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Fragile by Umibaizurah: Recent Works 2015 - 2016 features the Malaysian artist's third solo exhibi-tion of 12 ceramic sculptures, five wall sculptures, four paintings and a set of 10 collage works.

The exhibition theme explores the human con-dition within the layers and depths of modern society. It reflects on issues like co-existing within a community, emigration and the constant conflict between man and nature.

The idea was conceived between 2013 and 2014 during Umibaizurah's travels to Europe. Her seemingly whimsical artworks are derived from imagination and inspired by vintage toys at flea markets there.

In this show, the 41-year-old artist has deployed the modular concept and building-block tech-nique in creating each artwork. Umibaizurah has expanded her creative horizon beyond producing imagined, hybrid characters. Even the plinths of her major works were custom-built and painted grey to resemble Roman pedestals to best convey the scope of her art.

G5-G6, Mont’Kiara Meridin, 19 Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont’Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur

T: +6-03-7721 [email protected] www.theedgegalerie.com

Supported by

B Y UMIBAIZURAHR E C E N T W O R K S 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6

P R E V I E W 2 0 J U L Y, 2 0 1 6

7 P M

P U B L I C E X H I B I T I O N2 1 J U L Y - 5 A U G U S T , 2 0 1 6

1 1 A M – 7 P M

(Closed on Mondays and public holidays)

"I AM LIKE A CHEF. I BAKE CLAY FOR THE PEOPLE" — Umibaizurah

The Lady “Smoky Haze” (see page 21)

CONTENTSForeword 4

Umibaizurah: Ceramic Sculptor 6

Ceramic sculptures 12

Wall sculptures 32

Paintings 45

Collage on paper 54

Biodata 64

Index 68

Acknowledgements 70

54

Widely recognised for her ceramic sculptures, contemporary artist Umibaizurah Mahir@Ismail is set to show her latest installations at The Edge Galerie for the very first time.

Fragile, which is her third solo show, features 17 ceramic sculptures and includes wall hangings, four paintings and a set of 10 collage works. The ceramic works — inspired by children’s toys — are a combination of hand-painted, ceramic and terracotta figurines and zoomorphic figures that rest on steel discs, wooden shelves, plinths and pedestals.

The concept for the exhibition came to Umi during her time in Europe in 2013 and 2014, where she attended a residency programme in Amsterdam and participated in an exhibition, Diversity – Malaysia Art, at La Galleria, Pall Mall, London. Contemporary art writer Tony Godfrey, who has also written an essay for this exhibition, curated the show. “The theme ‘Fragile’ is an observation of life and humanity — touching on issues like love, honesty and loyalty — in the context of human principles, in politics as well as in the economy. It is not so much about the fragility of the medium,” Umi says.

“For instance, The Orchard is a depiction of willpower. The giraffe represents an individual or family facing financial difficulties, thus, it is willing to sell its valuable possessions (in the form of vegetables) in order to survive.” In her new series, Umi explores the human condition within the layers and depths of modern society, reflecting on issues such as co-existing within a community, emigration and the constant conflict between man and nature. Her designs are derived partly from imagination and inspired by vintage toys found in European flea markets.

After teaching ceramic art at her alma mater Mara University of Technology in Shah Alam from 2000 and 2004, Umi decided to be a full-time sculptor at the age of 30.

Umi has chalked up 18 years of experience in ceramic making. “I am drawn towards the unpredictability of clay and ceramic as an art form. For example, if I envision a red duck, it may turn out pink because of the type of clay used or the temperature level during the firing process. I love the element of surprise in ceramic making.”

She adds: “One has to be very patient and disciplined to work with ceramics. The experience is filled with mixed emotions. It’s the excitement of making and the anticipation of opening the kiln door that is nerve-racking!” Umi recalls attending classes conducted by distinguished local artists such as Yusof Ghani, Jalaini Abu Hassan and Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, whom she later married.

Strength through adversity

Umi and Ahmad Shukri often collaborate and exhibit together. In 2003, they presented Incubator Series at Rimbun Dahan — an arts centre established by architect Hijjas Kasturi and his wife Angela Hijjas in Kuang, Selangor.

Later, they presented Virus at the Art Season Gallery in Singapore and a joint-show called Toys at Wei-Ling Gallery in Kuala Lumpur in 2006. The following year, they staged Grand Opening – Warning! Tapir Crossing at their workspace called Patisatustudio in Puncak Alam, Selangor. Patisatustudio, which means “uniting essence”, also serves as a creative space for visiting artists. “We have been organ-ising international exchange programmes for artists since Patisatustudio’s inception in 2007. Over the years, we have welcomed friends from Indonesia, Japan and Europe,” Umi says of the self-funded programme. The non-profit project is aimed at building a network for inter-national artists working in ceramics and sharing knowledge and culture through art.

Since her last solo exhibition, Tag, in 2012, Umi has developed another way of presenting her works. By incorporating the “repetitive stacking” or building block technique matched with custom-built plinths, Umi has expanded her creative vision beyond producing imagined characters that represent the spirit of her art. “Fragile is a challenge that I gave myself in terms of skill and scale. I have adopted the modular concept in my work … to add or subtract a piece to create a whole new composition and dimension.”

With the support of IJM Land, The Edge Galerie present Umi-baizurah’s latest solo exhibition in line with its endeavour to promote and cultivate Malaysian art.

HO KAY TATPublisher and CEOThe Edge Media Group

FOREWORD

It has taken one and a half years for Umibaizurah to stage her latest solo show at The Edge Galerie

76

… from every Part,They shift the moving Toyshop of their Heart.1

A few days after visiting Umibaizurah’s studio or workshop, I was trying to think what it reminded me of. When I visited, she had made almost all the constituent elements of her large complex pieces and was beginning to put them together: the tables were covered with figures and architectural elements.

So, what did it remind me of?

This nagged me for days and then, an unexpected image finally floated up to my consciousness: it is from the film Blade Runner2 where, in a vast desolate mansion, J F Sebastian, a genetic designer and one-time maker of replicants, surrounds himself with hybrids that are part-human, part-animal and part-machine. Creatures that are human, but not human, strut around and stare at Dekker (Harrison Ford) as he enters the mansion. His and our reaction is one of confusion: one feels admiration for the artistry of such things; fear or distaste at the alien, uncertain status of these things that live or seem to live; and then there is this deep attraction to their unexpected beauty.

This is not so far from how I felt about Umi’s studio. One may not expect things made of clay to be, if not exactly frightening, certainly potentially alien and strange be-cause one’s assumption is that ceramics will be straightforwardly pleasing — charm-ing and ornamental. But these are sculptures, not knick-knacks. Not everything is delightful and chummy here. The unexpected visitors may also be unwelcome visitors.

But for the rest of the day after I had left Umi’s workshop, I was thinking especially of a particular sculpture of hers — The Giver. On a triangular base, there is a trian-gular pyramid of short columns. On the bottom level, there are ten columns, six on top of that, three on top of that and one on top of that.3 On top of that is a boy or doll with outstretched arms, his face all made up, and in a pouch like a kangaroo’s, a small green animal is emerging. On the lower levels of the pyramid are set pear shapes and black birds — they are glazed and shiny. The columns are covered with decals of cherries. The base is important: it not only brings the work up to our eye level but it also emphasises the triangularity of the sculpture.

The structure, in profile from bottom to top, 4,3,2,1, is very simple. It is like the sim-ple structure used by Sol LeWitt and other minimal sculptors.

Umi tells me that for this body of work, she has been composing by modules. Again, the material, clay, and figurative elements may deflect us from the insistent simple mathematical structures: Five in a row in Famous Five, six in a row in Unexpected Visitors and so on.

But the more satisfying these complex forms are to me, the more puzzling their sym-bolism becomes. I am uncertain what they may mean. They are richer than decora-tive works but more difficult to grasp.

Because they are brightly coloured and have strong, clear shapes, one might initial-ly see Umi’s works as pop-arty and funky. The five girls in Famous Five, for example, seem to have come out of a cartoon. But unlike most pop-type works, this is no mere celebration of pop culture. These works seem to be about something.

Who is the figure at the top of the pyramid? What does the sculptor mean by the title, The Giver? What is he giving? There seems to be a story or allegory here. Does he bring and give life? Is he the trickster or the coyote? Is he like the green man of pre-Christian beliefs in England, who breathed the new life of spring from his mouth? Some may see the figure as an innocent or a child. As with so many of her figures, the eyes and eyebrows are painted fantastically; such a focus emphasises both their delicacy and that they look at us, just as we look at them.

And the birds? We see birds often in ceramic form. We like bird, and in ceramics, we tend to portray the more charming or beautiful birds. But the black birds that surround the giver or the pair of lambs in “Love”, Word of the Day are more than decorative. They have a different type of presence.

When we say a character or art work has a “presence”, what does that mean? That there is something individual and contained within it, that it has some latent power. If you think of the way Goya, for example, portrays birds and animals, they have a vitality that is very different from the birds in wallpaper or porcelain. They are actors in a drama, not mindless spectators.

“My work is playful but serious,” Umi says.

One thing I found initially odd in our conversation was that she referred to these works as “toys”. They are not, of course. No collector is going to let his children play with them. But what else should one call them? Sculptures, of course. Yet, they elicit some of the complex emotions we have about toys.

Toys are to be played with — they are participatory. A toy that cannot be played with is odd — uncanny even. If they seem alive, even more uncanny. Toys that come alive constitute almost a genre in themselves, from Pinocchio through Toy Story to the Lego Movie. It could be argued that they are rooted in the myth of Pygmalion, the sculptor who made an ivory image of a woman so beautiful that he wished she were alive. The goddess Aphrodite granted his wish and she came to life. But crucially, toys remain different because they are not human. They are always an other.Toys are mass-produced these days: Lego, Barbie, and so on.4 Only a few toys are handmade now and they are prestige productions meant more as collectibles for

UMIBAIZURAH:CERAMIC SCULPTOR

1 Alexander Pope. Rape of the Lock. 1712.

2 Directed by Ridley Scott, 1982. A final cut issued on DVD in 2007 represented how he wanted the film to be before major interference by the film’s producers.

3 It may be that there are no columns in the centre – I would only find out if I took the piece apart.

4 When I wanted to buy my first granddaughter a teddy bear just as my grandmother had bought me I wanted to buy her one made in Britain as mine had been made – not one made in China.There was only one small firm making teddy bears left the UK: it was beautifully made but expensive. (web-site: merrythought.co.uk)

98

adults than children’s playthings. These works of Umi’s are clearly handmade and the skill with which they have been made is one of the great pleasures of seeing and handling them.

If the word “toys” remains problematic, perhaps we could think of them as dolls or puppets, remembering the fragility or vulnerability of dolls, their status as placebo people, their vulnerability and the richness of puppets in Southeast Asia. Or we could think of the ceramic dolls left in the tomb of Liu Qi, a notable emperor of the late Han Dynasty (206 BC to 24 AD) and his empress, Empress Wang, at the Yangling Mausoleum near Xi’an, China. They are less well known than the nearby terracotta army but more intimate in feel: hundreds of simple ceramic men and women put in place to serve the emperor and empress in their afterlife. But each has an individu-al’s face. They have pathos. That would be true of the characters Umi makes too.

What led her to ceramics? Most of her tutors were painters, not ceramicists. “Clay chose me, there was no ceramic artist to follow,” she tells me. She wanted to make sculpture with clay. When we think of ceramics, we think of useful things, the plates and bowls we eat from, or ornaments, small decorative objects that carry no big ques-tion or statement about life. In contrast, when we think of sculpture, we think of big things: life-size bronzes or marble statues of heroes — or, if we are Hindus, Gods.

So, what do we mean by the term “ceramic sculpture”? Go to wiki and you are just led to the websites of shops selling decorative ceramics for homes. That is not what Umi does. She is more interested in Brâncuși than studio ceramics.

There are not many ceramic sculptors around. As Umi points out, she is one of very few in Malaysia. Internationally, Kenneth Price and Robert Arneson in California come to mind.5 Grayson Perry in England is currently the most famous — partly because he has also become the most famous transvestite of the planet.6 He is, in fact, more a painter than a sculptor: the beauty of his vases lies very much on their surface, not their shape. But much of what he has said pertains to Umi’s situation: “People say, ‘why do you need to put sex, violence or politics or some kind of social commentary into my work?’ Without it, it would be pottery.” 7

Sex, violence and politics may not be very explicit in Umi’s work; her themes, the things that concern her — ecological decay and abuse, the state of Malaysia — are more implicit than explicit. As with Perry, she is committed to escaping from the decorative. When Richard Dorment wrote, “By covering the surfaces of his ceramics with visual images that demand to be read as if they were painting, Perry challeng-es one of the basic assumptions that divide the decorative from the fine arts”8, he could have been speaking of Umi too, except that it is the shapes and forms, not just the surface glazing and painting, that evoke unexpected things from ceramic.

Each of her sculptures has a different presence — visionary, strange, fantastic and threatening at times. The large ones come with a very specific plinth — indeed, we should see the plinths as an integral part of the sculpture as each is individually conceived and made. Many of the plinths are like those for war memorials.9

Since Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer Constantin Brâncuși, the plinth, or its absence, has been a crucial factor in sculpture. Indeed, Brancusi was on Umi’s mind when she made these “monumental” plinths. Scott Burton made a point of curating a show of them at MOMA without the “sculptures” on top of them.10 The

Belgian sculptor Didier Vermeiren’s plinths were considered works of art in them-selves and in 1989, he used the plinths under older, famous sculptures as a model for his own works.

When we meet, Umi tells me that the theme of her show is “fragile”. In Malay, the word she uses is rapuh, which can also mean “brittle”, “frail”, “crumbly”, “flimsy” or “tender”. What are her issues? Hope and concern for the ordinary people of Ma-laysia who face economic and social problems.11 She tells me her own thoughts and stories: Famous Five refers to the Rukunegara, the five principles of Malaysia set out in 1970.12 The hybrid birds (Unexpected Visitors) come from destroyed forests. Like all hybrids, they will make a new species. She sees them as businessmen arriving. They are the only figures in this exhibition who she does not see as vulnerable or fragile. The piece with the sheep surrounded by birds (“Love”, Word of the Day) refers to the fragility of marriage.

These are not the tales that one expects from ceramics normally — or from toys. What other stories would a wise child make up with these toys as props?

Umi began the work for this show after doing residencies and workshops in Europe and Japan. When attending the sixth Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Niigata, Japan, last year and showing in a satellite show, she was especially moved by the beautiful nature and mountains around it. She talks of how she felt at home there, cooking and doing simple things. Nature and being in the landscape have always been im-portant to her. In 2003, when she and her husband Shukri moved to Puncak Alam, it was the countryside. Now, it is much more built up but it is still quiet and near moun-tains and areas where they can go biking.

After returning from Japan, Umi’s mood prompted her to paint first — she needed to express her ideas very quickly. Like collages, the paintings function much like a dia-ry or sketchbook. Clay is slow for her, especially large ceramic sculptures like these that challenge her skills and technique.

I ask her if the “I” shapes are “I” as in “me” but she says they are just “shapes”, like the I-beams used in construction. Umi is building a world but it is not just for herself. It is for others, too. The invitation is to enter it, enjoy the skill, imagination and playfulness she has made it with and search for stories.

Tony Godfrey

11 A Malaysian flag flies in the foyer of Umi and Shukri’s house.

12 1.Belief in God. 2.Loyalty to King and country. 3.Upholding the constitution. 4.Rule of Law. 5.Good behavior and morality

5 Kenneth Price (1935-2012) made abstract work, Rob-ert Arnesan (1930-1992) made figurative work.

6 Famously he accepted his Turner Prize in 2003 wearing a dress.

7 http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/grayson_per-ry_articles.html

8 R. Dorment, Daily Telegraph, May 2, 2001.

9 In England the most famous war memorial, the Cenotaph (designed by Edwin Lutyens 1919-1920) is nothing but an enormous, beautifully shaped plinth. Nine other versions of it were built through the British Empire, including Hong Kong.

10 In his catalogue essay Burton wrote, “I think that some of Brancusi’s pedestal-tables are of the same conceptual order as any of his busts or torsos. …not only functional objects but also representations of functional objects. We have here sculptures of tables, close in character to Brâncuși other sculptures. They are both object and subject.” Reprinted in Art in America March 1990. See also http://www.neromag-azine.it/magazine/index.php?c=articolo&i-dart=1056&idnum=40&num=30

This essayist has been writing on contemporary art for over 35 years. To date, he has published more than 140 articles and 300 short compositions on art-related subjects.

Godfrey’s 1998 book, Conceptual Art, was the first publication to project “conceptual art” as a global phenomenon. Eighteen years on, it continues to be in print and has since been translated into six languages.

From 1989 to 2008, Godfrey worked for the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, where he was director of the Master’s programme in contemporary art. He was also professor of fine art at the University of Plymouth before moving to Singapore in 2009.

Since then, he has worked as a writer and curator with artists from Southeast Asia and China. He currently lives in The Philippines.

Godfrey’s books include New Image in Painting (1986), Drawing Today (1991), Conceptual Art (1998), and Painting Today (2009).

He recently co-authored the book, Contemporary Photography in Asia, and is currently writing two books including one on contemporary Indonesian painting.

CERAMIC SCULPTURES

1312

UNEXPECTED V IS ITOR # 1

2016

60cm x 25cm x 25cm

Ceramic and mixed media

on steel disc

UNEXPECTED V IS ITOR #2

2016

59cm x 25cm x 25cm


on steel disc

1514


2016

66cm x 25cm x 25cm


on steel disc


2016

62cm x 25cm x 25cm


on steel disc

1716


2016

62cm x 25cm x 25cm


on steel disc


2016

60cm x 30cm x 30cm


on steel disc

1918

THE ORCHARD

2015 - 2016

77cm x 36cm x 36cm

Ceramic and mixed media on

steel plate and wooden plinth

2120

THE LADY “SMOKY HAZE”

2015 - 2016

92cm x 79.5cm x 79.5cm



2322

FAMOUS 5

2015 - 2016

36cm x 29cm x 140cm


wooden plinth

2524

LOVE “WORD OF THE DAY”

2015 - 2016

81cm x 58cm x 40cm



2726

THE G IVER

2015 - 2016

91cm x 91cm x 91cm



2928

YES, S IR ! . . . ON DUTY

2015 - 2016

85cm x 75cm x 65cm

Ceramic on steel plate and

wooden plinth

WALLSCULPTURES

3332

NEW KIDS IN TOWN # 1

2015 - 2016

38cm x 30cm x 18cm (approximate size for each)

Set of five

Ceramic figurines on mini shelves

3534

NEW KIDS IN TOWN #2

2015 - 2016


Set of five


3736

NEW KIDS IN TOWN #3

2015 - 2016


Set of five


3938

KING & QUEEN

2016

75cm x 63cm

Set of two

Ceramic figurines mounted

on board and framed

4140

SHARE LOCATION

2016

70cm x 39.5cm, each

Set of four


mounted on wood

PAINTINGS

4544

FR IENDLY HAZE

2015 - 2016

126cm x 95cm

Mixed media on canvas

4746

KITA

2015 - 2016

126cm x 95cm


4948

OCEAN

2015 - 2016

122cm x 91cm


5150

YES S IR . . .ON DUTY

2015 - 2016

122.5cm x 91cm


COLLAGEON PAPERSet of 10 works

5554

THE OTHERS # 1

2015 - 2016

42cm x 32cm

Collage on a reproduction

photogravure of The Lady

with a Fan

(1638-1639)

by Diego Velazquez

(1599-1660)

THE OTHERS #2

2015 - 2016

42.5cm x 32cm


photogravure of The Duke

of Gloucester as a Boy by

Sir Joshua Reynolds

(1723-1792)

5756

THE OTHERS #3

2015 - 2016

41cm x 30.5cm


photogravure of

Mrs. Elizabeth Carnac (1775)

by Sir Joshua Reynolds

(1740-1749)

THE OTHERS #4

2015 - 2016

41cm x 30.5cm


photogravure of Cardinale

Infante Don Fernando of

Austria Hunter (1634-1636)

by Diego Velazquez

(1599-1660)

5958

THE OTHERS #5

2015 - 2016

41.5cm x 30.5cm


photogravure of

Self-Portrait Playing the

Lute by Jan Steen

(1626-1679)

THE OTHERS #6

2015 - 2016

41cm x 30cm


photogravure of

Madonna in the Meadow

by Raphael Sanzio

(1483-1520)

6160

THE OTHERS #7

2015 - 2016

41cm x 30cm


photogravure of The Mer-

chant of Georg Giesze by

Hans Holbein the Younger

(1497-1543)

THE OTHERS #8

2015 - 2016

41.5cm x 30cm


photogravure of Marchese

Alexander del Borro

by Diego Velazquez

(1599-1660)

6362

THE OTHERS #9

2015 - 2016

41cm x 30cm


photogravure of Albert and

Nicholas Rubens (1626-

1627) by Peter Paul Rubens

(1577-1640)

THE OTHERS # 10

2015 - 2016

41cm x 30cm


photogravure of

Helena Fourment by Peter

Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

6564

EDUCATION1999 Diploma in Education (Art Teacher’s), Faculty of Art & Design,

MARA University of Technology, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. 2000 BA Hons of Art and Design (Ceramics), Faculty of Art & Design,

MARA University of Technology, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

SOLO EXHIBITION 2012 Tag, Wei-Ling Contemporary, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia. 2009 Hybrid, Wei-Ling Gallery, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

WORKSHOP, RESIDENCY & PROJECT 2015 International Exchange Residency, Doronco Studio,

Kamariyahigashi, Yokohama, Japan. 2014 Art In The Park ‘Public Art’, Perdana Botanical Garden,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Route 19, International Exchange Residency, Patisatustudio,

Selangor, Malaysia. Samsung Masterpieces Digital Art Project by Samsung,

Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2013 Bridge: Dari Utara ke Selatan, Project Installation, Esplanade

Concourse, Esplanade, Singapore. 5 Seasons, International Exchange Residency, Echt,

Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 2012 Century of The East, Silpakorn University International

Workshop, Thailand. Nami Seom International Ceramics Festival, Korea. 2009 Tanah Timur, International Exchange Residency, Tokoname,

Aichi, Japan. 2004 The International Workshop of Ceramic Art (IWCAT), Tokoname,

Aichi, Japan. EXHIBITIONS 2016 Taksu Gallery, Art Stage 2016, Marina Bay Sands Expo and

Convention Centre, Singapore. Chanpuru 3-Man Show, Mominoki Gallery,

Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. 2015 A Door Ajar, Galeri Chandan Kuala Lumpur, Start Art Fair,

Saatchi Gallery, London. Champuru, Echigo-Tsumari Niigata, Japan. Segaris Art Center, Art Expo Malaysia 2015, MATRADE

Exhibition & Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Art Aid 2015 Charity Show, Segaris Art Center, Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

Kita 3-Man Show, T&S Gallery, Tokyo, Japan. The Space Between, Wei-Ling Contemporary, Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia. 2014 Diversity - Malaysian Arts, La Galleria, Pall Mall, London,

United Kingdom. Art Bazaar Berlin 2014, Messe, Berlin, Germany. Route 19, International Exchange Exhibition Malaysia

& Holland, Pace Gallery, Selangor. Malaysia. Artcube Gallery, Art Expo Malaysia 2014, MATRADE Exhibition

& Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Samsung Masterpieces Malaysia, Galeri Petronas,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Koelner Liste Contemporary Art Fair, Cologne, Germany. Malaysian Eye Project Exhibition and book launch of Prudential

Malaysian Eye: Contemporary Malaysian Art, White Box, Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tomorrow’s Land 3-Man Show, Pace Gallery, Selangor, Malaysia.

2013 Opening Show, Art Cube Gallery, The Intermark, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Kembara Jiwa Fukuoka: Expanded Passion, Galeri Chandan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan.

Natural Theatre..Annendaelse Hoeve 107, by artists KC61, Echt, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Bridge: Dari Utara ke Selatan, Project Installation, Esplanade Concourse, Esplanade, Singapore.

5 Seasons, Norbert Dabekaussen Kunst Gallery, Sittard, The Netherlands.

Century of The East, Silpakorn University, Thailand. Sekaki, Segaris Art Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Spice 2013, Pace Gallery, Selangor, Malaysia. 2012 Jakarta Contemporary Ceramic Biennale #2, Indonesia Visual

Art & Ceramic Museum and North Art Space Gallery, Indonesia. Nami Seom International Ceramics Festival, Korea. Conception in Reconciliation, Kembara Jiwa Project 2012. Selasar Sunaryo Bandung & Taman Budaya Yogyakarta,

Indonesia. Transit A4 Exhibition, House of Matahati, Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia. Art for Nature, Rimbun Dahan, Selangor, Malaysia. Suarasa, Segaris Art Centre, Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Songsang, Galeri Chandan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2011 World Travel Market 2011, Exhibition Centre London (ExCel)

London, United Kingdom.

UMIBAIZURAH MAHIR @ ISMAILBorn : April 6, 1975. Muar, Johor, Malaysia

Umibaizurah at The Edge Galerie, 2016.

6766

Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2011, South Korea. Refreshingly Different, Taksu Gallery, Bali, Indonesia. The Malaysian Rice Plates Project, Wei-Ling Gallery and Ministry

of Tourism, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia. Manifestasi Merdeka, National Visual Arts Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Here Today Gone Tomorrow, Art For Nature, Rimbun Dahan,

Selangor, Malaysia. Art Caged / Uncaged, Wei-Ling Contempoary, The Gardens

Mall, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. New Painting and Sculpture, Pace Gallery, Selangor, Malaysia. Women and Their Landscape, Pace Gallery, Selangor, Malaysia. Locals Only!, Taksu Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rogue Wave, Fringe Project Art Stage, Taksu Gallery,

Singapore. 2010 The Young Contemporaries ’10, National Art Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2-Man Show, Tiang Seri, Ernst & Young, Singapore. Survivor, Art For Nature, Rimbun Dahan, Selangor, Malaysia.

Paperworks: Marks and Trails of Artistic Minds, Galeri Chandan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Thou Art Women, 2010 World Expo, Shanghai, China. Five, Jyugaoka Gallery, Tokyo, Japan. Boleh!, Taksu Gallery, Singapore. 3-Man Show, Azabujuban Gallery, Tokyo, Japan. Tanah Timur, International Exchange Residency, Kyoueigama

Gallery, Tokoname, Japan. The Tiger Show, Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. New Space Opening, Taksu Gallery, Singapore. Locals Only!, Taksu Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2009 Jakarta Contemporary Ceramic Biennale #1, North Art Space,

Jakarta, Indonesia. 18@8 1Malaysia, Beyond the Canvas, Wei-Ling Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tanah Timur, International Exchange Residency Malaysia

& Japan, Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Contemporary Malaysia Art, Gallery Archana, Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia. Tanah Air, Rimbun Dahan, Selangor, Malaysia Malaysia Services Exhibition 2009 (MSE 2009), Dubai,

United Arab Emirates. The Contemporary Ceramic Asia Ceramic Network 09,

Penang State Art Gallery, Penang. Asia Ceramics Network 08, Cyber & Catalog Exhibition, Seoul,

South Korea. 2008 Cabinet, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 18@8 Vice and Versus, Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia. Emerging Asia, 2008 Asia Arts Network, KEPCO Gallery, Seoul,

South Korea.

Art Triangle 2008, Sokka Gakkai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Wet Seasons, Pace Gallery, Selangor, Malaysia. Shifting Boundaries, Art For Nature, Rimbun Dahan, Selangor,

Malaysia. Mind, Body, and Soul, Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Out Of The Mould – The Age Of Statement, Malmo Art Museum,

Sweden. 2007 Mapped, Jendela Arts Space, Esplanade, Singapore. International Contemporary Ceramic, Asia Ceramics Network &

Selsius, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Young Contemporaries 2006, National Art Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Out Of The Mould – The Age Of Statement, Galeri Petronas,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Jejak, Nasional Galeri Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia. Exhibition, Pace Gallery, Selangor, Malaysia. Grand Opening – Warning! Tapir Crossing, Two-Man Show with

Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, Patisatusudio, Puncak Alam, Selangor. Ceramic and Textile, Pelita Hati Gallery, Bangsar,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Kunang- Kunang III, Studio-Gallery Kunang-Kunang, Selangor,

Malaysia. Open House, Kebun Mimpi Gallery, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia. Mekar Citra 2007, Galeri Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. Virtousity-Women Show, Galeri Seni Johor, Johor, Malaysia. Fund-Raising Matahati, Sokka Gakkai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ’00.15 Superstar’, Art For Nature, Rimbun Dahan, Selangor,

Malaysia. Setahun Bersama, The Weld, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2006 18@8 Contemporary Artists from Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur –

Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan. Bank Negara Malaysia Art Invitational 2006, The Money

Museum & Art Centre, Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Open House, Gema Rimba, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sculpture Show, Gema Rimba, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Feed Me! An Exploration of Appetites, Art For Nature, Rimbun

Dahan, Selangor, Malaysia. Tabik Salute – A Tribute Exhibition for Jeri Azhari, National Art

Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Arts @ Earth, Xoas, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Arts @ Earth, KL Performing Art Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Art Salon Show, Xoas, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Toys, 2-Man Show with Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, Wei-Ling

Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2005 Pop Culture, Maya Gallery, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia. Taman Sari, WWF Art For Nature, Rimbun Dahan, Selangor,

Malaysia.

Grand Opening, Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Takung, National Visual Arts Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Form-ing Materials and Processes, Two-Man Show with Ahmad

Abu Bakar, Sculpture Square, Singapore. 2004 Fifteen, Darling Muse Gallery, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Paradise Lost/Paradise Found, Art For Nature, Rimbun Dahan,

Selangor, Malaysia. Young Contemporary Award 2004, National Art Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The International Workshop of Ceramic Art (IWCAT July-August

’04), Tokoname City Culture Hall, Tokoname, Aichi, Japan. Inax, Togaku Kobo Gallery, Tokoname, Aichi, Japan. The World Children’s Painting, Tokoname City Library,

Tokoname, Aichi, Japan. Clay Design Collaboration with Children, Tokoname City Culture

Hall, Tokoname. Aichi, Japan. Symposium Brush Calligraphy, Tokoname Higashi Elementary

School, Tokoname, Aichi, Japan. Yakimono, Tokoname Ceramic Festival, Tokoname, Aichi, Japan. Immersion, Maya Gallery, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2003 Wahana, Collaboration of Singapore and Malaysia Exhibition,

National Visual Arts Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Games People Play, Rimbun Dahan, Selangor, Malaysia. Formalisma Tampak Dalam Seni Khat & Seni Tampak Malaysia,

Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Virus, joint exhibition with Ahmad Shukri Mohamed,

Art Season Gallery, Singapore. Impressions, Shah Alam Gallery, Selangor, Malaysia. Incubator Series, collaborative work with Ahmad Shukri

Mohamed, Rimbun Dahan, Selangor, Malaysia. 2001 Open Show 2001, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Phillip Morris Malaysian Art Awards ’01, National Art Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 1999 Johor Exhibition, Yayasan Warisan Johor, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Nokia Arts Awards – Asia Pacific, National Visual Arts Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Philip Morris Malaysian Art Awards ’99, National Art Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Malaysian Insurance Institute, Mandarin Oriental Hotel,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 1998 Degree Show, School of Art & Design, MARA University of Tech-

nology, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.1997 Young Contemporary ’97, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

AWARDS 2010 Top 40 Under 40, Poised For Power 2010, Prestige Malaysia,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2007 Top 10 Winners, The Young Contemporaries ’06, National Art

Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Consolation, Mekar Citra 2007, Galeri Shah Alam, Selangor,

Malaysia. 2005 National Arts Council Arts Grant, Singapore.2004 Grant for the International Workshop of Ceramic Art, Japan

workshop awarded by MARA (UiTM), Selangor, Malaysia. Top Five Winners, Clay Sculpture Collaboration with Children,

Tokoname City Culture Hall, Tokoname, Aichi, Japan.1998 – 2001 Scholarship Award - Degree Ceramics, Yayasan Pelajaran Johor,

Malaysia. 1999 First Prize, Johor Art Competition ’99, Yayasan Warisan Johor,

Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Finalist, Nokia Arts Awards – Asia Pacific, National Art Gallery,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Honourable Mention, Philip Morris Malaysian of Art Awards

’99, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 1998 Dean’s List (Ceramics), School of Art & Design,

MARA University of Technology, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. 1995 Consolation Award, National Day’s, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

6968

INDEX

Famous 5 22,23

Friendly Haze 44,45

King & Queen 38,39

Kita 46,47

Love “Word of the Day” 24,25

New Kids in Town #1 32,33



Ocean 48,49

Share Location 40,41

The Giver 26,27

The Lady “Smoky Haze” 20,21

The Orchard 18,19

Unexpected Visitor #1 12






Yes Sir…On Duty 50,51

Yes, Sir!... On Duty 28,29

The Others #1 54

The Others #2 55

The Others #3 56

The Others #4 57

The Others #5 58

The Others #6 59

The Others #7 60

The Others #8 61

The Others #9 62

The Others #10 63

7170

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THIRD SOLO SHOW

It has been four years since my last solo show. Between 2012 and now, I have been active in group exhibitions, attending workshops and residency programmes locally

and internationally.

InshaAllah, with all the knowledge and experience I have acquired over the years, I am sharing them here, in my third solo exhibition.

Firstly, all thanks and gratitude to the Almighty for giving me the chance to complete my latest solo exhibition at The Edge Galerie, Kuala Lumpur.

A big thank you to Tony Godfrey and my team at Patisatustudio and Jinjit: Khairul, Mohd Al-Khuzairie Ali, Roxx, Salimin, Tawiludin, Zabedah and Mohd Zainuri.

A special thanks to my family: Emak, Che', Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, Adam Lais and Iklil Ali for their kind understanding, encouragement and patience.

To my collectors, media, fellow artists and friends.

And to all who have been involved either directly or indirectly.

Thank you.

With love, Umibaizurah Mahir @ Ismail, 2016.

72

G5-G6, Mont’ Kiara Meridin19 Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont’ Kiara

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel +603 7721 8188 / +603 6419 0102Email: [email protected]

EXHIBITION PERIOD21 July - 5 August 2016

DESIGNED BYThe Edge Communications Sdn Bhd

PHOTOGRAPHY BYKenny Yap

Mohd Izwan Mohd Nazam

PRINTED BYPercetakan Zanders Sdn Bhd

Copyright © 2016 The Edge CommunicationsAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro-

duced or transmitted or published in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in

writing from the copyright owner.

COVERThe Giver, 2015 - 2016, 91cm x 91cm x 91cm

Ceramic and mixed media on steel plate and wooden plinth

Supported by

fragile - sarah abu bakar

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