Pameran Lestari Alam: Realism Art Seeks To Inspire Conservation Efforts

Opening the eyes of the public to conservation needs through beautiful works of art,  the ‘Nature Nurtured/ Pameran Lestari Alam’ Exhibition held at the Museum and Art Gallery (MAGKMC), Bank Negara Malaysia was a great combination of glorious realist pieces and awareness advocacy.

The launching was on the 19th of January but the gallery will be open until 18th of June 2017 at the Temporary Exhibition Gallery, Level 2 at the Museum and Art Gallery, Bank Negara.

After engaging speeches by Ybhg. Dato’ Dr. Dinonysius S.K. Sharma and Assistant Governor Puan Jessica Chew Cheng Lian, the tour of the exhibition gallery commenced.

As you walk into the gallery, bold writings on the wall welcome you into a world of green and white. The hallways are divided into five sections: Land, Water, Sky, Corporate and Creative. As you step through Land, you’re greeted to an forest-like atmosphere, and in the stead of trees, the foliage are drawings after paintings. The participating artists consist of Abd Rasid Yusof, Adrian Ho, Charles Mawan, Choo Beng Teong, Dr. Neoh Chin Boon, Jaafar aib, Johan Marjunid, Latif Maulan, Monica lee, Moy Siew Thing, Ong Soo Keat, Sazri Russalan, Teh Yew Kiang, Yeap Tho Seng, and Zaharuddin Sarbini. Each of these artworks have their own style, but together, they fall into visual harmony, aligned to the theme of nature, nurtured.

Making use of theme of realism, the artwork’s purpose is to garner empathy of the viewer towards nature, as the animals illustrated seem to stare back at you, Even the trees and mountain ridges seem to speak in its hyper-realistic hues. There is even an entire segment of portraits of animals, attached with their own names and backstories, to grasp at the heart of the visitors, reminding them these animals are not simply cogs in a bigger ecosystem, but are individuals with feelings of pain and joy.

The same goes with all the other themes too. Although less vividness seems to be present in Water and Sky, they were nevertheless beautiful pieces adorning the walls, and were powerful to bring you into the very terrain it seeks to represent.

And as you step out of the three terrains, you enter  the Corporate section. One might harbor some cynicism for the effort, as a bank tries to uphold conservation efforts through artwork – especially when the finance sector is often the putative leech of the natural world, funding projects of development (and deforestation) – but Bank Negara justifies itself really well with this section. Citing that banks have always funded great artworks (which is true, since a large number of Renaissance artistes owe their presence to support of rich  aristocratic, banking families) they seek to serve a sense of corporate social responsibility towards society, and reminding those entrapped in the hustle bustle of urban living of the bigger, more precious world.

The Nature Nurtured / Pameran Lestari Alam Exhibition is a beautiful assortment of talent with a clear purpose. It is worth a visit, whether one seeks a moment of contemplation surrounded by complementary art, or a casual stroll in the presence of beauty.