by HAZATUL SYIMA HARON
The Malaysia-Iran Islamic Art Exhibition 2022, which takes place from June 18 to July 2, is a cross-cultural event that promotes interaction and connects people, especially between Malaysians and Iranian who share a quite similar Islamic culture.
The exhibition presents about 120 artworks from 60 Malaysian and Iranian artists, as well as from ICC’s collection. It is organised by the Visual Arts Department of Universiti Selangor, in collaboration with the ICC.
The exhibition is open to all, but I would advise you not to be too casually-dressed as it is an Islamic exhibition housed at the ICC in a bungalow in Ampang Hilir, known to be the embassy enclave of Kuala Lumpur (KL).
As you walk in, you’ll see the main staircase to the first floor where the exhibition is located. And as you walk up the spiral staircase with its ornate wrought-iron railing, you’ll notice a 270-degree view of various artworks on display including a big wall hanging depicting the Kaaba in the Masjid al-Haram with various Quranic verses.
One of the Iranian artists present, Marjan Seifollahi has three artworks on display, one of them done in collaboration with her friend Ateffeh Shokrollahi. One of her works is an Arabic calligraphy mixed-media oil painting with gold paper 3D effect, featuring verses from Surah Ar-Rahman, is also available for sale at RM10,000.
An expatriate who’s been living in KL for the past 10 years, Marjan and her family first came to Malaysia 15 years ago to send her son to study, but they decided to make Malaysia their second home due to the warm environment, as well as similar Islamic culture including easy-to-find halal food.
Of the artworks shown by our local artists, I find myself drawn to an acrylic, collage and mixed painting by Mohd Iszuan Ismail titled “Tanah Kami Sama, Roh”.
The vivid painting in red, green, white and black depicts the colours of the flag of Palestine and the struggles faced by the Palestinians as well as Muslims around the world including Malaysia. The 2021 piece is available for RM4,000.
The talent must run in the family as the artist’s father, Ismail Baba or also known in the art world as Pak Mail, also has an artwork on display.
Pak Mail explains that the painting depicts a kampung house during the pandemic, where the occupants resort to selling fresh products sourced locally, such as petai, bananas and salted fish, in front of their home in order to eke out a living due to the PKP “Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan” (Movement Control Order).
If you look closely at the art piece aptly named “PKP”, you can also see a standing temperature scanner and a MySejahtera QR Code, as well as yellow tape for social distancing. The artwork is also available for RM4,000.
The chatty Pak Mail and his wife explain that he has dozens of artworks at the private studio behind their house in Kampung Melayu Ampang. The friendly couple kindly extend an invitation to the writer for tea and a tour of the studio in the future. (Such occasion will warrant a future write-up.)
The Malaysia-Iran Islamic Art Exhibition 2022 is open to all from June 18 to July 2 at the ICC, No 105, Jalan Ampang Hilir, KL.
The exhibition is one of the activities planned as part of the Islamic Tourism Week (ITW), which takes place from June 20 to July 3, organised by the Islamic Tourism Centre — an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia.
The ICC is a partner and collaborator of the ITW. — TMR / Pics by Hazatul Syima Haron
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