By William K.C. Kee
An ongoing exhibition in Penang raises awareness about the importance of protecting the Malayan tiger.
From now till Mar 31, the Penang State Art Gallery (PSAG) plays host to a unique exhibition titled BELANG. The exhibition is in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) of Peninsular Malaysia and PSAG. It is curated by guest curator, Ivan Gabriel.
According to the first National Tiger Survey conducted from 2016 to 2020, the number of Malayan Tiger recorded in Malaysia is less than 200. If drastic action is not taken, Malaysia will lose the Malayan Tiger species indefinitely.
To show Malaysia’s commitment to addressing the extinction of Malayan Tiger, the government has made efforts to save Malayan Tiger as a national agenda and declared war against the invaders and wildlife poachers. The Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources through PERHILITAN has announced the implementation of the Save Our Malayan Tiger Campaign (2019 – 2020) aimed to increase the Malayan Tiger population through conservation and public awareness activities.
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Binti Mohamad Ali is the patron of the Save Our Malayan Tiger Campaign which was launched in conjunction with World Wildlife Day 2019. The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness and concern to the public about the importance of protecting the Malayan tiger.
As the tigers are now on the brink of extinction, BELANG aims to bring more attention to this fact and try to halt their decline. The diversity of art and the artists involved is remarkable and truly reflective of the broad art scene all over Malaysia.
Artists involved are veterans and a few established ones, along with emerging artists from all over Malaysia. The invited artists were selected based on their credibility, styles and approach in their art, as well as their contribution to the subject.
Participating artists such as Christine Das, Nasir Nadzir and Peter Ong were invited because they have already been using their platform as artists to create a voice for the unspoken. A total of 75 artworks from 75 participating artists are on display – ranging from different styles of paintings to various two-dimensional mixed media works, along with photography and installation.
Other participating artists for BELANG include Tiffany Choong, Abdul Rashid Abdul Razak, Aboud Fares, Azmi Hussin, Bibichun, Caryn Koh, Christine Das, David ST Loh, Delwin Cheah, Low Chee Peng, Lusy Koror, Maizul Affendy, Rahmi bin Bujang, Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson, Tom Powell, Woo Seng Non and Zunar.
On Mar 21 (10.30am), there will be a walk through and tour with guest curator Ivan Gabriel, complemented by a sharing session with participating artists.
For more details, email [email protected].
