CORE contemporary art

Art Busan 2024

Group Exhibition:-

Sean
Manon
Jon
PoOi
Apis

V.I.P Preview: 9th May 2024

Public Admission: 10th – 12th May 2024

Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre (BEXCO) 1, Busan, South Korea

*Click on images to zoom in

Reflection and Materiality – Unveiling Cultural Fusion

We are thrilled to present an extraordinary exhibition that celebrates the harmonious blend of East Asian philosophy influences and Southeast Asian identity through the captivating mediums of calligraphy, paintings, and sculptures. Our featured showcase beautifully embodies themes of cultural multiplicity, language, dislocation, and the awe-inspiring natural world, as expressed by th exceptionally talented Malaysian contemporary artists.

Each artist in this exhibition passionately embraces a process-driven approach to craft artworks that are thoughtfully layered with profound meaning. From the mesmerizing art of pyrography on jute to the masterful sculpting of wood and fiberglass into harmonious forms, the materiality of their creations captivates and engages the observer’s senses.

In this era of digital detachment, where experiences are often confined to virtual spaces, the significance of encountering these highly tactile pieces in person cannot be overstated. The exhibition offers a transformative corporeal encounter, inviting visitors not only to witness but also to immerse themselves in contemplation and reflection on the depth of each artwork’s essence.

Prepare to be enchanted by the diverse expressions of Eastern artistry and allow the tangible presence of these creations to rekindle a profound connection to the essence of the human experience. Through their artistic endeavors, the featured artists lead us on an evocative journey, delving into the intersections of culture, language, identity, and the enchanting mysteries of the natural world. This immersive experience promises to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of our shared humanity.

Artists’ Profile

  • Sean

Graduating in 2013 with an honors degree in Fine Art from UiTM Malaysia, Sean has emerged as a painter synonymous with nostalgia. In 2014, he clinched the UOB Painting of the Year award for Most Promising Artist of the Year (under the Emerging Artist category) in Malaysia. His artistic prowess, marked by skilled techniques and a deep understanding of figuration, sets his works apart. Hailing from the outskirts of Perak, Malaysia, Sean’s childhood, spent freely playing with his seven siblings, serves as a wellspring of inspiration. Through his art, he revives fading memories of Malaysian life, drawing on his own experiences and Malay culture.

Following his well-received debut solo exhibition “Nostalgia Timur” at Maya Gallery Singapore in 2019, Sean continued to captivate Malaysian audiences with “Jurnal Husin” in 2020, elevating his painterly skills by exploring drawing with wet media. Born in the same state as Lat, renowned for “Kampung Boy,” which chronicles life in the 1950s, Sean draws inspiration from this heritage. Instead, Sean captures contemporary village life, posing questions about the shift between eras.

Artists’ Profile

  • Manon

Manon (b. 1968, Kedah, Malaysia) exemplifies the idea of the artist as an observer. His works traverse a multitude of mediums including drawing, painting, print, video and performance, and are united by the use of symbolism and context, laid forth through his intellectual perceptions.

His recent solo exhibition known as Silent Conversation held in Core Design Gallery in the year 2022 is deemed as the true “Manon”, presented as an introspective body of works spanning five years period — culminated through a pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic — that possessed a singular narrative which elevated the exhibition as one major introduction to his perennial, thought-provoking questions in the search of identity, inevitably orientated into philosophical exploration in existentialism. The main theme of the exhibition, “Silent Conversation,” represents Manon’s process of self-analysis and sorting, which is transformed into paintings and accumulated for the solo exhibition. The series of works, based on figurative sketches, demonstrate Manon’s drawing skills through different compositions and human forms. Through the stacking of visual layers, various spiritual states and stages of life form self-portraits. This exhibition showcases only three sets of works, but while posing individual questions, they also echo each other’s ideas.

The work “Wadah dan Essensi/Vessel and Essence” (Lamp) is composed of a combination of 25 small-sized 30 x 30 cm paintings each. From candles and oil lamps to sky lanterns, these non-electric light sources are arranged in an upward triangular formation, extending like the guiding light of the most important aspect of life.

Artists’ Profile

  • Jon

Jon, a contemporary Thai art painter, reflects bamboozled and paradoxical themes that lead to ongoing social discrimination and political issues through the Trompe-l’œil painting technique. This deceptive view can be compared to the currently distorted world we are facing. Several traditional techniques, including underpainting, impasto, glazing, and scumbling through oil painting on canvas, allow audiences to cherish his paintings for a longer time as compared to other mediums. Moreover, the application of these techniques represents the hidden messages that repeatedly revolved around the history of mankind, especially in Thailand. His paintings always leave the audiences with a quest to penetrate through his historical remarks, awaiting decoding.

Jon has always held a distinct perspective on various controversial issues within human society. He believes that humans often rationalize themselves to the extent of involuntary or sometimes deliberate contradictions, particularly on the paradox between truth and lies. However, Jon opts to depict not just truth but also lies.

Artists’ Profile

  • APIS

Haafiz Shahimi, born in Kedah, Malaysia, in 1986, graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts from  UiTM Shah Alam in 2011. His artistic journey encompasses various disciplines, including painting,  installation, and performing arts. Since 2014, he has delved into the techniques of creating  artworks with fire, exploring pyrography printing and direct fire burning, thereby expanding the  scope and scale of his artwork.

Haafiz has become synonymous with a unique style of pyrography printmaking, deeply rooted in  Malaysia’s print and textile traditions. Initially inspired by batik printing, he mimicked cultural and  mythological imagery onto metal blocks, creating personalized ‘matrices’ that, when heated, were  applied to canvas and jute surfaces. While drawing clear parallels with batik production, he soon  realized that temperature variations could alter the final visual effect, prompting him to experiment  further.

Merging the laws of thermodynamics with the formal aspects of art production, including drawing,  painting, and print, Haafiz unveiled a fascination with duality: science/mythology, East/West,  physics/philosophy. Consequently, he developed a variety of printing techniques, including  pyrography print, inverted burn, direct petrol burn, and chemical burning.

In the contemporary art scene, automotive paint has piqued the interest of many artists due to its  intensity, vibrancy, and special reflective quality. Haafiz, however, envisioned the potential of this industrial medium to transcend its conventional use. Through the fusion of automotive paint with his pyro techniques—burning directly onto the paint surface—Haafiz has crafted a series of works that exemplify this innovative approach. 

Artists’ Profile

  • Po Oi

Po Oi (b. 1981, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia) is fondly known in the Malaysian art world as Po Oi. Having graduated from UiTM first in 2004 with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and then again in 2014 with a MA in Fine Art & Technology UiTM. Po Oi uses his wood-based sculptures to inform the story of himself, as a Muslim Malay man from Rembau, Negeri Sembilan. Coming from a family of carpenters who pass their trade down from father to son, Po Oi uses the advantaging skill that was set to learned in his youth through his contemporary art practices.

Through his wall sculptures, Po Oi seems to want to reveal what lies within his magical circles. If fiberglass can be seen as a metaphor for the outer skin or the beautiful, delicate, and mesmerizing front face, Po Oi, with careful observation, seems to peel, divide, and present what lies far within. He guides the viewers to observe the dimensional depth of the forms, a movement towards a silent, sacred, boundless, and pure center.


Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

PoOi Circle within A Circle – Black (Grip The Embers of Fire Until They Become Coals) Fiberglass, 2K Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Burn Cut Wood 152cm x 92cm 2024
RM 4500

PoOi Circle within A Circle – Black is the Grandeur of Life Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Burn Cut Wood 49cm x 31cm 2024
RM 6750

PoOi Circle within A Circle – Yellow Represents the Determination of Life Principles Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood Assemblages 46cm x 46cm 2024

PoOi Circle within A Circle – White As Betel Leaves Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 61cm x 61cm 2024

PoOi Circle within A Circle – Chocolate is Appetizing Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 31cm x 46cm 2024

PoOi Circle within A Circle – Grey is Relaxing Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 45cm x 45cm 2024

PoOi Circle within A Circle – Orange is Determination Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 61cm x 32cm 2024

PoOi Circle within A Circle – Soft Blue is Mesmerizing Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 61cm x 61cm 2024

PoOi Circle within A Circle – Soft Green is Refreshing Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 47cm x 47cm 2024

Mohd Fairuz (PoOi) Paisan Circle within A Circle – Lemon Yellow is Mischievous Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 42cm x 34cm 2024

Mohd Fairuz (PoOi) Paisan Circle within A Circle – Pink is Passionate Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 30cm x 30cm 2024

Mohd Fairuz (PoOi) Paisan Circle within A Circle – Purple is A Heart’s Choice Fiberglass, 2k Automotive Paint and Small Pattern Cut Wood 40cm x 60cm 2024
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