Musings on life and death

What say you on the issue below?

Making a point: Fauzi Husin showing his masterpiece 'Balancing Act No.2' which won the Birchalls Tertiary Art Prize 2010.

FAUZI Husin from Singapore has been making heads turn with his unique photographs themed ‘Equilibration and Expiration’.

The 46-year-old still life photographer is now having his first solo exhibition in Penang at the ChinaHouse gallery on Beach Street.

His works of art features cutlery, fruits, vegetables and empty bottles in ambiguous and unlikely arrangements.

He randomly places and balances the objects, and all this to him represents equilibrium.

Under his other concept of expiration, he has taken photos of objects like mouldy bread and decayed fruits and vegetables.

The Contemporary Art graduate said his creations revolved around existence, mortality and the process of ageing and decaying.

“What is significant is that everything in this world has a lifespan,” he said.

Fauzi’s masterpiece entitled ‘Balancing Act No. 2’ was awarded the Birchalls Tertiary Art Prize when he was at the University of Tasmania, Australia.

A visitor to the exhibition, Kathy Roper, 62, marvelled at Fauzi’s creativeness in balancing the objects seen in his equilib-rium photographs.

“This is so fascinating! I thought he glued all of them together.”

Also being held at the gallery is an exhibition of paintings, a collaboration with the House of Matahati from Kuala Lumpur.

Colourful work: 'Tangerine' by Utin Rini from Indonesia in the 'Faces of Expressions' exhibition.

Entitled ‘Faces of Expressions’, the exhibition features masterpieces by 15 artists from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philip-pines.

“We chose to have an exhibition here because the gallery has a good and unique space.

“We would also like to expand the audience of these artists,” said Bayu Utomo, 42, representing the House of Matahati.

ChinaHouse gallery assistant Louise Low said this was the second concurrent exhibitions being held at the gallery and there would be new exhibitors every six weeks.

These two exhibitions, which will run until Dec 26, are open to the public from 10am to midnight.