Art for everyone

2009/10/30

NURJEHAN MOHAMED

A bazaar dedicated to debunking the notion that art is only for snobs is making waves among young Malaysians, writes NURJEHAN MOHAMED

ART is sometimes viewed as something that belongs to some social hierarchies and not others and, likewise, the ability to buy and enjoy art is sometimes perceived as an upper-class activity.

This is a misconception that Art for Grabs, a quarterly arts and crafts fair organised by The Annexe Gallery, Kuala Lumpur is debunking.

It started in November 2007 as a way of encouraging more people to visit the gallery but has since become something bigger.

“We realise that many Malaysians find the thought of visiting art galleries intimidating because they think they need a specialist understanding of art to appreciate it,” says The Annexe Gallery media manager Jerome Kugan. Art for Grabs makes the practice, appreciation and consumption of art a friendly and accessible activity.

Many of its vendors and visitors come back because of the lively and relaxed atmosphere of the bazaar. Malaysians are creative people, Kugan adds, but have problems channelling that talent towards something worthwhile because they are also preoccupied with making money.

The regular event at the gallery is one way of allowing people to express their creativity and earn a bit of money for their efforts as well.

Vendors are allowed to sell things they have made themselves such as artworks, do-it-yourself (DIY) products, locally published books and music CDs.

“We wanted Art For Grabs to be an event where visitors can enjoy appreciating and buying art in an accessible manner,” says Kugan.

As artists only pay a rental fee of RM100 over the weekend and an item does not cost more than RM100, participants and visitors find the affair affordable.

“Art makes people happy — it’s true for both the buyers and the creators.

“Many of our young and first-time vendors find a lot of joy in creating arty things to sell — this is a way for them to express their creativity and find a ready and appreciative audience for it,” he adds.

Performer and writer Fahmi Fadzil has been a regular vendor at Art for Grabs for about a year and finds it the perfect avenue to express himself artistically.

“I enjoy trying to figure out if something I fancy would be liked by others too,” he says, adding that his art is easy enough to produce.

His wares include dioramas or small sketches that normally have a socio-political slant.

“I prefer small events such as Art for Grabs because I know the people involved and many friends turn up to support me,” Fahmi says.

He adds there are similar events happening around Kuala Lumpur which are advertised mostly through word of mouth.

“I think it’s good, though, because I think activities like this really serve a small community,” he says.

There are many returning vendors, which is a good indicator that there is a market and that the art that is sold is in demand.

To him, Art for Grabs encapsulates the DIY culture — there are many different things you would find there, similar to a flea market.

Concept artist Ice Chen Lee Sun normally sells cloth bags she makes through her website (www.meeer2.blogspot.com) but takes part in Art for Grabs because she finds it a good place to find inspiration.

“I first took part in last year’s Christmas event.

“I met others who are also into making crafts and was also able to share my work with people from different layers of society,” she says. For her, making handicraft and art is interesting because it is about individualism and does not have any rules.

Though there are many bazaars happening around town, Chen thinks that Art for Grabs is the best place for art-related items because the organiser itself is in the field.

“Events like this is a good way to introduce and promote interesting art to the public.

“It’s a great place for youngsters to get inspiration because many of the vendors here are young and are willing to share tips with others,” she says.

BeaniPet creator Yue Jun Mei reckons being young gives people like her “crazy” courage to create things without any worries.

“It’s just a matter of seeing how far we ourselves can go,” says the pillow maker.

She first took part in the Christmas event last year after finding out about it through Pipit, a Kuala Lumpur-based project aimed at encouraging and supporting independent artists locally and internationally.

“It was the first bazaar I joined and it was great exposure,” she says.

She credits the event for helping her come as far as she has today — she used to work as a junior lecturer and create and sell her pillows part-time.

She now makes and sells her items online through her blog (www.beanipet.blogspot.com) and Etsy shop full-time and lectures part-time. “Art for Grabs is also a good exploration ground for youth, who are looking for inspiration, to seek advice from more experienced crafts people,” she says.

Though she did not take part in the recent event because she was busy organising her shop, she is joining Pipit’s 3rd Anniversary Wonderful Market on Nov 7, which is also happening at The Annexe Gallery.

“Young people want to create things because they want to explore.

“There is a lack of events that promote art the same way that Art for Grabs does,” she says, adding that in Thailand, there is an art night market that happens every weekend.

“I would love to see that sort of thing in Malaysia.

“It would be nice to see a lot of people coming together for an art event the way you see them gather for a Harry Potter book launch or a sale,” she says.