FJ Pamphlet (1- nov)

Faces of Johor

Opening Night: 27th October 2017, 3pm-5pm
Exhibiting from 27th October- 10th November 2017

Opening Hours 12pm – 8pm

ARTISTS

AINA MARLISA BINTI MOHARIZ
Maternal Love

ANIS HUSNA BINTI ABD AZIZ
Children Playing Gasing by the Seashore

CHAI JUN KAI
A Good Coffee

CHEW SIEW KEAT
Singapore to Johor and Back Again

EKHAEL ISTAFA BIN JAIZAN HARDI
Kayuh Perlahan-Lahan (Take it slow)

HRISHHEEKESH RAJ A/L MUNIANDY
Memoirs of the Open Ground

KAVI ASWEENA A/P PALANISAMY
Wanderlust

KUMARAVARMAN A/L R SIVAPERUMAL
Calligraphy of Hindu Mantras

LUQMANUL HAKEEM BIN MOHD NOOR
Behind a Loving Smile

MOHAMMAD FIRDAUS SHAH BIN MOHAMMAD SAIRY
The Life of the Lights

NURIN IRSALINA BINTI MOHD SALEH
ATHAZAGORAPHOBIA

RUBAN RAJ A/L CHITRAPALAN
Flowing Notes

SITI ZULAIKHA BINTI ZULHAIMI
I Dare

UNG HEI LING
Loss of Childhood

EXHIBITION STATEMENT

Faces of Johor is a community project by Foundation students at Multimedia University, Faculty of
Cinematic Arts that seeks to portray the diverse lives and rich culture of the people at Johor
downtown. The Foundation students travelled all over and drew inspiration from the different
people at cafes, shops and temples that they encountered. The subjects- ranging from a ticket
counter clerk to a second generation café-owner - each carry with them personal stories, memories,
current issues and all express the different facets that make-up the heart-beat of Johor.

Occupying the 2nd floor of Art 52 Gallery, Faces of Johor explores the essence of the people in
downtown Johor Bahru through 15 contemporary portraits.

Conceived by MMU Lecturer, Megan Wonowidjoyo, Faces of Johor is supported by Think City in
collaboration with Art 52 Gallery.

Latha a/p S.M Ramachandran

Causeway Bridge

“Working overseas is not an easy thing to do but I wake up early crossing the causeway to Singapore and back
every day for work and it is all for my three boys. I want them to be educated and to at least complete their
degree and be university graduates. I love my kids very much: my three gems.”

Maternal Love

Acrylic & Collage on Paper

And the dearest Mother in
all of the world is the one I

call my own.

Maternal Love depicts a mother (Latha- 43yrs old) with her three children. Acrylic paint, fabric, lace, oil
paper and dried flowers were used to create this photomontage piece. The reason for the use of fabric is
because women weave and mend the social fabric of families and communities everywhere. Also, the
literal meaning can be depicted as women’s associated with the “domestic arts” of textile through history. It
captures femininity for the artwork. The flowers also play a big role as they are roses, symbolizing love.

One of the goals is for the painting to have an essence of motherly love and warmth, hence the warm
colors for the mother and cool colors for the kids to balance out the painting. They all have their eyes
closed as if they are sleeping and dreaming of a time and place where they are all together, happy and
need nothing else but each other. The blue background with yellow flowers (made with thumb prints)
behind her evokes the night sky with stars, as nighttime is often associated with dreaming.

The sacrifices she makes for her sons and her selfless intentions to help others makes her such an
incredible person. In a world that worships money and materialism, Latha and her children couldn’t care
less of such things as they are happy, content and blessed with the presence of each other.

Maternal Love

Aina Marlisa Binti Mohariz

Acrylic & Collage on paper
42 x 59 cm

Lee Poo Sin

Roufu Gumiao, Jalan Trus

“As a little child, I lived in a government squatter house at Jalan Pandan, Stulang Darat nearer to the sea. I grew
up in a community with a great spirit of unity that unifying them as a whole, plus the concept of “1Malaysia” was
always in their heart without discriminating the colour of the skin. The population of 60% Malay, 30% Chinese
and 10% Indian was never be a problem for the community to work as a group, play as a team and live as a
family. The unifying spirit in the community is when there are no artificial boundaries between us as Malaysians.
I hope that one day, all races in Malaysia would be address as “Bangsa Malaysia“ to represent the unity spirit in
Malaysia.”

Children Playing Gasing by the Seashore

Acrylic on Paper

Childhood was a time when we didn’t even care about the difference between
colour tone and culture background.

Children Playing Gasing by the Seashore reflects Lee’s biggest hope for Johor as well as Malaysia- racial
unity. The playing depicts the enjoyment of the children without worrying about the differences between them.
Gasing is a traditional toy and it shows the time period where people didn’t have mass media. I chose to depict
the seashore as it depicts Lee’s childhood.
Lee hopes one day the difference races of Malay, Chinese, Indians and others will be replaced by Malaysians (
Bangsa Malaysia ) just like how Tunku Mahkota addressed all Johorean as “Bangsa Johor“. Lee hopes that all
Malaysian professionals who live overseas to return and devote to the country.
I used different colour tone to depict the different races and the use of gestures such as - holding hands and eye
contact to depict the unity among them. The use of colourful background is to depict the happiness of the
different races together.

Children Playing Gasing by the Seashore

Anis Husna Binti Abd Aziz

Acrylic on canvas
59 x 84 cm

Mr. Long Gill Hugot

The Replacement- Lodge & Kitchen, 33, Jalan Dhoby

.

I am a Filipino working in Malaysia. I am a supervisor at “The Replacement” and my job is to make sure the food
and beverages satisfy all the customers. By doing so, my team and I have to taste every new food and
beverages before adding it to the menu. So I developed a skill in tasting so I could be very detailed about food
tasting, especially coffee. In this modern world, most of the adult are busy, which means adults are often tired
and not as energize as we once were. To have energy to get through a busy day, we need a good cup of coffee
a day to keep moodiness away.

A Good Coffee

Acrylic on Canvas

Coffee is more than just black and brown
Without passion they are just bitter

A Good Coffee expresses Long’s passion for coffee. I drew Long breathing in bright colours to reflect the
different taste and aromas in the coffee; food-tasters like him could detect each and every nuance in it.
Customer satisfaction is essential in every business, without satisfied customers there will be no more business.
Long plays an important role in his Café business; without his professionalism and his sparks of creativity, coffee
will just be black and dull.

A Good Coffee

Chai Jun Kai

Acrylic on canvas
59 x 84 cm

Muhammad Irfan Adi

Causeway Bridge

“I am a Malaysian currently working in Singapore. I hate the stress and rush of Singapore. Whenever I am too
stressed out with work in Singapore, I turn to video games to find solace. Returning home to Johor Bahru calms
me after a day of work in Singapore.”

Singapore to Johor and Back Again

Acrylic on Canvas

Returning home to Johor Bahru calms me after a day of work in Singapore.

Singapore to Johor and Back Again expresses the conflicts in Mr. Adi’s life. In the upper part of the
artwork represents Singapore where he travels to work. There are 12 trails of footsteps and the different
colours show the different cultures and races present. The yellow footsteps represent Mr. Adi as yellow is
his favourite colour. I made the yellow footsteps in both shoe prints and foot prints to show him in stages of
his growth into adulthood and who he is today. Some footsteps and shoe prints painted stop in the middle
of the trail to show how confusing life can get sometimes when things move too fast. The lower part of the
painting which is painted entirely in blue is used to represent the Straits that separate Johor from
Singapore. I painted it in a calming colour in contrast with the footsteps and shoe prints trailing back to the
black, thick line which acts as a border. This shows Mr. Adi’s eagerness to return to what he feels is less
stressful and calmer, which is his home, Johor Bahru. The gaming console at the centre has the yellow
footsteps return to the gaming console to show his love for video games.

Singapore to Johor and Back Again

Chew Siew Keat

Acrylic on Canvas

Yasmin Lahzuli

Downtown Johor

“Growing up as a teenager, I face a lot of confusion and it makes me anxious when I don’t find answers. When I
do face confusing thoughts or moments and talk about it with my friend, Ahmad, he will always tell me “kayuh
perlahan-lahan” which means to take it slow. After days and months of articulating my thoughts I realize that I
learnt more than what I expected. My journey to find the answers to my confusion made me realize that
confusion forces people to think and come up with amazing ideas. I realize that without all the confusion and
complete contradictions the world would be a less interesting place because people would stop exploring and
looking for answers.”

Kayuh Perlahan-Lahan (Take it slow)

Acrylic on Canvas

Without confusion and contradictions the world would be a less interesting place
because people would stop exploring and looking for answers.

Kayuh Perlahan-Lahan shows a few of Yasmin’s confusing thoughts about life. I hope that when people
read Yasmin’s quotes, they will feel less lonely knowing that there are people just as confused as they are.

Artist

Ekhael Istafa Bin Jaizan Hardi

Acrylic on paper, collage
59 x 84 cm

Mohammad Arshad

Jalan Dhoby, Masjid India

“I am a big fan of the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) Football Club and am passionate about football. I hang the Johor
flag at my workspace as a proud Johorean.”

Memoirs of the Open Ground

Water colour Pencils on Paper

The memories of the open ground never fades….

Memoirs of the Open Ground revives Arshad’s memories of his childhood. I was fascinated when Mr.Arshad
recalled memories of his childhood games with so much of detail; games such as hopscotch, marbles and
barefooted soccer. The childhood of past times was solely based on the availability of an open ground or
landscape which caters to the delight of the people.
Now much has changed as most childhood is spent indoor-based. Hand phones, tablets and video game
consoles have replaced the outdoors and makes up childhood nowadays.
This has been explored in my artwork which is a scenery of bare-footed football game of the past combined and
contrasted by modern day childhood of computer games. My approach is to recreate the essence of his
childhood by paying attention to colours in order to create the mood of the past.

Memoirs of the Open Ground

Hrishheekesh Raj A/L Muniandy

Water Colour Pencils on paper
42 x 59 cm

NUR ALISSA-MAE BINTI ABDUL RASHID

36, JALAN TAN HIOK NEE, CHAIWALLA@CO

“I am an independent person and know most of the places at Johore. I like to travel often as I am interested in
gaining new experiences and meeting new people regardless of their races and background. Learning the
culture, tradition and custom of others excites me. I have always wanted to try out new things and challenges
have never been an obstacle for me to succeed in every single thing that I attempt.”

WANDERLUST

Acrylic on Paper

A man’s heart has to be looked upon instead of his colour.

Wanderlust depicts Mae’s journey towards self and world discovery. Mae believes that unity can be enhanced
through travelling, I therefore portrayed Mae’s multiple portraits overlaid by a map to reflect her journey as she
travelled around Malaysia.

WANDERLUST

Kavi Asweena A/P Palanisamy

Acrylic on Canvas
42 x 59 cm

AAGAMA VISSARATHA VAAMATHEVASHIVA R. Srithara Sivachariyar

Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam Johor Bahru

“I am a native from India and have been working in Malaysia for more than 7 years as an archaka (Chief Priest),
leading prayer sessions- puja, in major Hindu temple ceremonies and Hindu community celebrations. I teach
religious classes for school children and young people. I specialize in chanting Hindus mantra.”

Calligraphy of Hindu Mantras

Print on Paper

Praying Hindu Mantras gives clarity and purity.

Calligraphy of Hindu Mantra contains different languages of the same mantra in Hindu culture. I use four
different languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. Every language has different fonts,
shapes and words. This is the main mantra for Lord Raja Mariamman. The white color depicts the purity,
goodness, spirituality, and positivity. I used Black color as my background because black is an absence of light.
It also gives depth to the words. I used calligraphy method for my artwork because my subject taught Hindu
Mantra’s in the temple and calligraphy is the best method to portray the mantras.

Chantings

Kumaravarman A/L R Sivaperumal

Print on paper
42 x 59cm

Mr Vijay

“I work as a waiter and my job includes entertaining people, collecting orders and sometimes I tag along to play
board games with the customers. I have gone through a bad relationship and find peace by entertaining people.
It is rewarding to make people happy.”

Behind a Loving Smile

Acrylic on Paper

Enjoy life: that is what we need to aim for.

Behind a Loving Smile shows what Vijay is going through in life as he lives in a board game entertainment
world. Behind his smile he has been fighting his inner self and he is trying to understand life as he goes through
adulthood.

In my art the black figure represent his inner self while Vijay is at the other side of the table playing chess
figuring out his next move to win in the game. The big chess pieces represents how big an impact board games
have in his life. In the background, people walking outside the café shows how we go through life having
problems not realising that other people have problems too. The scene takes place at night as that was at the
time I met Vijay.

Behind a Loving Smile

Luqmanul Hakeem Bin Mohd Noor

Acrylic on paper
42 x 59 cm

Norlida

Danga Bay Funfair

“I live alone now. My kids are all working and have left me. They only come back to see me once a year.
Working at the funfair gives me the opportunity to share the happiness of others even though I feel dull inside. “

The Life of the Lights

Acrylic on Canvas

In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.

Francis Bacon

The Life of the Lights expresses Norlida’s emotions. My hope for Johor is to see its economy prosper. So I
choose to paint red and blue to depict the flag of Johor and the mixture of colours outside of the red and blue to
show the dullness inside Norlida’s life. Nevertheless, the particles that came out around of the Ferris wheel is to
show the happiness that she spreads even though she feels dull inside. I mixed a little bit of yellow around the
white particle to show that happiness is gold. Happiness is not something that can be blocked. Even when times
are rough, traces of happiness are still there. Happiness should be spread and felt by everyone.

The Life of the Lights

Mohammad Firdaus Shah Bin Mohamad Sairy

Acrylic on paper
42 x 59 cm

Muhammad Aliff Haiqal Bin Muhammad Ali

Chapchai Cafe

“I have many friends who share the same interests and experiences as me. I love to be with my friends and
family. I will make time to be with them and I will always there for anyone who needs me. Although I like to mix
with people, deep down I am uncertain about what others think of me. I fear if I get too close to someone,
and care too much about the person, I will get sick or hurt in return. “

ATHAZAGORAPHOBIA; A fear of forgetting or being forgotten

Acrylic on Canvas

Feel me, as I feel for you.

Athazagoraphobia expresses Aliff’s deepest fear. Being appreciated is the most amazing feeling and
everyone craves for it. Aliff wants people to know his existence, to be visible to the eye of the world, and
not treated as a temporal amusement. In my artwork, I painted Aliff in a grey monochrome to represent his
common self, as any other boy in their adolescence. I painted Aliff’s face as colourful to express his
dreams, ambitions, personality and curiosity. His one eye represents his cares for the world - how he cares
too much. His colourful-half expresses his desire to contribute to the world, and the other half - his fear of
being forgotten. Aliff is happy-sad all the time.

ATHAZAGORAPHOBIA; A fear of forgetting or being

Nurin Irsalina Binti Mohd Saleh

Acrylic on Canvas
56 x 84 cm

MUHAMMAD DHARI

Istana Bukit Serene

“I started playing music since I was a teenager and spent most of my time in my English college playing music.
My favourite singers and musicians are The Aerosmith, The Beatles, The Who, Queen, Elvis Presley, Michael
Jackson, P. Ramlee etc. I play the trumpet and the drums a lot. I become a different person when I am playing
music. “

Flowing Notes

Acrylic on Canvas

Music brings a person to a different world.

Flowing Notes expresses the journey music brings you through. I started with a layer of bluish/ greenish
backdrop and then another layer of turquoise. I then proceeded to do the music instrument and the musical
notes. I want to give my artwork a depth to make it look like it is going further or travels far away. I can totally
relate to Dhari’s Love for music because I myself play the guitar.

Flowing Notes

Ruban Raj A/L Chitrapalan

Acrylic on canvas
59 x 84 cm

Shisha maker

Aedry Danish

Aladdin Café, Jalan Bukit Timbalan

“I am 20 years-old and I grew up in Johor since the day I was born. I didn’t pursue tertiary education because I
wanted to start working. I worked as a barista, waiter, cashier and also a sudsbuster and right now, I am working
as a shisha maker at Aladdin Cafe. My motto in life: If you want something in life, go for it and never give up.

Siti Zulaikha Binti Zulhaimi

I Dare

Pencil and Watercolour on Paper
42 x 59cm

We are reckless, we are the wild youth.

– “Youth” by Daughter

I DARE shows a portrait of Aedry surrounded by dark and strong colours to represent his bravery to quit school
and start working after graduating from high school because the normality is to pursue higher education for a
brighter future. The colours also represent the hardships that Aedry might be facing in the exchange for going
against the grain, since those without higher education are always being looked down upon. The soft smirk from
Aedry’s lips counteracts all the negativity showing that he is confident in facing any obstacles that will come in
his way. Aedry embodies the soul of a brave youth.

I DARE

Siti Zulaika Binti Zulhaimi

Acrylic on paper
42 x 59cm

Sensation E Café & Bakery Shop Owner

Francis Lim Shao Wee

Tan Hiok Nee District

“I’m a second generation of the shop owner. When I was young, my father force me to work in the factory, so I
spent most of my childhood in the bakery. As I grew up, I realized that my father’s intention was to train me to
take over the business. In order not to disappoint him, I took my responsibility as a filial son and took over the
business, even though it was not my dream career. The business was the only thing that my father could leave
for me; he hoped that I could continue his hard work. I wish to continue my father’s recipe so that more people
could taste my family’s traditional recipe.”

UNG HEI LING

Loss of Childhood

Watercolour on Paper

Childhood is the most important thing for a child.

Loss of childhood lets Francis recall his past memory. In my artwork, I depict Francis looking at his childhood. I
use dark colors to show that he never experienced the joy of childhood because he was forced to help his
parents after school. There’s a ‘Freedom” keychain on the kid’s school bag. It represents the kid who was eager
to experience childhood and desired to have free space. The green grass represents Francis’ strength and
persistence, as he continues to take over his family's Bakery business. Those cakes are a part of his life now. In
addition, his hair painted upright with green mainly is to describe he already accept the fact and started to enjoy
banking stuff.

Loss of Childhood

Ung Ley Ling

Watercolour on paper
59 x 84cm

In Association with JB Arts Fest

In collaboration with Think City
Art 52 Gallery
The People at Johor Downtown

Mr Lee Poh Sin
Mr Francis Lim Shao Wee
Mr Aedry Danish
Mr Mohammad Arshad
Ms Norlida
Mr. Vijay
Mr Mohammad Dhari
Mr Muhammad Aliff Haikal Bin Muhammad Ali
Ms Yasmin Lahzuli
Mr AAGAMA VISSARATHA VAAMATHEVASHIVA R. Srithara
Sivachariyar
Ms Nur Alissa-Mae Binti Abdul Rashid
Mr Mohammad Irfan Adi
Mr Long Gill Hugot
Ms Latha a/p S.M Ramachandran

Special thanks to Think City
Ms. Faezah Ayub
Mr. Izzul Hakim bin Onn

Art 52 Gallery
Mr Eric Tan
Ms Grace Lim

Multimedia University
Dr. Charles Leary
Mr. Akmal Radzlan bin Mohd Rashid
Dr. Alex Fischer
Mr Shafeeq Jibin
Mr Haironizam bin Sujono
Mr. Badrul Hisyam bin Mahazan
Mr. Ziaulhak bin Mohd Saim

The Faculty of Cinematic Arts

Megan Wonowidjoyo,
MMU Foundation Program