After GE14, Art for Grabs remembers the ‘mother’s land’

PETALING JAYA, May 19 — Organisers thought of cancelling.

After all, it was general election season and where would an arts event figure in the busy minds of Malaysians focused on the hot topic of the day.

But in the end, the Art for Grabs organisers went ahead and held their first bazaar of the year last weekend at The School in Jaya One.

Headlined as “My Mother’s Land”, it was publicised on Facebook as “an opportunity for us to gather and hug and heal as a nation. We’re going to need all the hugs we can get”.

The art and activism bazaar had about 70 booths that included those selling arts and crafts while some were taken by non-governmental organisations.

Some were regulars such as a woman who draws pictures of cats to raise money to feed stray cats, another who did water colour paintings of famous people and two autistic children with their parents who did paintings and comics respectively.  

Forums and events were also held in collaboration with their sponsors — Jaya One, UNHCR Malaysia and Sisters in Islam — to look at how Malaysians as a society could provide better support, human rights, emotional resources and resilience for women, families, and changemakers of the land.

This included forums on activist mothers, Muslim women, and one about the general election and what it means for Malaysian women.

Art for Grabs director Pang Khee Teik said the theme was a play on the word motherland.

“We see a country as a woman and we invade it. Ironically, women and mothers in a nation are not often not given a say,” he said.

“It is about shifting this thought to think that women are change makers.”

Lim Kahyan draws her inked finger the celebrate the GE14 result at the Art for Grabs bazaar. — Picture courtesy of Pang Khee Teik

He added that women as mothers were constantly worried about their children who chose to speak out or be involved in human rights, citing his own mother as an example.

Pang said the focus was on building a resilient society that focused on empowering both parents and children.

He added that the decision to go ahead with the event was because there were queries from various parties on whether it would be held.

The turnout, he said, was not as big as previous events but it felt meaningful.

Into its 11th year, Pang said they normally held three to four events yearly.

There will, however, be two this year.

He said their events were based on a creative citizenship concept, which to put it simply is to “find creative ways to express our citizenship”.

Pang also said while there were bigger issues for the government of the day to grapple with, the event sought to give space to problems perceived to be on a less important.

Malaysian Unity of Cultures founder Yew Souf, who has been a vendor for the past few years.

Among the items sold are pop-up cards that reveal nasi lemak or ais kacang and roti canai mouse pads.

Their logo is the Malayan tapir, which Yew said embodies Malaysians are it looks like a mesh up of different animals.

“We are like somewhat like that because of our different races, religions and food,” he said.

His regular participation at Art for Grabs was because the vendors and visitors were multi-racial.

He added that it was not a problem if there were less visitors this time around as they participated for the love of art and not money.

“And the atmosphere is positive. Plus, we treat each other like family,” he said.

Dorian Wilde, who used to visit the bazaar is now one of the vendors selling accessories made of beads with his partner, said he was initially attracted to the bazaar because of the talks that were held.

His beadwork, he said, was because of the love he had for it.

“As a trans person, this is a safe space for me. They are people I know and am comfortable with,” he said.

Activist Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, who moderated the “Fight Like A Mom: Celebrating Activist Mothers” forum, said she attended the bazaar when it was initially held at Central Market.

Rozana Isa of Sisters in Islam speaks during the forum ‘Fight Like A Mom: Celebrating Activist Mothers’. — Picture courtesy of Pang Khee Teik

She said it was one of the few spaces available at the time where people could gather to discuss issues that were considered controversial or were not approved of.

“It was making discussions on issues such as human right accessible to people and not confined to certain social circles,” she said.

She eventually went to man a booth for Tenaganita, a women and migrant rights group co-founded by her mother Irene Fernandez, and Maliamauv has participated as a panellist for several forums as well.

Of the forum that she moderated, she said many people did not realise what happened behind the scenes of those who fought for human rights.

“I was extremely privileged to have her as my mother and for her to expose us to her world at a young age. It was an incredible gift,” she added.

Health and social policy researcher Jade See, who has come to the past three bazaars, said she attended to hear about the social and human rights issues that were discussed.

This time, however, she said there was a different feeling in the air after the general election.

“There was feeling of exuberance and hope.”