GENSET – An Exhibition by Contemporary Artists from Southeast Asia

Sabri Idrus, Dynamic, 2018, Acrylic on canvas, 180 x 180 cm

Gajah Gallery presents a major cross-generational group exhibition featuring the works of 21 artists from across Southeast Asia. The exhibition titled ‘GENSET’- the abbreviation for ‘generator set’ which converts power into energy – casts light on new trajectories in Southeast Asian art and the relationships between mentor and mentee artists, resulting in the exchange of knowledge and the expansion of practice.

Fadilah Karim, Routine, 2019, Oil on linen, 183 x 122 cm

From the Latin generare or generat, meaning create or created, the exhibition’s concept relates and reverbs in all artists – to produce, to perform, to bring about, to originate, to make what has not been done before. Throughout history, art has always taken part in discussions of social, political, and ecological issues, highlighting its power to move hearts and rouse to action. GENSET aims to rediscover what sparks artists and their desire to create, and how one’s art can resonate with and continue to inspire future generations.

Looking ahead, the start of the New Year provides the ideal setting in sparking discussion on new trajectories, contemporary inspiration, and the evolution of practice. We rely upon these ‘generators’ to provide energy; to spark the flame of imagination and innovation that spreads out into the wider scene – asking the question: How are artists from Southeast Asia inspired, and how do they inspire in turn?

Navigating the exhibition, one can form connections between each artist’s work yet see how each has evolved and carved their own path, creating their own personal styles. From Malaysian artists Sabri Idrus and Kayleigh Goh’s experiments with industrial materials and tactility, to the artistic explorations of prosaic, everyday life by Jendela Art Group founders Yunizar and Rudi Mantofani – GENSET brings together multiple generations of artists from the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, that have influenced each other through their art and strived forward onto a path of their own, in one remarkable must-see exhibition.

Artists:
Ashley Bickerton (USA/Indonesia)
Choong Kam Kow (Malaysia)
Erizal As (Indonesia)
Fadilah Karim (Malaysia)
Hamir Soib (Malaysia)
Handiwirman Saputra (Indonesia)
Izat Arif (Malaysia)
Jai Abu Hassan (Malaysia)
Jason Lim (Singapore)
Jigger Cruz (Philippines)
Kayleigh Goh (Malaysia)
Khairulddin Wahab (Singapore)
Kuat Zhi Hooi (Malaysia)
Rudi Mantofani (Indonesia)
Sabri Idrus (Malaysia)
Samsudin Wahab (Malaysia)
Semsar Siahaan (Indonesia)
Sulaiman Esa (Malaysia)
Suzann Victor (Singapore)
Yunizar (Indonesia)
Zul Lee (Malaysia)