Artist Zulkifli Yusoff is a traveller and a storyteller at heart; that his works contain historical and socio-political references is an added bonus.
I HAD looked forward very much to seeing Icons, artist Zulkifli Yusoff’s first solo exhibition in eight years in Malaysia. In fact, the exhibition has been touted as the one to “re-launch the iconic artist’’.
Although, if you ask me, Zulkifli does not need re-launching. Anybody remotely interested in Malaysia’s modern visual arts would know about this artist who is so synonymous with the evolution of installation art in this country. Anybody speaking about cutting-edge contemporary art would not be able to exclude the works of Zulkifli from their discussion.
This is the artist who represented Malaysia to the Venice Biennale - arguably the most important visual arts event in the world - in 1997 with his installation piece titled Don’t Play During Maghrib.
Icons can be seen as socio-political commentary by a traveller.
He is also the artist recently awarded the Anugerah Akademik Negara - the country’s highest academic accolade - for his contribution to visual arts in the country. This speaks volumes about the breadth, width and depth of his work.
He is, to put it simply, one artist to watch out for.
His works, be it installations, paintings or sculpture, have been described as socio-political in nature with strong references to Malay folklore and myths.
Indeed, with titles that speak of Sumpah Mahsuri (The Curse of Mahsuri), Panglima Garang (Fierce Warriors), Puteri Gunung Ledang (Princess of Mount Ledang), and Siri Catur (Chess Series), it is not difficult to understand the recurring theme of power in Zulkifli’s body of work: Both the use and abuse of it.
Icons has been described as his most provocative artworks to-date, and there are 10 paintings and six hanging sculptures displayed at the exhibition. As in some of his previous works, his newest include references to historical events that have shaped this country and its people.
Dari Mata Turun Ke Hati
The death of J.W.W Birch resulted in a chain of events that impacted the political history of this country; from policy changes in the British administration of the Federated States of Malaya; the exile of legitimate rulers to foreign lands; the punishment meted out to leaders of the uprising. Viewing the paintings Birch at Pasir Salak, Hujan Lembing (Raining Spears) and Different Cultures, I wondered if the recent exhumation of the remains of Datuk Maharaja Lela and Ngah Ibrahim from a cemetery in Singapore and their subsequent reburial in Perak has closed the chapter on that particular incident?
Personally, I doubt it. What Zulkifli has placed on his canvases is but a small part of the history of this country and its people. As an artist, he has done his job and discharged his responsibility; he has brought the Pasir Salak incident to the fore, and placed it in the consciousness of modern-day Malaysians.
We will now have to wait and see how our anthropologists and sociologists, our social and political scientists, interpret, evaluate and position this incident in the process of building and engineering our modern-day nation and the collective characteristics of its people.
Bobby
As an artist, Zulkifli continues to comment on another socio-political issue: The growing discontent within the Malay entertainment community, and the invasion and domination of foreign productions. (I watched the television programme Fenomena Seni within 24 hours of viewing Icons, and I was reminded of how complex this issue really is.)
Zulkifli’s hanging sculptures in the shape of the popcorn cones which we take into cinemas as we sit down to enjoy our choice of movie may be about the movie industry in this country. Certainly the paintings Bobby, Different Skills 1 & 11 and Dari Mata Turun Ke Hati (From the Eyes to the Heart) feature icons from the heyday of the local Malay movie industry.
Sitting in the gallery surrounded by these Icons, I am reminded of conversations I had with Zulkifli a few years ago as he worked on his installation piece, Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah. He was excited about the pioneer Malay writer Munshi Abdullah and the tales of his journey upriver in Pahang. He told me of observations made by Munshi Abdullah of village life along the river almost at the turn of last century and how he (Zulkifli) could see very clearly the significance of those observations in modern-day Malaysia.
Per chance, I recently read an analysis of the writings of Munshi Abdullah by Farish Nor. And I realised that throughout his artistic career, Zulkifli has been taking us on a monologue of tales of his own travels. As he moves from one stage of his artistic life to another, from one period in his academic life to another, he diligently records observations of life around him.
Different Cultures
We may call it his socio-political commentary but I suspect, amidst the complexity and sophistication of modern-day art theories and practices, this man is at heart a traveller and a documentarist, quietly putting his observations and perceptions onto his canvasses, sculptures and installation pieces.
And in the process, he creates a cache of tales to be told and re-told, to be interpreted and analysed.
I look forward to a comprehensive retrospective of his works, perhaps at the National Art Gallery. In the meantime, the most comprehensive publication on his work to-date has been released in conjunction with the exhibition. Sponsored by United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Icons traces Zulkifli’s artistic career from the very beginning to his latest collection of work.
Here’s to you Zul!
‘Icons’ is on display until Oct 6 at Wei-Ling Gallery (No. 8, Jalan Scott, Kuala Lumpur; open noon to 5pm Mondays to Fridays, 10am to 5pm Saturdays). For more information, call 03-22601106/07, 012-302 5302 or go to weiling-gallery.com.