The ‘Artists in Nature’ art exhibition at the Four Seasons Place in Kuala Lumpur, which was held from May 20 to June 6 this year saw over 100 pieces of art displayed by three eminent artists from Sarawak.
Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, said, “It is a milestone for the three renowned artists, Ramsay Ong, Michael Lim, and Edric Ong, who are all ‘Anak Sarawak’ where I come from; I am very proud of them, not only because they are my long-time friends, but also because of their artistic achievements throughout their lives. This is the first time they’ve presented their work together, portraying the flora and fauna through tree bark collage, batik, and natural dyed silks.”
Over 100 pieces of art from the three eminent Sarawak artists were displayed at the Four Seasons Place, Kuala Lumpur’s “Artists in Nature” art exhibition, which lasted from May 20 to June 6, 2022.
Edric is an internationally recognised and award-winning fashion designer as well as an exhibition curator. Lim and Ramsay are State Living Legends for Batik Art and Barkcloth Collage Art, respectively.
The exhibition was supported by the Malaysian Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism, the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, and Creative Economy and Performing Arts through its MySeni programme, demonstrating the three artists’ resilience in the face of the COVID-19 lockdown and its economic consequences.
Michael Lim Tiang Ek
Lim is the most veteran member of the group. He has been a great batik artist since the early 1960s, and even after facing an illness, he continues to paint.
From silk to cotton, his exquisite batik paintings are still made the old-fashioned way.
The fabric is boiled and pressed once the artwork is finished to remove any excess wax, revealing composition of vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and textures.
Lim has travelled widely throughout his career, exchanging ideas and inspirations with fellow artists and experts throughout the world. His works are widely sought after by private and institutional art collectors both locally and internationally.
Lim’s response when asked which piece in the exhibition he likes best was as follows:
“There is one piece that I painted when I was hospitalized at the Geriatric ward at Pusat Jantung Sarawak at Kota Samarahan. I began painting my favourite subject, the Sarawak Hornbills, while the doctors and nurses took excellent care of me and nursed me back to health after I was bedridden with severe back pain.”
The exotic rainforests of Borneo and Sarawak’s rich cultural history serve as inspiration for Lim. As a result, hornbills, orchids, and anything else associated with jungle life have become trademarks in his work.
Ramsay Ong Liang Thong
Ramsay has been painting for 38 years and is a well-known Kuching artist and a member of the influential ‘Ong’ family.
His forebears included Ong Ewe Hai, one of Sarawak’s earliest Chinese settlers, and Ong Tiang Swee, the Brooke era’ Kapitan Cina’ or Chinese Chieftain.
Ramsay’s one-of-a-kind masterpieces can be found on the walls of some of the world’s most prominent homes and offices, and he has garnered high praise from critics and collectors of fine art.
Ramsay’s first medium was batik painting, and he immediately became known for his extraordinary artistic talent.
The internationally renowned artist has garnered numerous accolades for his work, which has been shown extensively around the world.
Ramsay, who has over 25 years of experience in batik, decided to take on a new challenge and explore with a different medium after being inspired by indigenous bark cloth artworks at an exhibition in Hawaii.
Today, Ramsay is arguably the most well-known artist working with bark cloth made from the fast-growing tekalong or wild breadfruit tree.
When asked which aspect of art he enjoys working with the best, he answered, “I have used the medium of our traditional tree bark cloth as my ‘canvas.’ I’m very inspired by the earthy/woody colour and texture. I think I’m proud of the large portraits I’ve done of our diverse indigenous people. My personal favourite is that of my friend, the late Tusau Padan, our sapeh music legend.”
Edric Ong
He is a multi-award-winning designer who specialises in natural dye textiles, fashion, and handicrafts. He is also a professional architect.
His one-of-a-kind designs merge ethnic and eastern elements with contemporary elements, and he invents style by combining hand-woven silks and cottons in unusual ways.
Edric hand-weaves, hand-paints, and hand-prints his own textile designs using natural colours taken from rainforest roots, bark, leaves, and fruit peels.
He is a pioneer in the promotion of the distinctive Iban ‘Pua Kumbu’ ikat fabric, which is unique to the state of Sarawak, and draws inspiration from Malaysia’s diverse ethnic culture.
Edric’s extraordinary creations have earned him the UNESCO-ASEAN Crafts Seal of Excellence and are highly sought after by fashionistas all over the world.
In addition, the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organisation (JIDPO) bestowed the renowned Japanese ‘G’ mark on his textile inventions.
He was named ‘Malaysian Designer of the Year 2009’ at the Mercedes-Benz/Stylo Fashion Awards in Kuala Lumpur, as well as ‘Global Influencer’ in 2016.
Edric’s EO line is at the vanguard of Eco-Fashion and Slow Fashion, working closely with weavers and artisans to create and promote handmade items.
Edric used his architecture abilities to hand paint on silk for the ‘Brookiana’ series and the ‘Nyonya Kuih’ series, which blended the traditional Japanese method of ‘shibori’ with natural dyes, during the COVID-19 shutdown.
What does Edric have to say about the exhibition held at The Four Seasons Place in Kuala Lumpur, given that he was the one who organised it?
“We’re all true nature lovers, the three of us. We adore living in our homes surrounded by our garden, where we plant a variety of local plant species, flowers, and orchids. As a result, our artwork reflects our passion for nature, particularly flora and fauna, which we depict and portray in our own unique artistic styles. This is the first time that the three of us have ever exhibited together, and to do it in Kuala Lumpur. We plan to have an exhibition in Kuching, maybe in October this year!”
This exhibition represents a significant “resurgence” in Malaysian art, symbolising a return to normalcy in our creative industry.
