The Second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, Australia, 1996 : Report

Raja Shahriman creates metal sculptures which explore the themes of war, violence and aggression . His works from the series 'Killing tools' are sharp , often psychologically disturbing pieces which evoke, rather than depict, the many faces of aggression in contemporary society. The artist believes that sharp tools cannot hurt anyone by themselves; i t is human greed and alienation that turn them i nto killing tools. The artist says in his statement: The tool that motivates man to do good or to destroy is in actuality his own mind which in turn is driven by good or bad intentions. The human anatomy merely functions as soldier to carry out orders to destroy or to preserve peace and harmony. Hasnul Jamal Saidon is one of the best-known proponents of electronic media and installation art in Malaysia. H is works are a wry, highly-conceptualised , often biographical exploration of wide-ranging concerns. These include a questioning of Western art h istory and its assimilation within Malaysian art, the rei nterpretation of Malay proverbs and religion, and changing religious, social and family values. The artist says: The intrinsic significance of certain values within the mental and spiritual structures of my native society are constantly being challenged by the rapid growth of media and information technology. The audio-visual installation Kdek, Kdek Ong ! is a contextualised interpretation of the Malay saying 'Seperti katak dibawah tempurung' ('Like a frog under a coconut shell') and is a comment on narrow-minded thinking . Wong Hoy Cheong's work deals with issues of cultural difference, race, ethnicity, and immigration. The five, large-scale mixed media drawings from the 'Migrants' series refer to personal and shared histories. Wong Hoy Cheong wrote in his artist's statement: I grew up listening to stories. Stories told by my father and mother, grandmothers, aunties and uncles. They were stories of remembrance layered with joy and sorrow, conflict and reconciliation, mysteries and 16