Here’s How 21 Contemporary Artists In Malaysia Join Forces To Do Good!

By Thanabalasingam Balakrishnan

Twenty-one established and emerging names in contemporary art in Malaysia have pooled their creativity to raise funds to upkeep the day care and training centre of The Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped, Selangor & Federal Territory (SSMH). They will be doing this via a charity art exhibition organised by SSMH with the support of Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC) and the Make It Right Movement (MIRM), powered by BAC.

What is unique about this charity art exhibition?

Painting from the Heart – Art for Good is a charity art exhibition of over 100 contemporary works of art by 21 established and emerging artists which collectively represent the diverse manners of Malaysian multiculturalism and seek to inspire the public on the true values of empathy.

The exhibition renders a showcase of the positive influences of art for good – as interpreted by the artists from diverse backgrounds and age groups, each with their own painting styles and choice of medium including, watercolour, acrylic on canvas and mixed media.

Art pieces by established and emerging artists Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Abu Hasan (Hasan Ahmad), Amy Hashim, Anna Karina Jardin, Aziehj Ahmad, B.K. Yap, Datin Eliza Tajuddin, Elly Nor Suria M. Zainudin, Fuad Abu Bakar, Harris Ribut, Kumar Nagalingam, Marrisa Ng, Norhayati Ibrahim @ Yatie, Oon Soon Keat, Peisy Ting, Poojitha Ravi Menon, Queenie Yaw, Ramly Ribut, Shailly Gupta, Shima Abu Hazim, Yeow Teck Chai and Yong Look Lam, are featured in the exhibition.

It will be held for five days beginning February 20 at the Concourse Floor of Bangsar Shopping Centre. All proceeds from the exhibition this year will go towards supporting SSMH.

Why are they doing this?

From unemployment to poverty, women and children, healthcare and education, communities from across Malaysia are facing challenges that require creative ideas and solutions. Any of these challenges could use an artist’s mind. Artists can illuminate truth, offer transcendent experience in a far too literal world, challenge one to feel and find purpose in embracing our common humanity.

These artists seek to influence society to just do good which echoes SSMH’s vision to strive for better care of children and youth with multiple and severe mental and physical disabilities.

“Painting from the Heart” was conceptualised in 2018 with a desire to help generate income to maintain and run SSMH’s training centre. The aim of this exhibition is to keep things simple – raise funds, inspire and educate our community to help those most in need.

Since its inception, SSMH has an enrolment of 20 children and youths with severe mental and physical (multiple) disabilities and requires about RM31,000 monthly to maintain and run the centre.

When the featured artists visited SSMH situated in Sea Park, Petaling Jaya, they found a centre so full of life despite the daily struggles faced by these children and youth. From the simplest of tasks being the greatest challenge, the centre provides continuous training to maximise the children and youths’ motor, cognitive, communication, social and self-help skills.

In line with the Art for Good ethos of developing positive, fundraising responses to helping the severely mentally handicapped, SSMH offered the opportunity to these artists to paint with them. Thus, “Painting from the Heart – Art for Good” was born.

How can I help?

Head on over to BSC between Feb 20 to Feb 24 and simply buy a painting! Better still, tell a friend or bring them along to make a purchase all in the name of investing in art and for a good cause.

Admission is free, so see you there!

Venue: Concourse, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Bukit Bandaraya

Date/Time: Feb 20 until Feb 24 2019, 11 am to 9 pm daily

Admission: Free

For more information about the charity art exhibition and the sale of paintings, please contact:

Brian Lariche

Chairman, Painting from the Heart – Art for Good

+6012 2975613 | brian@makeitrightmovement.com