Life of Nanyang

Artist: Angelica Ho Shyn Yii
Year: 2022
Prize Category: Consolation
 
artwork category

Watercolour

Artwork Description

The artist associates batik with “a kind of intangible heritage that was born in those times when people moved south and started a new life. This is a kind of art that will not lose its beauty with the change of times, and is also a reflection of people's nostalgic and patriotic sentiment towards life.” The title refers to the name for maritime Southeast Asia, “Nanyang”, or the South Sea, used by Chinese travellers and migrants to the region over the centuries.
Judge Syahrul noted the fineness of the rendering of the textile and its repeated motifs – “for some artists, a soft textile surface can be made to look hard like a stone surface, but in this piece, the illusion of depth and layers is seen through the use of colour combinations in the batik patterns, giving the impression of a soft cloth”.
“From a narrative perspective, it shows how a woman wears it tied on her left hip. Imagine her waiting for the fisherman by the sea in a kampong environment. It reflects the attire usually worn in the society from an older era, but here we see this the hand and the body of a younger person. This is a contemporary image, while maintaining an appreciation of cultural heritage. That’s it’s beauty.”

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