Pix from the Farmers' Market in Raub

The Sunday market in Raub is an endless source of inspiration and fascination for me because of the colours, textures and motifs that can 'accidentally' come to life if one only takes the time to observe...

Harmony in reds and yellows

A study in greens

Contrasting white and orange

Pink torch gingers...

Repetitious forms in harmony of yellow-green and neutrals

Muted reds and neutrals in a sweeping motion

Random Art at the Farmers' Market - Malaysia 1

When I was a student in France, I picked up the habit of scouring the farmers' market every weekend for food that I've never tasted before, but also for the changing displays that inherently follow the seasons.

Back home, I continue the habit of wandering around farmers' market for special moments that merit a shot. I don't use any professional tools, just discreetly (with permission of course) with my faithful Nikon Coolpix. What interests me is the unusual random symmetry found in the local displays in colourful plastic plates and they remind me of the art-deco, post-modernism take on furnitures and paintings of the sixties and seventies. If we don't look at the fact that these displays are foodstuff, they can actually come off as abstract art pieces! My malayan photos are exclusively taken from the Raub sunday market.

The refreshingly light mint-green of the belimbing asam is beautifully off-set by the contrasting orange of the common plastic plates as well as the ligth green and blue ones.

A myriad of local bananas against a vivid blue canvas, who can ask for more?

Symphony in white: white eggplants over white background

Ikan pelaling in plates of pale pastels - unobserved beauty

Swirls of jasmine flowers in vivid pink plastics

Rosy coloured fishes off-set by the wet transparent plastic - accidental or untamed esthetics?

The vibrant hues of the mencuku fruits ( a type of mangosteen) is beautifully contrasted with the bright pastel plastic plates, set-off by the gray of the tarmac and Yes! the newspaper. Don't banal things can turn up being splendid if only we give them a chance...

Private Show

Back in late spring of 2008, my friend Michael suggested that I should hold a private viewing at his home for his friends before I leave the country. That was a nice gest because he knew that I had with me a few large canvasses that I had accumulated over the few years in Poitiers and were looking for buyers before I leave the country.

We had a long and fruitful afternoon at his place, sold a few pieces and for me, the selling wasn't that important but the appreciating...that-I could do with more back home. Some may not share the same taste but at least they never ask any self-respecting artist to 'add' something to the canvas because the client (or potential client) thinks that the painting is too empty or lack something in it. If they think they knew any better than the artist himself, why bother to even buy something?! Paint -it -yourself to suit your fung shui needs will be a better idea! (I am talking about this from experience because it actually happenend to me in my budding years back home in the late 90s but then again, it was another story, another time...)

Reflecting...

Pondering...

Haggling...

absorbed...

This large canvas, called Door Guardian, has two panels of paper mosaic for base made from very old paper images that chinese use for their doors in the olden days to ward off evil spirits. Repainted over with dozens of tranparent layers of red glazes of different hues, it can change 'mood' according to lighting conditions.

Secret Garden - this piece has swatches of patchwork from my mother's sewing glued to it - a tribute to all things femme.

Colza, or rape seed in English, is a beautiful thing to behold when in season in early March. Kilometers of unbroken yellow could be observed in the horizon if you happen to chance by the country side or if your TGV train was wheezing across fields in the campagne (country). Certainly beats the monotony of boring empty fields or harvested ones...this simple landscape has found its place in a beautiful home in the country as well...

Sometimes, I revert back to landscapes because I started with them many, many years back until I discovered that I also enjoy abstraction. This atypical landscape was completely painted with transparent glazes of colour except for the highlights. This roundabout at Porte Royale in La Rochelle is about 3 mins' walk from where I used to live for almost a year - rue des feuilles. I would walk pass this spot almost ritually in the nights from my long promenades at the minimes or from visiting my friends after classes. What struck me was the metaphor that roundabouts represent for us in this modern living that we had created for ourselves.

A series of still-life specially commisioned by my friend Michael for this kitchen.

In memoriam of the victims of the tsunami as this painting was originally intended to comment on the state of our rivers but diverted to notions of fear for the deep and aquaphobia. This painting was started the day the disaster hit Sumatra and the numbers just keep rising, like fish that floats to the surface after an intoxication from poisoning in the water...

Something happy this time - a tribute to reds, to joy and to the crackling noise of the lunar calendar's festival (CNY).

Let's have a ball...