KLCC

Portraits Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park

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This morning was beautiful, and  I headed out at 8:30 am to the nearby Kuala Lumpur City Park (KLCC), armed with my camera and 85mm lens to take some portraits.

My aim was ten portraits, and to photograph people using natural light only. My desire was to approach strangers and ask for their portrait, and then ask them for a few minutes to ask a couple of questions.

In reality ten portraits was too ambitious. I was at the park for ninety minutes and spent time with people enjoying conversations, listening to their stories and sharing some details from my own story. Having this exchange is far better, and more interesting than speed shooting and collecting random portraits of strangers.

The questions I posed were influenced by a recent ‘Chase Jarvis 30 Days of Genius’ interview I watched with Michael Meade – storyteller and author of The Genius Myth.

QUESTIONS:

What makes you happy?

What is your gift to the world?

Everyone I approached was open to having their portrait taken and answering my questions.

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“Escape from the City”

Graffiti Artist Kenji Chai

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On Saturday I visited the White Box gallery in Publika Solaris Dutamas – Kuala Lumpur to view the finalist portraits exhibited by the Kuala Lumpur International Photo Awards (KLPA).

KLPA is founded by explorenation.net, and organised by a team of dedicated photographers and project managers, based in the UK and Malaysia.

The Awards are held annually with a theme and open single image categories. Culminating in an exhibition which is well worth a visit if you enjoy portrait photography.

Coffee Date

I was heading toward Fahrenheit 600 for a shot of fine coffee and delicious cake, and was stopped in my tracks.

Final touches on "Escape from the City."
Kenji Chai a.k.a Chaigo – Final touches.

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Phil ‘suspect’ Jones at Suspect studio with his dogs.

Phil Jones Graffiti Street Artist

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Phil ‘suspect’ Jones is a multi-media artist and skater. He regularly collaborates with other Taranaki artists to create murals, organize graffiti exhibitions and accepts commissions.

I met with Phil at Suspect Studio in May – 2009 to photograph his creative space.

He has an upcoming group exhibition at the Lysaght Watt Gallery – COLLABORATIONS celebrating collective creativity 9 August – 3rd September 2016

4-6 UNION STREET (on The Square)
HAWERA 4610
SOUTH TARANAKI, NEW ZEALAND

 

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Freeman White

Freeman White Landscape and Portrait Artist

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Freeman White is an internationally recognized landscape and portrait artist.

He sprung to National and international attention in 2006 when his painting “Portrait of Hans” –  Hans Kellet pen name of playwright Ryan McFayden – won the prestigious Adam Portraiture Award  at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery – Te Pukenga Whakaata.

I met with him at his Wellington based studio in September 2010 and captured this series of portraits.

For more about Freeman visit his site and Saatchi Art profile.

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Ian M Clothier

Ian M Clothier Electronic Artist

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I visited Ian M Clothier, electronic artist and co-founder of Intercreate Trust in his New Plymouth home studio, where we discussed his projects.

Namely the Haiku Robots which at the time he was exhibiting at Puke Ariki Museum New Plymouth – New Zealand.

This is a series of photographs taken at both his home studio and Puke Ariki Museum in September 2009.

Portrait of Ian at his home studio in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Ian M Clothier at his home studio.

HAIKU ROBOTS: literally sends numbers to the computer, based on their changing location at the boundary of the project space. Numbers can be converted to text, just as a phone does. Over time, word lists are generated and these are searched through for strings of words that can be construed as poetry.

Visit Ian’s website to stay current with his projects.

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Joseph Churchward, QSM (1923 – 2013)

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In September 2010 I had the honor of meeting Joseph Churchward at his Hataitai home studio.

I enjoyed hearing his narration of life thus far,  his interest in genealogy – my grandmother was Rubina Franzen (nee Churchward) and seeing his family photo wall – and the passion he exuded for his vocation.

Joseph is a master typeface designer, and through focused dedication to this art from a young age he’s created more than 690 hand-crafted fonts. Which include recognisable fonts in New Zealand such as the TV One logo, The Evening Post and The Dominion.

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Food stall Vegetarian Festival Phuket Thailand.

Vegetarian Festival Phuket Thailand

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The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket – Thailand  helps prevent illness and death according to popular legend. In 1825 a traveling Chinese opera company, ngiu in Thai orpua-hee in Hokkien dialect, came to perform in Naithu Village, Kathu.

Unfortunately, after a time many of the performers became terribly sick, and they decided that the cure was to eat only vegetables as they had done in China, in an act of contrition or expurgation for the sins incurred by the killing and consumption of animals.

Miraculously the ill members of the group were healed, and so the Chinese immigrants arranged for a Festival to be held again the next year, and every year since.

Thus, many believe holding the Festival helps prevent illness, death and the loss of innocent lives in the community by promoting physical and spiritual recovery through ritual practices that cleanse the body and mind while strengthening the faith.

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Framed portrait of Mr A.A.Mangkling.

A.A. Mangkling’s Ngaben, Bali

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Attending A.A. Mangkling’s Ngaben in Bali was an honour.

The Hindu-Balinese believe the body is impure, a temporary shell, having no significance at all, except as a container of the soul and its anchor to the earth.

All thoughts at the time of death are concentrated upon the spirit and its passage to heaven.

The body is just there to be disposed of, and instead of grieving the Balinese prefer to throw a great celebration. And in the process hastening their dead friends soul to oneness with god.

Community working together for Mr A.A.Mangkling's ngaben in Bali
Community members working together to make the bamboo stretcher.

The village community members banjar work together to make the bamboo stretcher for the first ritual, nyiramin layon the bathing of the corpse.

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