Ant-ique impressions
Life · Hope (III) 2009 68cm x 68cm By THO XIN YI thoxinyi@thestar.com.my Photos by MUHAMMAD AKIF MASRI FOR your information, do not attempt to squeeze the tiny ants “crawling” on Goh Ah Ang’s paintings displayed at Balai Seni Maybank. As lifelike as they might appear, the insects were actually drawn on the canvases with paintbrushes. The ants seemed to be passers-by on his paintings, crawling beside or over weathered glyphs, ancient characters and calligraphy. Ribbon cut: Amirsham (second from left) launching the art exhibition at Balai Seni Maybank. On the left is Mohd Salleh. Goh , who is the founder of Top-Art School of Art in Klang and chief consultant of the Federation of International Colour-Ink Artists in Taiwan, said he is the first artist to choose ants as a painting subject, and it had become his identity. Thirty years ago, he painted a sparrow sitting on a window frame, looking at an ant on the curtain. Although it was only a minor character, the ant piqued the viewers’ i...