A glimpse into Asia at Novas Centre
Dec 1 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post
Artist Bayu Utomo Radjikin with his art at the Novas centre _320
A GLIMPSE into the work of some of the best up-and-coming artists in South Asia is now on show in a Liverpool gallery.
Tenggara is a new exhibition at the Novas Contemporary Urban Centre, on Greenland Street. It features large-scale paintings by 33 artists from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines and is co-curated by artists collective Matathati.
Bayu Utomo Radjikin, whose impressive self-portraits are among them, said: “It is great for us, as we had been looking to exhibit here and find a way of bringing all the artists over together. The concept of the artwork is contemporary painting by mostly rising artists representing some of their best work, so it’s a really good selection.
“It’s been quite a big project, but it is nice and we hope we can get more artists to come over here.”
The launch of Tenggara attracted dignitaries, including the Malaysian ambassador to the UK, and it is the latest international exhibition to be staged in the centre after Irish, Nordic, Canadian and Romanian events, to name a few, alongside its commitment to disadvantaged groups and Liverpool artists.
After Liverpool, it will go on to travel to Novas’s other centres in London.
Artist Hamir Soib Mohamed said: “It’s kind of a celebration, so people can have just a glimpse of what happens in painting in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.”
Erwina Aghafar, creative director of Novas CUC, added: “Everything we have in this building reflects the one main aim of the regeneration of this area. The Malaysian community is an unsung one in Liverpool.
“I think it’s important for Liverpool, with Capital of Culture and the Biennial, to have artists from Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia as part of that programme, to make Liverpool more recognised as an international, multi-cultural city.”
Tenggara is on at the Novas Centre until January 18. See also www.matahatitenggara.blogspot.com
