National Art Gallery acquires pieces from new gallery

The latest addition to the local art scene, KL Lifestyle Art Space was officially launched by National Art Gallery director-general Datuk Mohd Yusof Ahmad recently. The official launch saw art practitioners and collectors enjoying the gallery’s two concurrent exhibitions, which can be viewed until March 15.

The first exhibition, Peasant Landscape, is a small survey of pastoral landscapes by Khalil Ibrahim and Sharfudin Habib. The exhibition reveals the virtuosity of the two senior artists as they explore the charms and quintessential characteristics of Malaysia’s rich countryside through watercolour and other mediums. Audiences will be able to note the close similarities between the works of both artists. Peasant Landscape is presented in the gallery’s unique and intimate smaller room, which KL Lifestyle Art Space will use to exhibit artworks of more delicate nature, especially those produced on paper.

Village life: Shafurdin’s ‘Sg Besar Series 9 2010’, is now part of the National Art Gallery’s permanent collection.

At the launch, Yusof acquired three watercolours by Sharfudin Habib for the National Art Gallery’s permanent art collection. They were “Gembala”, “Sg Besar Series”, and “Rumah Rakit Kota Baru”. Yusof said these paintings were strong depictions of Malaysia’s east coast and that they represented a distinct time and era in Malaysia’s history. Sharfudin, who was present at the launch, was very pleased with the acquisition. They are his first paintings in the National Art Gallery’s collection, one that now totals over 900 artworks.

In his foreword, founder and director of the gallery, Datuk Gary Thanasan said that KL Lifestyle Art Space’s goal was to bridge the gap between the visual arts and its audience. He noted that the public would be introduced to the gems of the Malaysian fine arts through a series of exciting exhibitions. And by developing a close relationship with local artists, the gallery hopes to be a veritable source of those rare-to-secure pieces from particular periods and also boost the secondary market for pioneer or modern artworks.

“If you’re looking for a rare piece from a specific artist or period, it’s generally very hard to find. We hope the gallery will be able to assist collectors with this, as well as encourage new and younger collectors to begin their own art collections,” he explained. Guests at the launch enjoyed the mixed hang in the gallery’s main hall. The smorgasbord of Malaysian artworks included those by Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, Syed Thajudeen, Raduan Man, and Rafee Ghani.

-thestar online.