I have been confusing my friends since I have been posting Chinese New Year greetings way before the day. Well, today is officially the Chinese New Year, Year of the wooden Horse. So it is only apt that Camiseta wanted to be involved in wishing everyone Gong Xi Fat Choy! Happy New Year! x
On the theme of Chinese New Year. Here’s a coloured sketch of Chinese brushes with peonies.
This coming Chinese New Year brings in the year of the ‘wood’ horse.
Prediction by Suzan Levit
‘The Wood Horse year is a time of fast victories, unexpected adventure, and surprising romance. It is an excellent year for travel, and the more far away and off the beaten path the better. Energy is high and production is rewarded. Decisive action, not procrastination, brings victory. But you have to act fast in a Horse year. If you are not 100% secure about a decision, then don’t do it. Events move so quickly in a Horse year that you don’t want to gallop off in the wrong direction.’
Tropfest is the world’s largest short film festival. This year was the inaugural Tropfest SEA, held in Penang, Malaysia
This first Tropfest SEA winner is RICE by Sothea Ines from Cambodia. Rice is also this year’s theme.
SYNOPSIS: When a handful of rice determines life or death.
‘A day in a children’s camp in a rural area during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Five young boys decide to have a ‘party’ with rice they have ‘stolen’ from the camp store, grain by grain day by day. In three months the rice collected is the size of a fist and the boys can’t withstand waiting any longer. They cook the rice at the lakeside taking care not to be seen. But when they see the cooked rice they are mesmerised by the scent and the taste and don’t notice that they are spotted by a Khmer Rouge cadet. As a consequence the camp Commander sends them to be ‘re-educated’ (killed) as an example to the rest of the boys.’
Click to watch Rice 2014 Tropfest SEA winner ~ Director Sothea Ines, Cambodia
Inspirational talks and discussions on the topic of films and storytelling but more important their own journey.
Some of the speakers:
1. Adam Elliot – independent Australian stop-motion animation writer and director based in Melbourne, Australia. His five films have collectively participated in over six-hundred film festivals and have received over one hundred awards, including an Oscar for Harvie Krumpet and the Annecy Cristal for Mary and Max talks about his journey to the Oscars
2. Robert Luketic – director of Legally Blonde, The Ugly Truth and 21
3. Jason van Genderen ~ winner of Tropfest NYC 2008 using just his mobile phone and Tropfest Australia mobile category 2012 and numerous other awards talks about making movies and storytelling with his mobile phone
4. Two of Malaysia and Singapore’s greatest directorial talents Saw Teong Hin and Glen Goei discuss how they tell stories about Southeast Asia in their films
5. Local comedian Afdlin Shauki and Singapore Actor Gurmit Singh discuss if comedies travel well.
For those who are interested to watch or learn more about tropfest. Here is the website http://tropfest.com/sea/
Next year’s theme for the short film is Wheel.
I’m finally working my way through my line drawings and adding in the colour. Happy Sunday 🙂
This is the second Papier-mâché animal that I made. This was a collaboration with my friend Sue Tan. If you remembered I made the duck earlier and now this is the horse. These were made for our good friend’s birthday.
Step one: Outline the shape of the horse on cardboard with a market pen
Step two: Cut out the shape of the horse and glue on some sticks to support the legs, making sure you leave an extra inch at the end of the legs.
Step three: Make the glue. We used flour and warm water mix in a bowl.
Step four: Cut out strips of newspaper. Dip the newspaper in the glue and wrap around the cardboard horse until it takes shape. This part is quite tedious but worth the patience as the form is build up.
Step five: Cut out wrapping paper or whatever you want as the final layer. We used Chinese New Year packets.
Step six: Let the horse papier mache dry completely
Step seven: Use lacquer or varnish to seal the horse. You may need a few coats.
Step eight: Make a stand out of styrofoam and cardboard. The internal sturcture is a piece of styrofoam I found from my old computer box. I then covered it with cardboard. Punctured holes in the top of the cardboard stand and slot the horse sticks in it. Use glue to secure.
Et Voila! The final product ;p
I had to redo yesterday’s horse sketch because my friend didn’t like it. So here it is version 2 just for you SUE TAN ;p
It’s hard to imagine that this is Ernest Zacharevic’s first solo exhibition. His facebook page has over 90,000 fans. At 27 years old, this Lithuanian lad has achieved iconic status in Malaysia and now internationally. The BBC referred to Ernest as Malaysia’s answer to Banksy.
It all started with one mural in Georgetown, Penang about 2 1/2 years ago. You can watch the time lapse video here of him painting the mural.
I first met him and his girlfriend Gabija about 2 years ago by accident. He had just finished painting that first mural. My first impression of them was that they were both brave, passionate, dynamic and incredibly talented. (and super nice) They were travelling the world and stumbled upon Penang and decided to stay. (My memory is hazy but I will go with this story ;p) I met them at the restaurant/art studio they set up in Georgetown. The following day I bumped into Ernest juggling on the streets. They basically just did what they loved and followed their passion. Soon after, he became an overnight success when George Town Festival commissioned 8 murals to be painted around Georgetown Unesco Heritage site. I never saw them again until yesterday at his first solo exhibition.
I went to the exhibition because I absolutely love his work. I didn’t expect him and Gabija to be manning the show. They were both there and the exhibition is not only fantastic but absolutely free. I asked him, are you selling your art work? He replied no. I mainly give it to my friends or my sponsors. The space is fabulous as well. It is an old bus company building. It is a derelict but beautiful space which they found and want to try to maintain before any developer comes to destroy it.
The exhibition is called art is rubbish/rubbish is art is because he has turned rubbish into art. He has turned a derelict building into an exhibition space, worthy of a second look.
If you have never heard of him, here are some of the paintings from the show and you can google more of his street art, which is how he became so popular.
Finally the 3D lego woman and man. The lego figures are 3D replicas of a very controversial mural he recently painted in Johor, Malaysia. The authorities removed the mural after a few days because it highlighted the high crime rate in the country. He chose Lego man to depict the crime because there is a Legoland in Johor.
The exhibition is on until Feb 14 2014.
Address: Hin Company Bus Depot, Jalan Gurdwara, George Town, Penang
