MERGING OF TWO CULTURES THROUGH VISUAL ARTS: AN ART PREVIEW AND SHARING SESSION BY GUEST ARTISTS FROM UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA & INTERNATIONAL BALKAN UNIVERSITY
By: Aliah Farhana & Alice Sabreena
SHAH ALAM - In partnership with International Balkan University (IBU), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) presented an art preview and sharing session titled "Merging of Two Cultures Through Visual Arts”. Coordinated together by Galeri Seni Tuanku Nur Zahirah (UiTM GESTURZ) Shah Alam, and the UiTM Kedah Branch, the session was held on 19th October 2022. The event features a collection of artworks from IBU and UiTM Kedah artists who have been brought together for the first time.
The international collaboration between Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kedah Branch, and the International Balkan University, North Macedonia, began in November 2021 after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that culminated in June 2022, with the joint event the “5th International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities ICSSH2022”. The exhibition Merging of Two Cultures through Visual Art is part of both universities' ongoing collaborative activities to promote scholarly conversations among academicians from many fields.
As the IBU delegation arrived a day before the main event on 17th October, they were taken on a tour to several art spots in the capital, namely the National Art Gallery Kuala Lumpur, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, and also a walkabout to view the public art sculptures and murals in the Kuala Lumpur city centre. The guests also visited Bendang Studio, an art studio founded by UiTM alumna, Rozana Musa. It was an exciting experience for the guests as they got to know more about Malaysian arts and culture.
On 18th October, the delegation from IBU made a courtesy call on the UiTM Vice-Chancellor, YBhg Professor Datuk Ts Dr Hajah Roziah Mohd Janor. The Balkan delegation was accompanied by Dr Emir Hadzikadunic, Distinguished Fellow from the Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies UiTM, who acted as an interpreter during the visit. Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr Azhari Md Hashim, the Deputy Rector (Research & Network), UiTM Kedah Branch, Prof. Dr Shahriman Zainal Abidin (Assistant Vice-Chancellor, UiTM Global) and Dr Hajah Zainab Mohd Noor, Director of International Engagement, Department of International Affairs (DIA), were also in attendance.
The main event, the art preview and sharing session on 19th October, started with the arrival of distinguished guests, guest artists and speakers, and also students from the College of Creative Arts. The first guest artist to begin the sharing session was Professor Dr. Fehim Husković. An artist who has been actively participating in the Macedonian, Balkan and European art scene for more than three decades, Fehim has created a great quantity of artworks in the field of graphics and painting. His work is valued in many sectors, given that he is also an author who constantly experiments, creates and discovers new media. The second session continued with Professor Džemil Bektović, the Dean of Faculty of Art & Design, International Balkan University. The professor of History, Philosophy and Theory of Art shared the background information on International Balkan University (IBU), and life as an art practitioner-academician in North Macedonia.
Then, the sharing session continued with the guest artists from UiTM Kedah Branch. Syafiq Abdul Samat, a noise impressionist, talked about how noises influenced his art using the “Hingarmera” generative technique. The next guest artist, Nazri Abu Bakar, shared his experience on using heavy machinery for his artwork. Nazri is seriously looking into new approaches to express himself, using machineries such as the wheel loader excavator and crawler excavator. The session ended with Professor Jalaini Abu Hassan, better known as Jai, a modern Malaysian artist who presented his works through his lens of nostalgia and history. Another UiTM alumnus, Jai was the recipient of the Arts and Creativity Award (Visual Arts) at the 13th National Academic Award in 2019.
The afternoon session featured an art demonstration by Prof. Fehim Husković. Demonstrating his passion and skills while painting a magnificent piece of art, Prof. Fehim stated that he was inspired by his emotions and wanted to describe the beauty of Paradise (Jannah). His audience was captivated by his artwork and was amazed at how he managed to complete the artwork within a short period.
The event ended on a hopeful note for more collaborations in the future. The knowledge and experience gained from the sharing session and conversations between the representatives will surely help drive both institutions to excellence and global prominence.
