Central Market by Hari Ho

(Hari Ho - Yap Hoh)

What a cool image of an old man! I recognised the white singlet and the pant; these were common clothing for men in the old days especially for old Chinese elderly men. My grandfather worn them too; maybe that's why the photo appeals to me - it reminds me of him.

The photo is one of the portraits featured in an exhibition by Hari Ho in Wei Ling Gallery in Kuala Lumpur. Central market, the title of Ho' solo work, referred to the wet market which was closed in 1985. The people in the portraits were the traders and those  who worked in the market. Ho shot these portraits during the final weeks before the market closed.

Interestingly, the people in the portraits seem comfortable and even smile and strike poses for him. That's because Ho spent some times getting to know the people in the market before he started to take photos of them.

(Hari Ho - Wong Yen Hoon)

Like this man, Wong Yen Hoon who suddenly raised his arm when his photo was taken. He later explained to Ho that for a portrait like this, he would like to greet the world.

Hari Ho - Wong Chee Mun

And this man, Wong Chee Mun, and eccentric collector of military paraphernalia who snapped to attention and saluted!

Hari Ho - Lorry Boy

Sadly, there was one person the photographer did not manage to know.  "Lorry Boy' was called away for work right after Ho photographed him. The people in the market told Ho that he's a lorry boy, who worked with a lorry team to load and upload supplies at the market. Even though Ho returned to the market every day after that, he couldn't see him. Ho often wonder what happen to him. If you have information, please contact the gallery.

The Day After

Hari Ho - Central Market

Showing at Wei Ling Gallery from 2 August to 10 September 2017.

Pusaka Evenings: Teochew Puppetry at Publika

Teochew* Puppetry is a form of puppetry that narrates tales and legend through the use of marionette puppets.

Last Sunday, Pusaka presented a Teochew Puppetry show at Black Box, Publika by Kim Gaik Low Choon Teochew Puppet Troupe from Penang. The troupe performed the 'The Love of the Celestial Fox,' a love story about a thousand-year old celestial fox who fell in love with a mortal man. 

The troupe is led by master puppeteer Ling Goh, who is a third-generation traditional Chinese opera performer and puppeteer. Her mother and other family members are also part of the troupe. They are the last remaining troupe of its kind in Penang. 

The show is part of the Pusaka Evenings, a series of cultural traditional performance from Malaysia that is free and open to all. It is organised by Pusaka, a non-profit organisation which works to preserve and support traditional performing arts in Malaysia.

Check out the video below:

*Teochew people are Chinese people originated from the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong province. 

Star Wars Wayang Kulit

Shadow of Change is an exhibition featuring Star War and Superheroes characters in Wayang Kulit (shadow puppetry) style held at Bangsar Village recently. 

                                  

                                               Ah Tuh (R2-D2) & Si P-Long (C-3PO)

Wayang kulit is a traditional art form of shadow puppetry performance popular in the northeast state of Kelantan in Malaysia. Storylines are usually centred around Hindu epics with characters such as Hanuman, Sri Rama, Sita Dewi and Maharaja Rawana. 

Fusion Wayang Kulit, a local team aims to revive the traditional art form, has added elements of popular culture to the performance and story by adapting popular culture and multimedia components. They have introduced the Star Wars story to the performance with 'Peperangan Bintang: Harapan Baru' (Malay translation of Star Wars: A New Hope). The Star Wars characters were on display at the exhibition; the characters even have their own Malay names! 

                                   

                                  Sangkala Vadeh (Darth Vader) and Tok Wan Kenobi (Obi Wan Kenobi)

                                          

                                                             Bruce Lee

Fusion Wayang Kulit

Facebook: Fusion Wayang Kulit

Kenneth O'Halloran's Fair Trade

                             

Don’t you think they look so adorable?

I saw this image at the World Press Exhibition at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre last month and it's my favourite.

The images on display have been selected by the World Press Photos as the winning photos for 2011. Most of them are sad and depressing, a testament to the disasters, wars and generally gloomy atmosphere of 2011.

It was a welcome sight to see this. Despite the odd facial expression, to me it's a happy image. I think they are smiling there, even if only a bit. I guess they must be delighted to have their photos taken.

*Photography by Kenneth O’Halloran for his Fair Trade series which was awarded third prize under the category of Portrait Stories by the World Press Photo.

"Fairs in Ireland are more than places of trade, often forming an important social and cultural event in the county calendar. Women regard them as occasions worth dressing up for. Many fairs focus on house-trading carried out to a large extent by traveling people, who belong to an ancient Gaelic nomadic tradition. Some fairs have histories dating back for centuries."

Never Let You Go

Marcos, 89 and Monica, 87, have been married and living in their apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 65 years. In 2007, Monica was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Since that moment, her husband devoted all his time to take care of her. 

Love... 

Will you and your partner get old together and still care for each other like this?

Will the two of you still be there for each other, when either of you are sick and bedridden?

* Photography by Alejandro Kirchuk in Never Let You Go, which documented the old age in one of its conditions, the Alzheimer's disease. Awarded the first prize winner in the category of Daily Life by World Press Photo.