BALIK PULAU: Dr Shamsu Mohamad’s keen interest in ceramic craft art prompted the former lecturer at the School of Art, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), to open Sila Studio, an exhibition gallery to showcase his artwork.
Shamsu, 60, said he decided to name the studio “Sila” which means welcome in Malay to create the feeling of closeness among those who hear it.
“Sila Studio brings a transformation to the use of clay in producing contemporary objects that are rarely seen and I also accept students who are interested in learning the techniques of producing ceramic products,” he told Bernama recently.
Among the items on display at Sila Studio are storage containers, shoes, fridge magnets, brooches, home decor items, kitchen utensils and so on.
Shamsu, who has been in the industry for more than 32 years and has won various international awards for his research and innovation in ceramics, said among the rare contemporary objects that can be found at the studio was the white ceramic school shoes.
He said the first pair of such shoes was first produced when he participated in an exhibition themed “Earthworks” held at Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in 2014.
“It took me about six months to do a research...the white school shoes were completed in seven months’ time using porcelain and it was then bought by the exhibition organiser at a price of RM15,000,” he said.
Titled “The Journey”, Shamsu said he embraced the shoes as a metaphor of a school as a place where formal education or leaning begins as well as a reflection of the personality and status of the wearer.
Shamsu said the traditional ceramic art was inclined towards the practicality of the items produced, while the modern ceramic art focused more on the strong and uniqueness of the objects’ external features.
“Both styles have unrestrained freedom and they give emphasis to the efforts of the artists in experimenting with clay and gilding techniques.
“Arts and culture is an industry that has a potential to generate national income in the future through tireless efforts by all parties,” he said.
Sila Studio, located at the Balik Pulau Handicraft Incubator Centre, is open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm by appointment daily except Saturdays and Sundays.-Bernama
