KG Hakka Mantin

Map is a symbolic depiction documenting the territory with border, it is very powerful for the geographic boundaries of political entities. Highlighting the relationship between the real or imagined solidarity for the land.

This is a map of Kampung Hakka, Mantin by an aerial view, which is located about 2 km from Exit 2104 Mantin, between the Nilai and Seremban exits on the Kajang-Seremban Highway (Lekas). It has a very long tradition and exist from more than 120 years old.

Today, after surviving the rise and fall of the tin mining industry, the descendants of those Chinese pioneers are battling against the development to live out their remaining years in Kampung Hakka. There are 40 families who still remain to stay at there for saving their home land.

On the top of left in the drawing, it is tin dredge ship, the kampung begun by the river with tin. It is also a multiple cultural community, there are three cemeteries located on the left and bottom in the drawing, which are taoism, christian and Islam. Two primary school is located, S.J.K (Tamil) Ladang Cairo and S.R.J.K Chi Chi. The rest are the resident wooden house. Lastly, on the bottom of right, there are 2 persons who are representing the main lead featured to the kampung preservation: Chong Tze Yaw, 46, the chairman of the village residents committee (left) and Grandma Kong, 88, the oldest witness of the kg. hakka.

Event: Returning at the 27th December 2015,  Photo credit to Facebook page: Kampung Hakka Mantin

Event: Moonlight at Kampung Hakka at the 26th September 2015, Photo credit to Ben toh

Event: Moonlight at Kampung Hakka at the 26th September 2015, Photo credit to Ben toh

Event: Moonlight at Kampung Hakka at the 26th September 2015, Photo credit to Ben toh

Event: Moonlight at Kampung Hakka at the 26th September 2015, Photo credit to Ben toh

Event: Village & Durian Fragrance at the 19th July 2015, Photo credit to Jason Ooi

Event: Cemetery walk at the 25th April 2015

Event: Kg Hakka Open House at the 1st March 2015

The Land of execution

Tittle       :The Land of Execution

Size         :101cm x 152cm

Medium  :Oil on Canvas

Year        :2015

Introduction

The nature of our immortal lives is in the consequences, that go on and are pushing all times. Our lives are not our own, from womb to tomb, past and present,  each crime and kindness rebirth our future. What are we living for? Is there any heaven or hell? The answer is unknown. But I believe death is only a door, when its closes, another opens. If I can't imagine heaven, I would imagine that door open.

The exhibition title "Configuration 2015" draw me a big picture of spirit, soul, and body. With the background of pudu prison, it has great meaningful message for myself. And it also for me to conclude the series of pudu jail,  although the pudu prison is gone (under the development project of Bukit Bintang City Centre - BBCC) , the spirit has become a gift to me rather than a curse.  (hopefully it will also a gift to everyone)

Art work description
It is the interior building structure of pudu jail. Six convicts are waiting in the cells before being hanged at the execution room. Outside the cell rooms, wardens are busy executing the giant convict on the well (hell). The giant convict is regret what the mistakes he has done, he believe that the body is going into the hell (like many dead convicts before him). However, from my point of view, a man is truly sorry for his mistakes that will turn in a free man, which the walls will turn bright like a wing, and finally the lost spirit will return to the starry sky.

The Making of Into The Jail

4月2015年我完成了十人聯展後，重新把心思集中回"蘇丹街啓示錄"的脈絡內。自從個展結束後，我一直都不斷思考及好好整理一些思緒，這段時間也沈澱出一些想法。建築本身就是一個時代性的語言，語言一直不停累積無數個記憶，最終凝聚成為一體，形成我們共同擁有的集體記憶。每片土地上的人事物，不管是任何一座建築物或是一棵樹，都有它的存在意義，雖然有一天它突然消失了，但是在某個層面上還是依舊存在，只不過它變成一種"延伸"。這個"延伸"就好像一條河，河并沒有一個永恆的實體，每分每秒都在變化，人事物也是一樣。所以我把創作路線從地理位置上延伸，由蘇丹街至獨立公園至國家體育館，最後來到了半山芭監獄。如今我站在這座荒廢了的監獄門下，當我重新省視它時，又有一些全新的存在意義。

INTRODUCTION

Based on the title of this exhibition is to explore the post-colonial in urban everyday life in Malaysia. Although the colonisers left, the buildings and structures are maintained and we are still following the old format. Pudu Jail is a good example, it was built by British empire  at first and second the Japanese occupation forces imprisoned a large scale of English prisoners in world war II, and now the present authorities imprisoned anyone who is politically against them. There are some implications even the Pudu Jail does not exist any more.

The definition of historical building of Pudu Jail, I shall start recall from the memories of my younger days, in 1980’s, I used to stay at lorong meranti 3, kenanga, where my father started his ladies garment business. I was playing with friends along the abandoned tracks ( presently it is LRT line) , and the Pudu Jail is just 500m away . From my childhood memory, I often passed the Pudu Jail on my way to Bukit Bintang or Pudu Raya to shop, sometimes, I could hear painful cries from inside the prison, I was wondering what was really happening behind the wall. My mother often warned me that I would be locked into the jail if I didn’t  finish the homework or I did anything naughty. So that is my first impression for the Pudu Jail.

Now, back to 2015, I review to this ruined land, I have a strong inspiration of making Art work. It was our historical heritage but governor decided to demolish it to make way for a new tunnel, road expansion and mix-development of Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC), because they said that the Pudu Jail is nothing to be proud of. I was so wondering that should we be proud of the mega shopping mall instead?  

History of Pudu Jail

Pudu jail, also know as Pudu Gaol or Penjara Pudu, is a historic prison located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur. It was built in 1895 by the British state engineer and director of public works department, Charles Edwin Spooner, at a costs of RM138,000. It’s design was copied from the kandy prison in Bogambia, Africa, and shaped like a butterfly or X structure. It originally had 240 cells on three floors, but more cells were added over the years. The prison’s gruesome condemned cell is located at block D where these death row were prepped before being hanged at the execution room in the same block. Between 1960 and 1993, 180 convicts were hanged there.

In the early 1980s, aprominent feature of the prison are the mural paintings on its outer walls done by a former inmate Khong Yen Chong. The wall murals of tropical scenes painted by the prisoners took them over a year to paint using 2000 litres of paint. The murals entitled the inmates to win a place in the Guinness Book of Records, for painting the world’s longest mural along the prison’s wall stretching out to more than 860 feet long and 14 feet high.

In 1981, there was a execution of legendary robber Wong Swee Chin or “Botak Chin”. The incident happened on Oct 17,1986, six prisoners held a laboratory technician and a doctor hostage. It was settled after six days of negotiation when the UTK officers stormed the building and rescued the hostages with no bloodshed. In 1986, Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers, both Australian nationals, were the first westerners to be hanged in Malaysia for the drug trafficking of heroin.

The colonial era prison was officially closed in November 1996. Next year 1997, Pudu jail was opened for a short while for public tours of its cells and viewing of its facilities. Lastly, the pudu jail was demolished in 2012, only the old prison mosque will be maintained. The demolition was carried out to make way for a proposed multi-billion ringgit mix-development, the Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC).

The following photos are the process of making: 

The duration of making those 4 pieces : 3 1/2 months

For the exhibition of Tales From The City @G13 gallery at 1-15 August 2015

The Making of Tattoo Girl No.1,2,3

我最初的構思是從這三張速描開始, 她是其中一個工作坊的女模特兒。
My first idea for this group exhibition is based on those 3 pieces of life drawing, she is one of the model from the KL life drawing workshop.

很多時候，我都觀察到城市人的生活充滿寂寞，他們都希望自己可夠在茫茫人海城市裡尋找完美的另一半。然而，這個完美無瑕的另一半就好像另一個自己，可以完全100%了解自己的人。可惜，這不過是一個幻想，因為這個世界上根本不存在兩個你。
Mostly, I realise that the city people are usually lonely, they hope to find someone who is perfect to them. However, the perfect one is just like a person of youself, who can 100% understand what you think. Unfortunately, this is only a dream, it doesn't exist.

我創造兩個她，互相擁抱著，雙雙對對地相愛。
I created two of her, hug together as a couple.

作品運用二種不同材料，木板與帆布，幻想與現實。
I choose two different materials, wood and canvas, dreams and reality.

這是自己的幻想世界，存在著兩個你。
Those are the dream world, two of you.

在打開人生的箱子過程中，你會發現。。。

When you open the box of your life, you will realise...

這根本不存在。
It doesn't exist.

Exhibited in Xin Art Space@Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur from 11 April to 3 May 2015