AT FIRST GLANCE, she appears demure, her half-shuttered eyes softening the angular features chiselled across her light-skinned oval face framed by soft, dark brown fur, modestly motified earth-coloured fabric, and two iridescent abalone shells.
SHORT BREATHER: Ramsay taking a break from arranging exhibits in his gallery. Behind him are a few of the masks and paintings which will be featured during the exhibition.
But her slightly parted lips painted a luscious, bold, bloody red holds the gazer’s attention long enough for other details to assert themselves on the gazer’s consciousness – headbands of wooden, glass and toothed beads crown her forehead while strings of seashells necklaces – traditional signs of wealth in many island and Pacific nations – adorn her neck.
Suddenly, her apparently bashful demeanour transforms into one of proud, regal dignity. Indeed, that’s how her creator envisioned her to be.
“She looks rather fierce, doesn’t she?” mused Ramsay Ong, award-winning artist, owner of ARTrageously Ramsay Ong – The Art Gallery and her creator.
“Let’s call her ‘Lady Scallop’.”
Outside the art gallery, the overcast grey skies finally burst into a thunderous rain shower as locals and tourists alike scrambled under awnings and covered pathways along the Kuching Waterfront to find shelter from the sudden afternoon downpour.
However, within the sanctuary of the gallery’s walls, Ramsay is a picture of serenity as he ponders the happy problem of what to name his latest creations for his upcoming “Mask-deka” exhibition, featuring a collection of masks which the renowned batik artist recently completed.
Dark crescents under Ramsay’s eyes hint at the long hours he has put into bringing “Mask-deka” to life but the tacit energy that shines through his eyes and the tinge of parental pride in his soft-spoken voice as he described the creative inspiration behind each piece speaks volumes of the labour of love it has been.
There are very few words other than “whimsical” which can describe the playful, vibrant, outlandishly decorated and seemingly eclectic masks on display – a description which the artist wholeheartedly agrees with.
He said: “The fun part is that it’s quite spontaneous. You put in whatever material is available, whatever material is nice. And it comes together in a distinct and unique display.”
But despite initial appearances, there’s more to “Mask-deka” than simply chucking a random selection of masks and materials together and seeing what happens.
There are many layers – conceptually, creatively, aesthetically, metaphorically – which must be addressed and balanced to order to marry seemingly disparate elements into a coherent theme or story which is able to connect.
Ramsay explained he deliberately chose an “over-the-top” approach to compensate for the relatively restrictive nature of the plain wooden masks (many of which were sourced from handcraft shops just up the road from his gallery).
“With these masks, which are three-dimensional, you are a bit constrained in expressing yourself freely as compared to paintings which are two-dimensional,” he said.
“With masks, you can only play with the eyes and the mouth or lips to convey expressiveness. It’s different from painting in 2-D as you can draw the eyes and lips to suit what you are trying to convey.”
The overall concept was influenced by his exposure to the fashion world which came about from helping backstage at shows for his cousin, fashion wear designer Edric Ong.
Ramsay said the experience of learning how to deal with models, matching make-up, hairstyles, accessories and garments to create certain themes, was good training for him.
Indeed, audaciously painted eyes and lips and close-to-preposterous accessories decorating several of the masks are suggestive of models decked in their best at a fashion runway show.
The artist used locally sourced materials to create each mask exhibit – many of which are traditional handcrafts in their own right – such as wooden masks, hand-woven rattan rice winnowing trays, bamboo fish traps, shells and glass beads.
However, he also did not shy away from using contemporary materials such as hats, tassels, artificial flowers, and coloured string to create the visual images he wanted.
A piece Ramsay has tentatively named “Blessing” is a particular eye-catcher and is certain to spark conversation. Red, blue and yellow Chinese paper money – some with pictures of dragons – create a colourful backdrop against which the mask – arresting in itself with turquoise eyeshadow and similar coloured beads – is placed.
Places and faces
Although the masks are the focal feature of “Mask-deka”, a number of portraits of Sarawakian tribes people painted by Ramsay on natural bark cloth will also be on display.
“Generally, it holds true what you see is what you come across but there must be something there you always remember,” said the artist.
“I cannot really paint a picture or do a portrait of someone without painting from my mind’s eye.”
When he paints a portrait, he remembers not just the person’s physical attributes but also the deep impressions the person left on him.
Alluding to his travels around the Sarawakian highlands and the many years he spent working in the interior, Ramsay can still recall the features of various individuals he has met despite the passage of time.
Paintings on display during the exhibit include “Feathered Warrior” – a striking portrait of a weathered but smiling Orang Ulu elder warrior – and a lovely piece inspired by well-known Kenyah sape player, the late Tusau. These portraits complement the theme of faces carried by the mask exhibits.
Space in between
Ramsay said over the years, his style has grown and developed more towards the side of simplicity and minimalism.
He pointed out that clean, simple yet purposeful brush strokes and colour palettes could actually better convey the artist’s vision and message to the observer.
He believed it is important to provide spaces within art he creates to allow the observer to fill with their own interpretation and meaning.
Art should be approachable for the average person – not intruding but inviting observers to come and engage with it at whatever level they are comfortable with.
One of the crucial characteristics which separates creative folk from the not-so-artistically inclined is their ability to perceive things different and capture the raw reality of what they see so that others can see it too.
After spending a few hours in Ramsay Ong’s company and watching him at work, I have come to realise that art is not about being able to decode obscure sculptures and obfuscated splotches of paint on a piece of canvas. It’s about making and taking time to see through someone else’s eyes.
More than just pretty paintings and statues, art should be able to evoke a response or reaction from those who witness it, perhaps using what the artist sees and interprets as a mirror for what they see and experience internally and a channel which taps into a deeper understanding of the diversity of this world we live in and its inhabitants.
But don’t take my word for it. Why not see for yourself?
“Mask-deka” features 20 mask pieces, created by Ramsay, alongside portraits, painted on natural tree bark cloth which he pioneered as a medium and won several awards for.
Art pieces from the artist’s personal collection will also be on display, including his unique collection of 13 antique handcarved wooden puppets from Indonesia estimated to be between 30 to 50 years old, which the artist has personalised with his own take on their costumes and dressing.
An informal launching function will be held on August 27 at 2 pm at ARTrageously Ramsay Ong – The Art Gallery at 94, Main Bazaar, 93000, Kuching.
“Mask-deka” is scheduled to run for about a month from August 27.
For further details, call 082 424346 (telephone and fax) or send an email to artrageously [email protected].