It isn’t enough to simply ‘teach’ art, as a group of lecturers behind ILHAM//19, the current exhibition at Galeri Prima, Bangsar would attest. Creating art puts them at the heart of the art-making process and gives them – more often perceived as facilitators of their students’ creative pursuits – the opportunity to harness their creative energies and showcase their own works. International arts education advocate Eric Booth puts it succinctly when he wrote: “A teaching artist is a practicing professional artist with the complementary skills and sensibilities of an educator, who engages people in learning experiences in, through and about the arts.”
More than three decades ago, these lecturers got together to discuss their craft and came up with the idea of giving a venue to the practice of being a lifelong learner and (art) maker. The ILHAM series was birthed as a result, and amazingly enough, it’s now entering its 10th edition. The exhibition comprises a series of artworks and design products showcased by the academicians of the Faculty of Art & Design (FSSR), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).
Although the current edition attempts to revive its initial spirit by exhibiting art and design works by academicians with an emphasis on the specialisation of their respective fields of work, some are also shaped by the paradigm of social science, natural science and technological studies.
ILHAM is a blending of three main discourses, namely: knowledge tradition, spiritual strength and the appreciation of aesthetics. Each work of art and design doesn’t only portray its form, but also conveys meaning and functions in the human life cycle.
“Lecturers of this faculty should be active and productive in producing artworks based on their expertise,” says UiTM’s vice chancellor, Prof Ir Dr. Mohd Azraii Kassim, pointing out that this marks yet another contribution to the nation’s development process in the field of art and design. “It will inspire students to create excellent artworks,” he adds.
ARTISTS OF ILHAM
This exhibition showcases the ‘canvas’ of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shahriman Zainal Abidin along with a group of designers from the automotive industry leader, PROTON. Presented in poster form, the result of this academic study is to identify the DNA in the automotive design of the national car based on the Malaysian design context.
Still on the automotive field, a group of designers and researchers headed by Muhamad Fahmi Ahmad have succeeded in designing the exterior feature of an electric car. The joint venture project between the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics and the Faculty of Art & Design has successfully produced 'UiTM AVII', an autonomous or “driverless” electric vehicle which was successfully exhibited at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show. Themed 'Driving Future Pioneering Innovation', this project proves that FSSR is able to stand in line with science and technology.
Merbok (the bird), mangrove trees, paddy and bricks from the temples in Lembah Bujang were chosen as the main motifs of Batik Merbok's design by Zaidi Yusoff, a talented young lecturer. For this project, motifs of batik merbok were visualised as graphics on UiTM Kedah campus official vehicles.
Fashion design was one of the key areas of choice offered in FSSR. ILHAM 2019 sees the teamwork of six academic staff from the field demonstrating their own designs; Dr. Saemah with a fashion design titled Natural (Sustainable Fashion), while Dr. Rose Dahlina deployed texture to create a surface decorative technique on fabric. Norizan Sajar utilised creative bonding techniques while Anas Musavir produced fashion designs using watercolour and coloured fabrics.
Then there’s Ariff Mohd Habit who has produced an innovative backpacker bag, fulfilling the function and characteristics suitable for daily use, while Prinses Saliang used cotton and yarn fibre fabrics in her production of Comical Figures to express sincerity in the display of individual characters. In addition to artistic value, the artworks are featured for their potential and high commercial value.
Two works by Dr. Ayn Sayuti are also regarded as having high commercial value. The first, Biophilic Plate: Living Art, is an interior and contemporary decoration that utilises living plants as the main element while her second work, which she collaborated on with a group of academic staff from UiTM Kedah campus, involves the development of a multi-purpose rack design inspired by numerous mangrove plants indigenous to their environment.
Academic staff from the Graphic and Printing Technology in the ILHAM 2019 exhibition have added exquisite colours through their two-dimensional works. Prof. Dr. Ghazali Daimin from the graphics department produced digital illustrations by using lines to generate motor vehicle objects, while Ahmad Sofiyuddin Mohd Shuib, with his work titled 'Stop Cancer Spreading', created a campaign through digital media to raise awareness about the dangers of cancer.
Meanwhile, Fazlina Jaafar expresses the love between a child and mother through her work entitled Unconditional Love. Next, from Printing Technology, Intan Natasha produced an artwork using the digital printing method exploring the use of different substrates to attain more vibrant colour tones. Muhammad Yusuf Masod and Mastura Omar showcased standardisation in the digital printing process according to industry standards.
These are just some of the amazing pieces on display here at the gallery. ILHAM promises to open our eyes to the wide and vibrant scope that the world of art presents, and to inspire both educators and students to keep innovating and producing creatively.
What: ILHAM //19
When: Until May 24, 2019
Where: Galeri Prima, Balai Berita, 31 Jalan Riong, Bangsar, KL