Exhibition Note:

The work One Black Malaysia #001 is the result of the artist’s explorations of ongoing political issues in Malaysia. It was inspired by local political scientist Wong Chin Huat’s idea of “One Black Malaysia” and the “One Black Malaysia Movement” as a response to a political dispute in Malaysia regarding the legitimacy of the Perak state government formed in February 2009. It began when three Opposition Party state legislators defected, causing a collapse of the state government. The Sultan of Perak then refused the Menteri Besar’s (or chief executive of the state government for states in Malaysia with hereditary rules) request to dissolve the state assembly and call for new elections. Instead, Barisan Nasional (BN), with support from the three defecting assemblymen, formed the new state government which was then called into question, and led to Chin Huat’s event, calling for all Malaysians to wear black on a specific day in protest. However, the work is about Malaysian politics in general, and sees the artist stamping the 1Malaysia unity scheme logo, over his entire body and then smudging it away until he is covered in black ink, commenting on the greater political issues of corruption in the country.

The photographs are part of a performative project, with an accompanying video, and there are twelve photographs in the entire series. art of a performative project, with an accompanying video, and there are twelve photographs in the entire series.