“Pemain Rebana”, ISMAIL MAT HUSIN, 1981 (batik on cloth)
GALERI PETRONAS presents a unique art exhibition entitled ‘Batik- A Social Narrative’ at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur International Batik (KLIB) Conference 2009 from 11 until 13 December 2009.
The exhibition presents 25 pieces of batik artworks belonging to the PETRONAS Art Collection (PAC) comprising figurative works by highly respected batik artists such as Ismail Mat Hussein, Khalil Ibrahim, Chuah Thean Teng and Tay Mo Leong. Some of these batik artworks go as far back as the early 1960s, during Malaysia’s formative years – the highly-critical phase for a burgeoning nation.
As the exhibition’s title suggests, it presents a unique narrative of Malaysia’s social and cultural landscapes during the nation’s growth, depicted through Batik paintings and motifs. The cultural and traditional practices seen in the works are those which are fast disappearing in Malaysia as the country progresses forward.
The sharing of these historical and remarkable batik artworks with the public is in line with the effort to elevate the stature of the Malaysian batik into pieces that are worthy to be considered as fine art.
Relating to Kuala Lumpur International Batik’s theme for this year, “Business of Batik”, batik nowadays serves not only as an aesthetic product for trading but is increasingly becoming a strong visual representation and distinction of the producers’ and wearers’ identities and stature. In that vein, the exhibition presents batik as an important art form that reflects the captured views of a time long past, thus alluding to the Malaysian society’s common history and identity.
Visitors to the exhibition will witness the progress of the displayed batik artworks from folk and craft traditions into a modern and contemporary art form. This exhibition offers to the public a viable approach to appreciating Malaysian batik as not just a commodity product but also a national heritage that is rich in social and cultural documentation.
Batik art enthusiasts seeking more researched information pertaining to Batik as a national heritage and its development as an art form over the years will be able to purchase GALERI PETRONAS’ ‘Batik: A Living Heritage’ and ‘Batik Painting: Painting Batik’ publications during the exhibition. These books feature writings by some of Malaysia’s foremost authorities on batik art such as Raja Fuziah Raja Tun Uda and Associate Professor Datuk Zakaria Mohd. Ali are significant documentation and reference materials for future generations.
‘Batik : A Social Narrative’ is open from 10 am to 6 pm from 11- 13 December 2009. Admission is free.
