Cover Ivan Lam (Photo: Imran Sulaiman)
Ivan Lam (Photo: Imran Sulaiman)
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"Open your heart to see, close your eyes to read," writes the contemporary artist in his latest exhibition statement
The art world has always been highly visual, and it's only in the recent decade that exhibitions have introduced a multi-sensorial approach aimed to stimulate the five senses: taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing.
Senses that society has unknowingly taken for granted because what is out of sight is out of mind. So, the question is, and one that Ivan Lam was inspired by for his latest exhibition at Wei-Ling Gallery: How do the blind perceive art?
A contemporary artist whose work has always taken an introspective look at the human condition and contained interactive elements, such as his previous exhibition Catharsis, where Lam invited gallery viewers to activate buttons that lit up what the artist described as “pain points” in his paintings. His latest work with the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB), blind side, is no different.
Above 'Blindsight' (2022); Pastel color pencil, oil pastel, dry pastel, synthetic acrylic paint, vinyl and charcoal pencil on canvas on board.
'Blindsight' (2022); Pastel color pencil, oil pastel, dry pastel, synthetic acrylic paint, vinyl and charcoal pencil on canvas on board.
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“The goal for me was to create accessible, inclusive art for everyone to experience,” Lam states. “I never set out to create interactive work but I wanted to better translate my thought process. Hence the tactile elements.”
So how does one create artwork that transcends sight?
To do that, Lam needed to better understand the lives of the blind, which led him to work alongside MAB, which he described as a “continuously humbling experience. The energy level [the blind] had was unreal,” he says. “Their optimism was absolutely infectious despite the challenges presented to them, especially in an exclusionary system that is modelled after a non-disabled person. It makes one think how they navigate throughout their daily lives. Everyday items like the smartphone are a very visual piece of technology. And while the blind are a capable, self-sufficient community, it’s undeniable that they have to work 10 times harder compared to people without disabilities.”
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Above Austere Yellow (2023); 3m vinyl dots, synthetic Nippon Paint and resin on board
Above Compass Green (2023); 3m vinyl dots, synthetic Nippon Paint and resin on board
Austere Yellow (2023); 3m vinyl dots, synthetic Nippon Paint and resin on board
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Between MAB and Lam, the artist had created a series of nine artworks that used braille as their main component. Comprising a spectrum of colours, each painting is adorned with a braille inscription that details the colour used for the artwork. For example, on Austere Yellow, the braille reads: “Yellow colour is bright, happy, and warm. It’s like sunshine in perfect weather, the sound of laughter from a baby, and the curved smile of a banana. Yellow tastes sweet and bright like Lemon Chiffon, and shades like Austere Yellow feels like a series of good things on a happy day.”
It bears mentioning that the above description isn’t available in written text—an experiential detail that Lam left out intentionally. “The point of this exhibition wasn’t to recreate the experience of being blind but to allow the blind feel seen and acknowledged,” Lam says. “The average person would not be able to make head or tail of it, but for the blind, these 'dots’ are a textural language that allow them to visualise in their mind, be it sounds, colours, smells, or more.”
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To illustrate how the blind can make use of braille creatively, Lam and MAB co-hosted a poster design competition for the blind, which resulted in artworks that can currently be viewed also at Wei-Ling Gallery.
Though Lam teases that he isn't done with this newfound venture, he reveals that the collaborative element of his current work was challenging. “Previously, it was just me in the studio. But when you invite others into the creative process, there's a need to surrender sometimes, which is something that takes getting used to. But it also made me learn to be open to perspectives different from my own.”
When asked if there was anything he would have done differently with blind side, Lam simply says that he is at a point of his career where he doesn’t examine his past and future works as closely as he did in the past. “I’m choosing to focus more on the present now. I’ve come to realise that it’s okay to not be hung up on what’s next and that there is meaning in what I’m doing now," he says.
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Credits
Images: courtesy of Wei-Ling Gallery
Usually found at home and one with her couch, Koy Yi would either crack open a good book or game in her spare time to wind down after a long day. She also loves to scour art conventions and book fairs alike when she's able, collecting art books of all regions to gain inspiration for her own illustrations. With a keen interest in people and the stories they tell, she enjoys a good talk and a good laugh (preferably over food). Follow her on her Instagram @peiyi57.
