Pretty Simply Normal: Sabah Art Gallery

Monday 5 August 2013

Sabah Art Gallery

Balai Seni Lukis Sabah (CNB 2013)

The Balai Seni Lukis Sabah is now in a beautiful new octagonal building shaped like a traditional Kadazandusun bahuyun (basket). It is Sabah's first environmentally friendly four-storey art gallery costing RM15 million. Designed by architect Lee Hon Liong, much of the building is powered by the sun, with rain water collected to flush toilets and water the lawns. Windows are kept to the minimum and the building is designed in such a way to shed much of the inside from sun rays (which reduces the amount of harmful ultra-violet rays that could destroy paintings on display). Enough natural light and fresh air is let in through an open circular roof. This Visual Arts Conservation Centre is located at Jalan Penampang, about 3km from Kota Kinabalu City Centre.

While in Sabah recently, Penel took me to visit this very new art gallery and we were thoroughly impressed, with both the building and the art works within.

Penel signs the visitor's book (CNB 2013)

The Exhibitions are held on two spacious levels, reached by a circular/curving staircase. Pameran Bakat-bakat Baharu 2013 was on then. It showcased the artworks - paintings, collages, sculptures - by the various new local artistic talents of Sabah.

Pameran Bakat-bakat Baharu 2013 (CNB 2013)

A bird sculpture and paintings (CNB 2013)

Tun Fuad Stephens in Warhol style (CNB 2013)

Another exhibition was the Pameran Datuk Yaman dan Rakan-rakan. Datuk Yaman Ahmad Mus (1938-2012) was a great artist and the Director of the Sabah Art Gallery at the time of his demise. But he never got to visit the new gallery building due to his frail health then. This exhibition was to honour him and display his artworks. I liked his Ilusi dimensi series in acrylic. Among his rakan-rakan/friends whose works were displayed were Tina Rimmer, Datuk Hj Murshidi Nambi, Datuk Simon C. Yew, and Benedict Chong.