AS Malaysia gears up to celebrate its forthcoming Independence Day and Malaysia Day, an artistic ode to national pride “Negaraku” takes centre stage.
Curated by Ivan Gabriel of Hin Bus Depot from the RuMa Collection by Bingley Sim and his wife Ima Norbinsha, this exhibition displays a rich collection of 26 meticulously chosen artworks from their 20-year aggregation of the RuMa collection.
Sim, a banker by profession, and Ima are esteemed budayawan in the Malaysian art scene.
Stories of nationhood
“At one point, when we had decided on the pieces for the exhibition and were thinking about the title for the show, we considered several ideas but none stood out. Just then, my daughter Iza joined the conversation and casually suggested, ‘Why not Negaraku?’
“Negaraku represents the country’s trials and tribulations, nation-building and hopes for a brighter future.
“We are passionate about the collection being exhibited and the power it conveys, the feelings of negaraku, the connection to the country and the artworks to each other,” he said.
Sim, a Teochew originally from Penang, explained RuMa is coined from Ruang Ima.
“Ruang is the Malay word for space and Ima is the name of my wife. Together, rumah also means house in Malay. That is why I named our collection Ruma Collection.”
He said RuMa also referred to his former 2.5-storey terrace home of more than a decade until 2010 when it was turned into an art space.
“I started buying art in 2004. After meeting Pakhruddin Sulaiman in December 2007, my interest in buying art began to become more serious. It was only after I came across Bayu Utomo Radjikin’s artwork that I became an art collector.”
The masterpiece was an 8ft black-coloured painting. Sim said: “I remember, it was right after the general election in 2008. I saw it, thought about it for a while and then, decided to buy it.”
It was a painting of a mask, a fighter pilot and a cross depicting the election, commemorating the 2008 change of government in a few states including Penang, Selangor and Kedah. Bayu Utomo wanted to convey the feelings of division drawn in the aftermath of the election and titled it Kau Sekutu atau Seteru, meaning “Either you are with me or against me”.
Thought-provoking themes
Among several other outstanding artworks were Stephen Menon’s The Journey: From Malaya to 1 Malaysia” (2013), a collection of quotes by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Gan Sze Hooi’s painting of the Pudu jail titled Into the Jail (2015) and Chang Yoong Chia’s trilogy Blue, Yellow and Red (2009). Chang’s painting, whose title features the colours of the Malaysian flag, are actually in grayscale.
Penang State Art Gallery chairman Lee Khai, who officiated the exhibition, said Sim and Ima’s art collection provides a stark and thought-provoking exploration of themes such as nationhood, nationalism, politics and culture. Among them was Syahbandi Samat’s Khabar Angin (2014), which depicts the cultural norm of lying.
“Unlike public institutions, private collectors have the agility to quickly acquire valuable works of art. However, many of these artworks end up locked away in private collections,” he said.
Lee also commented on the final painting in the exhibition, Fadilah Karim’s Bubblegum (2018), depicting an expectant woman with a look of anxiety.
“It symbolises our nation’s future, a new birth on the horizon, despite the current trepidation.”
The exhibition delves into the trials and tribulations of nation-building and reflects the perpetual cycles of life found in Malaysia’s complex socio-political landscape. It encompasses sculptures, canvases and silk screen pieces, with each artwork narrating a compelling story of Malaysia’s past, present and aspirations for the future.
“This is the story of Malaysia. However, it invokes feelings. The exhibition is meant to remind and revitalise where we come from and where we are going.
“The perpetuity of the cycles of life found in racial harmony and ample natural resources in Malaysia inspire the collection’s staging, which is like a child’s life journey from birth to everything in between and then, an end. However, it all boils down to tanah tumpahnya darahku,” said Sim.
Negaraku will run until Aug 11 at Hin Bus Depot on Jalan Gurdwara. It is supported by Yayasan Mr D.I.Y., Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers and Swan Consultancy. Admission to Negaraku is free, with proceeds from the sale of exclusive catalogues being donated to charity.
“We have selected the House of Hope to be the recipient of our charitable donation,” he said.
