Visual Artist Breaks Comfort Zone With Ceramic Art

By Norhidayyu Zainal

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Bernama) — After a decade of working on canvas, contemporary figurative painter Amy Nazira has challenged her comfort zone by venturing for the first time into the medium of three-dimensional ceramics, marking a new chapter in her artistic journey.

Through her participation in the Spatial Creative Residency Programme – Ceramic Zone, the visual artist was given the opportunity to create works directly at Ilham Ceramic Studio in Langkawi, Kedah, producing pieces inspired by the island’s natural surroundings and history.

Amy Nazira, whose real name is Wan Amy Nazira Abu Bakar, 36, said Langkawi’s environment, rich in natural beauty and historical narratives, became the catalyst for her ceramic works.

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“I was influenced by Langkawi’s characteristics, which are imbued with mystery, history and nature. From there, ideas for my ceramic works emerged. Learning to make ceramics was a new and very enjoyable experience,” she told Bernama.

She was speaking after the opening of the Spatial Creative – Ceramic Zone Exhibition and the Asal Tanah Exhibition, officiated by Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot here recently.

Amy Nazira is among 10 artists from diverse backgrounds who took part in the Spatial Creative Residency Programme – Ceramic Zone, an intensive platform to explore the potential of contemporary ceramic art in Malaysia through hands-on creation in professional studios under the guidance of experienced artists and experts.

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All the participants’ works are being showcased at the Spatial Creative – Ceramic Zone Exhibition and the Asal Tanah Exhibition at the National Art Gallery here until April 30.

Amy Nazira’s works comprise the Muka-Muka series, which highlights plate motifs as references to local products; Si Penglipur Lara, based on oral traditions and Langkawi’s historical narratives; and Permata Kedah, featuring symbols of the eagle and the islands that form Langkawi’s landscape.

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Also participating is visual artist Muhammad Shafiq Nordin, known for his brightly coloured pop-surrealism paintings rich in imagination, who translated that style into three-dimensional forms through the ceramic medium.

Shafiq, 37, who underwent the programme at BK Art Studio in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, under the guidance of ceramic expert Ibrahim Mohd Don@Dun for 10 days, said the experience presented a new challenge in his artistic journey. 

“This programme is actually for artists with no background in ceramics. Previously, I only painted, so the challenge was translating two-dimensional ideas into three-dimensional forms,” he said.

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He produced a ceramic series titled Shipwreck Treasure, which depicts the collision of old and new ideas between the traditional approaches of the instructors and contemporary thinking as a modern artist.

Shafiq said the traditional elements in his works symbolise conventional idealism, while imaginative forms such as surreal creatures represent the contemporary world, uniting two different approaches within a single visual narrative.

“I want to show that old ideas should not be abandoned; instead, they should be carried forward through renewal so they can continue to live on in today’s art world,” he said, describing ceramics as a fragile and unpredictable medium, especially during the firing and colouring processes.

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For street artist Amir Hamzah Al-Hafiz Mohd Yunus, 28, better known as Amer01, his first experience working with clay opened up new possibilities in his artistic approach.

The graffiti artist from Ipoh, Perak, said his ceramic works feature the transformation of his created character, Ribbit, from drawings into three-dimensional sculptures, though he faced challenges due to the material’s tendency to crack and the unpredictability of colours during firing.

“Sometimes when we feel a piece is already well finished, it can crack during firing. Colours are also difficult to predict because the raku technique depends on temperature and carbon,” he said.

-- BERNAMA