Khoo Boon Want
Experimental Artist & Designer

Khoo Boo

n Want was born in 1969 in Linggi, Negeri Sembilan. He graduated from the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) with a major in ink painting. A winner of the Young Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting award, his works were selected for the Young Contemporary National Gallery by the National Art Gallery, Malays

ia. He also took part in the Periphery Installation Art Exhibition, Visual Essences Exhibition by Petronas Gallery and Notthatbalai Art Festival by Lostgens, Penang Clan Jetties Art Festival, Pelita Hati Gallery of Art and Ayoma Art Gallery. Khoo's two dimensional creative space gradually evolved into three dimensional art, eventually becoming landscape art and site specific installation art. Since his time studying at art college, he has had a fondness for art and nature. He ardently thinks and explores ways to blend art and nature creatively. What is junk to others is treasure in his eyes. He collects this junk, then carves,

shapes, adds or removes parts of them, imparting new life and functionality to these uninspired objects. Infusing art into daily life and getting the most use out of any given object has been his attitude and philosophy in life.

Khoo's creative life spans more than twenty years. His creative philosophy and spirit come from nature where all things exit. One can sense his use of five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth) in creating his art. How these elements with different characteristics can be put together in one ingenious creation has become part of his daily thoughts and work. The science and philosophy of the West and East have both given him the ideas and means to create his art. This has

allowed Khoo, a lover of Chinese culture who embraces Western art education, the opportunity to develop a distinctive style and quality in his art. One can feel the free spirit and playfulness in his work, the meticulousness of Western art as well as the carefree and spontaneous nature of Zhuangzi's philosophy in his sculptures.

This exhibition sees Khoo filling the exhibition space with goats, fish, armoured warriors, shadows, wood, water, iron, stone and plants, turning THE STAGE by WOLO Bukit Bintang, which is located in the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur, from a concrete jungle into a surreal spectacle of art. He attempts to break the myth that art can only be appreciated from a distance. Visitors can now see his creation in close proximity, touch almost all the them, and feel their texture, pulse and energy. Some works can be even sat on and rocked by several people at once. The exhibition aims to stimulate open discussion and dialogue among visitors. It is an open, interactive exhibition that puts into effect Khoo's design ideas and artistic philosophy art in daily life.

邱文皇
功能性艺术家

邱文皇1969出生于森美兰州的邻宜（Linggi），毕业于马来西亚艺术学院（MIA），主修水墨画。曾获得全国水墨新人奖（Winner of “Young Contemporary of Chinese Ink Painting”）， 画作多次入选由马来西亚国家画廊主办的“青年当代艺术展”（Young contemporary national gallery），邱文皇也参与“边陲”三人装置艺术联展（“Periphery” installation exhibition），国油画廊（petronas gallery）办的“Visual Essences”展，Lostgens’当代艺术空间策划的notthatbalai艺术节，槟城姓氏桥- 桥装艺术祭（Penang clan jetties art festival）及分别在pelita hati画廊及Ayoma画廊办个人展。邱文皇从水墨画的二维空间创作，逐渐跳脱转为三维空间创作及进一步发展成地景观艺术（landscape art）及实境装置艺术（site specific installation），其实是有迹可寻的。早在学院时期开始热爱艺术和大自然的他对于如何将艺术融入生活，就是他不断思考及探讨的题材。在日常生活中他不断地观察身边的事与物。他眼中的宝物，往往是人们日常丢弃的物件，他都会将它们收集起来，然后再将这些丢弃物，以艺术的创意及手法，或雕，或塑，或加，或减赋予它们新生命，打造成艺术作品及可使用的物件，赋予新生命。

将艺术融入生活及物尽其用成了他对生活一种态度和理念。在长达二十多年创作的生涯中，邱文皇创作的理念及精神都来自于包含万物的天与地。在文皇的作品里，我们不难看得出他应用五行里的金、木、水、火、土元素融合进行艺术创作。五行具不同特性的元素要如何放在一起创作结合，成了他的每日所思，所想及所做的功课，东西方的科学与哲学观，提供他许多养分及方式。热爱中华文化，同时也拥有西方艺术教育的邱文皇，在作品里显现可艺心独到精心营造的一面，也可以随处看到挥洒放任自然形成的一块，充分的发挥了出西方艺术的严谨却不失趣味性及东方庄子的顺应自然哲学思想的味道。

这次展览邱文皇对展览空间- THE STAGE by WOLO做了颠覆的工作，他将羊、鱼，穿着盔甲的武士、影子、木、水、铁、石头、植物统统搬进这个处在钢骨水泥森林BUKIT BINTANG金三角商业的展览空间，以景观艺术的手法创造出一个超现实的场景。他也试图破解了艺术只能远看的迷思，几乎所有的作品观者都可以近距离观看触摸，体验感受它的温度和心跳及能量。有的作品甚至可以和三五知己坐在上面摇晃，对于作品的诠释权，也交给观者自由进行讨论及对话。这种开放式的展览，彻底贯彻了文皇的艺术设计理念—艺术在于生活。