allah, the AlMighty, Creator of the Worlds is slowly but surely taking a grip upon my soul. I may not be the devote Muslim like my brothers and sisters but i feel His prescence ever closer through every moment of my waking as well as my sleep state. I am still a student of Mahatma Ghandi in the sense that to me 'life is an experiment'. An ongoing experiment to be observed and recorded nin every possible ways and means and all the datas and informations collected are to be disected and analyzed and the conclussion arrived at is to be manifested in one form or another is my everyday life's experiences and expressions. I have been doing this almost unconciously now as though this is how I am or who I am while in this state of my life on this planet. It has brought me this far for better or for worse and I am beginning to feel the closeness of my end approaching and the beginning of the next phase openning itself before me. If I am asked am I scared of death, I would say yes only to the fact that it might be a painful process at least physically after that I am no more concern with what lies ahead of me I might even look forward to facing the after life as this one is wearing itself out in its importance and necessity. Dont misread me, I love life passionately and had lived my life as evidenced more than passionately but all great moments must come to and end and the end is only the beginning of who nkows even greater adventures, greater experiments?
Present were a number of people who patronize my art works since my first solo exhibition here, people who have been very supportive in all manners to make sure that I am able to keep on being productive as an Artist. Mrs. Ambi Devi, Joe Rosli Sidek and Leekhai are among those who were present and those not being able to make it due to other commitments that i would have also like to mention is Encik Hasnul Jamal Saidon, the Director of the Tuanku Fauziah Gallery at USM. There were a few fellow artists who were the and I received their thumbs up for the show.
I have made my mark on the Art scene in my own hometown, I have reached the 'Summit of The Mystic Mountain'. There is not much to view from the top to be greatly excited about having reached my goal but there is a sense of satisfaction nevertheless. I have stood before my peers and my children and delivered what i had committed myself to. This is another conerstone for my children to witness that their father is an accomplisher and despite the odds against him has has touched yet another level of success that not too many has in their lives. I always believe that the man is the model for his offsprings failing which the children would turn to others to emulate the good or bad habits in their lives. I also believe that one's actions and performances in life, one's success and accomplishments in life are the strongest message one can give to one's children for them to use as guidences in the lives.
I also touched the subject of why I chose to present myself as an artist is such a manner, documantation of my life through art and writing and has tus accumultaed so much over the years both in my written as well as art works. I am a seeker of Truth, my motivational force as I have always maintained is to 'Know who I am' beyond this physical existance, my 'Original Buddha Nature'. IN oreder to arrive at such a knowledge i have found that I had to unburden myself of all that which i think, all that which I had envisioned and all that my mind has preconceived of who I am. I have to unlearn, let go of and become empty of who I assume myself to be after all these years of existance. No amount of reading , no amount of listening to preachings and words of wisdom cna bring myself to catch a glimpse of my Original nature, if there is such a thing, but faith tells me that there is. Faith is a virtue i have come to grasp over the last few years since my wife fell ill and is no longer with me at least physically. This strong faith that grows daily from inside out results from all the years of soul searching, way seeking mind, the trials and errors of going through life taking what comes sometimes with pride and dignity as a man and sometimes squandering all my resistances and succumbing to weakness and vices that has pulled me towards my own self destruction.
Being a Muslim my faith in Allah, the AlMighty, Creator of the Worlds is slowly but surely taking a grip upon my soul. I may not be the devote Muslim like my brothers and sisters but i feel His prescence ever closer through every moment of my waking as well as my sleep state. I am still a student of Mahatma Ghandi in the sense that to me 'life is an experiment'. An ongoing experiment to be observed and recorded nin every possible ways and means and all the datas and informations collected are to be disected and analyzed and the conclussion arrived at is to be manifested in one form or another is my everyday life's experiences and expressions. I have been doing this almost unconciously now as though this is how I am or who I am while in this state of my life on this planet. It has brought me this far for better or for worse and I am beginning to feel the closeness of my end approaching and the beginning of the next phase openning itself before me. If I am asked am I scared of death, I would say yes only to the fact that it might be a painful process at least physically after that I am no more concern with what lies ahead of me I might even look forward to facing the after life as this one is wearing itself out in its importance and necessity. Dont misread me, I love life passionately and had lived my life as evidenced more than passionately but all great moments must come to and end and the end is only the beginning of who nkows even greater adventures, greater experiments?
1 comment:
Congratulations on your solo exhibition.
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