By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Mar 7: More than 70 artworks by six artists are being showcased at Hoan Gallery in La Promenade Mall from March 7 to April 7, highlighting Sarawak’s culture, nature, and stories through art.
Supported by Hock Seng Lee (HSL), the exhibition titled ‘Fragments: Perceptions of Sarawak’ runs daily from 9.30am to 6.30pm, with free admission for the public.
Hoan Gallery director Hoan Kee Huang said Taiwanese art curators had recently approached the gallery with enquiries about showcasing art inspired by tropical beauty.
“This is still at a very early stage. I hope to bring Sarawak’s flora and fauna to an exhibition in Taiwan. Fingers crossed. I cannot reveal too much yet, except to say we are cautiously optimistic,” he said in a media release today.
He also said the enquiry has helped shape his focus for the year ahead, including plans to link art with tourism and cultural exploration across the State.
“Tourism is a great angle for me to focus on. This is also Visit Malaysia Year. For this mid-year, several art societies and I are coordinating a State-wide art camp.
“There could be up to 20 artists travelling from Miri to Kuching to explore, experience and create art inspired by Sarawak. There is genuine and growing interest in Sarawak art. We have so much richness, so much beauty here,” he added.
The exhibition brings together artists from across the region and beyond, including Kedahan Lee Choon Kooi, 76, renowned Bornean sculptor M Shazy, 30, oil painter Brandon Ritom, 36, and Marvin Chew, 51, a full-time Sarawakian watercolourist based in Singapore.
The gallery features works in oil, acrylic and watercolour, alongside sculptures, installations and dioramas, with all artworks available for sale.
A retired Special Branch officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police Peter Lim Chian Seng, who served the nation during the communist insurgency in Sarawak from 1962 to 1990, also became the subject of a live portrait-painting session during the event.
Hoan said art helps bring Sarawak’s stories to life while preserving history and celebrating nature.
“I think the rise of art in Sarawak is increasingly gaining the attention of the tourism industry,” he added.
He urged members of the public to join guided walkthrough sessions with the six featured artists during the exhibition period.
For more information, visit hoangallery.com, lapromenademall.com.my, or follow @HoanArtGallery on Instagram and Facebook. — DayakDaily
