Celebrating the Culture of Excellence

Two exhibitions to celebrate the culture of excellence began on 12.12.2013 at the Galeri Petronas. One is the Merdeka Award Exhibition 'showcasing portraits of the Merdeka Award recipients by Malaysian portraiture artists'. The other is Sketches of Science: Photo Sessions with Nobel Laureates. Both feature 'portraits of distinguished figures who have contributed significantly in the fields of science and humanity'.

The 22 portraits of the Merdeka Award Exhibition are by renowned artists including Jaafar Taib, Azman Yusof, and Rosli Mat. Awardees are recognised for their achievements that have made remarkable contributions to the country. They include Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid (2008), Professor Dr Harith Ahmad (2010), Professor Datuk Dr Halimaton Hamdan (2009), and Dato' Dr Kenneth Yeang (2011). Perak Regent Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Sultan Azlan Shah who officiated the opening hoped the exhibitions 'will inspire youths to explore their passion in various fields such as arts, science, technology and discoveries'.

When I visited the exhibitions on 12.01.2014, I was really pressed for time, so I literally ran around the gallery, pausing only briefly to read some of the captions of the Merdeka awardees. I found some of the 50 portraits of the Nobel Laureates and their sketches of their discoveries quite amusing. So here I paused longer, long enough to talk to the helpful museum guides/volunteers and take photos! German photographer Volker Steger says "The sketches demonstrate the beauty of intellectual concepts'. Kuala Lumpur is the seventh city the Nobel Museum has brought this 'Sketches of Science' exhibition to, collaborating with the Academy of Sciences Malaysia.

The exhibitions will run until the end of the month.