SHAH ALAM: The fusion of elements of Ancient Egyptian characters, Hieroglyphs and colour negative films as depicted in the 'Smart Imagination + Communication' painting is among the interesting works of art showcased at the Shah Alam Gallery Open Exhibition 2022 (PTGSA22) here.
The artist Salyuddin Yusof, 47, said his work translates the activity of a smartphone using the concept of Hieroglyphics, which is a medium of communication in Ancient Egypt in the form of symbols and alphabets with a specific meaning.
More interestingly, he said the painting, which took about a month to complete, also used colour photo negatives and visitors who wish to see the actual colour combination will have to scan the painting using a special camera application on a smartphone.
This uniqueness was the reason why the work of this artist from Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu was selected as one of the five recipients of the Incentive Award at this exhibition.
“I think this idea (Hieroglyphic concept) is unique because if we convey the message directly, it’s a bit boring. So I tried this method to attract the attention of the judges,“ he told reporters here today.
“It took me over a month to complete the work after watching several documentaries on the history of Ancient Egypt, in addition to using my 20 years’ experience as a graphic designer to develop the symbols in this work,“ he said.
Shah Alam Gallery assistant curator Nur Syafiqah Zainal said this time around, PTGSA22 is featuring 134 works of fine art including two-dimensional paintings and sculptures which have been screened by a panel of judges appointed by Shah Alam Gallery.
She said as many as 200 works went through a judging process covering five aspects, namely idea, context, neatness, final works and materials used.
“There were constraints in submission of works for the previous exhibition due to the Covid-19 pandemic so we only accepted 100 entries.
“However, the number of submissions for this exhibition has doubled, and the quality of the submissions has given the judges a hard time choosing the artwork,“ she said.
PTGSA22 which was officiated today by Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA), Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts Suzlee Ibrahim, is open to the public from Jan 3 to 31.
The exhibition was also enlivened with a variety of interesting programmes such as the live drawing and sketches of Shah Alam Gallery competition as well as academic programmes such as forums, seminars, celebrity talks and discussions.-Bernama
