The Star: A Touch of Art

A touch of art
By SHARMILLA GANESAN
star2@thestar.com.my

An exhibition by blind students shows that art is bound only by the imagination.

WHAT is art if not an embodiment of the mind’s eye? Nowhere is this more apparent than in Textures and Tactility, currently on at NN Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. Featuring ceramic artworks and mono prints created by visually impaired students of Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas (SMPK) Cacat Penglihatan Setapak, KL, the exhibition is proof that creativity can indeed overcome all restrictions.

The objects on display are the result of Projek Mata Hati, a corporate social responsibility programme initiated by Group Technical Services, a service unit in MISC Bhd. The five-year project aims to improve the skills and education of, and amenities for, the visually impaired students in music, sports, literature, creative arts and IT.

For the creative arts segment, it brought together fine art lecturers from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), and SMPK Setapak, allowing the students to explore basic clay and printmaking techniques. Through a series of workshops, 43 students were exposed to processes such as moulding, shape-making and pattern-making to create their artwork.

 

Exotic: This ceramic artwork by Teh Khalijah Shabudin and Mohamad Afiq Afify Rizan is on display at the Textures and Tactility exhibition.

The end products are indeed remarkable – 55 art pieces ranging from plates and vases to sculptures and wall hangings. In fact, casual observers may not even realise they were produced by visually impaired students. Even the lecturers who conducted the workshops were blown away.

“We were very surprised with the results,” says Dr Mohd Fauzi Sedon of UPSI’s Department of Art and Design, Faculty of Art, Computing and Creative Industries. “It was wonderful to see how interested and enthusiastic all the students were, and this really translated into their work.”

Indeed, the students’ excitement is immediately apparent when you talk to them about their creations.

“Before this, we didn’t have a chance to show our talent and creativity,” says Siti Suhailah Muhamad Sabri, 16, one of the low-vision students involved. “This project gave us a chance to try our hands at creating art, without any pressure. It was really fun, and the results made us very happy.”

Nur Basyirah Mohd Azhar, 15, who also has partial sight, says she has always been interested in art, but never got the opportunity to involve herself in it before. “It was really enjoyable to learn the new techniques that I’ve never been exposed to before.”

 

Mono print by Mohamad Fariza Ariffin and Ahmad Amirul Arif Mahathir.

Dr Fauzi explains that he and his colleague, Dr Tajul Shuhaizam Said, wanted to come up with projects that would focus on textures, as touch was an essential part of a blind person’s perception of the world.

“That’s why we decided on ceramics and printmaking, as both involve tactility. The students could touch the surface of the pieces they’re working on, so they would know what designs they are making,” he says.

For the ceramic pieces, they were first taught how to work with clay, by touching and experimenting with it. Then they were given various types of leaves to choose from, which they pressed into the clay to create designs and texture. Finally, the pieces were painted and fired in a kiln.

For the vases and pots, the students were taught to press clay into a mould, before adding the leaf textures and colour.

 

Ceramic artwork by Mohamad Zainuddin Mohd Shamsudin, Nuramira Ariana Amat Hamidi and Nur Ain Izzati

The mono prints, meanwhile, were produced using a technique called collography, whereby the students stuck leaves onto a backing block and then applied different colours on them before pressing the block onto cloth.

“The pieces were all based on the theme of nature, which is why we used leaves. We really wanted the students to feel and think about the different textures of the leaves, and how this could be applied to their art,” says Dr Fauzi.

Mohamad Amirul Ahmad, for instance, shares that he got his inspiration for his pieces from thoughts of a garden. “I wanted to depict my impression of what a flower garden would look like,” says the 19-year-old, who is completely blind.

Suhailah got her ideas from thoughts of the jungle. “When they put the leaves in my hand, the picture of a jungle immediately came to mind. So I used that in my works,” she says.

Teh Khalijah Shabudin, on the other hand, worked in a more abstract way. The 18-year-old, who is completely blind, says she simply let her imagination guide her, based on the materials given.

For each piece of art, blind students were paired with those with low vision to better facilitate the creation process. Nevertheless, they were all given the opportunity to apply their own creativity and ideas.

“Every student got to touch and choose the leaves that they wanted to use in their artwork, and then come up with their own designs. Even when it came to choosing colours, we would tell the blind students what there were, and let them decide how much to mix together and where to apply them,” says Dr Fauzi.

As such, much of it was a spontaneous process, with the students deciding on colours and designs intuitively.

 

(From left) Teh Khalijah Shabudin, Siti Suhailah Muhamad Sabri, Nur Basyirah Mohd Azhar and Mohamad Amirul Ahmad are a few of the visually impaired students from the school whose works are on display at the art exhibition.

“In fact, we tried to replicate some of the hues of the ceramics they created and couldn’t, because they had mixed the different colours based on their own instincts.”

For Amirul Ahmad, 19, the project was a welcome chance to learn something new. “It was very interesting to feel the clay and learn how to use it. Having these skills will also be a valuable career option for us,” he says.

Suhailah adds that she is looking forward to more such projects.

“We would love the opportunity to learn more things and pick up different techniques. I am really proud of the results of our work, and it gives us the confidence to use our imagination.”

Textures And Tactility is on till Feb 29 at NN Gallery, 53A & 56, Jalan Sulaiman 1, Taman Ampang Hilir, KL. Viewing: 9am to 6pm daily (except Sunday and public holidays). Proceeds from sale of the works will go to SMPK Setapak for future art projects. Call 03-4270 6588 or visit nngallery.com.my.

(Source:
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2012/2/19/lifearts/10753987&sec=lifearts)