IB: A Life ( The Autobiography of Ibrahim Hussein ) -- Pusaka (RM50.00)

"Art makes you realise the beauty of life itself. It is never about the destination but the journey, and you must enjoy the journey for once you reach the end, that is all there is."

IB: A Life -- The Autobiography of Ibrahim Hussein is a fascinating story of an artist who touched the hearts of everyone he met.

Born in a small village in Kedah in 1936, his remarkable journey would lead him all around the world, but ultimately back home to Malaysia where he died in 2009.

His desire for adventure and his unique storytelling abilities allow us to follow this critically acclaimed artist through the Swinging Sixties in London, the creative pulse of New York, an incident-filled return to Malaysia and the founding of the Ibrahim Hussein Museum and Cultural Foundation up till his final year.

Part told and part collated from a gathering of his own disparate writings - diary entries, meditative sketches, letters, interviews - it presents an intimate and moving narrative of a man and artist in a constant state of brilliant creative restlessness.

Other new Malaysian books:

1. Belas Kasihku Meliputi Segala -- Reza Shah-Kazemi (RM10.00)
2. Testamen Politik -- Republik Anak Muda Malaysia (RM 8.00)
3.Stabil: Puisi dan catatan -- Fared Ayam (RM10.00)
4. Shore to Shore (Tamil) HB -- Muthammal Palisamy (RM40.00)
5. Shore to Shore (Tamil) PB -- Muthammal Palisamy (RM25.00)
6. The Patriot Game -- Kua Kia Soong (RM22.00)
7. 445 Days under ISA -- Kua Sia Soong (RM 25.00)
8. Missing Malaysia -- Dean Johns ((RM22.00)
9. Ethnic Relations in Nation Building -- Various (RM 28.00)

Remembering Yasmin Ahmad

Yasmin Ahmad's Films by Amir Muhammad (RM 30.00)

Yasmin Ahmad left a vibrant legacy, and it is still strange to talk about her in the past tense.

In order to deal with his grief, Amir Muhammad, fellow Malaysian filmmaker and friend, watched anew her six feature-length films (Rabun, Sepet, Gubra, Mukhsin, Muallaf and Talentime), as well as several of her most popular commercials. Neither an obituary nor a conventional work of film criticism, this book was written just a month after her funeral and is Amir's personal look at the stories, but with quite a few tangents of his own.

Chatty and informative, Yasmin Ahmad's Films can be devoured not only by established fans but newcomers to her work. It is also a tribute to one of Malaysia's most amazing daughters.

Other new Malaysian books:
1. Planter Upriver by Mahbob Abdullah
2. Penang Under the East India Company 1786-1858 by Andrew Barber
(All these books are available at the Silverfish Online Bookstore).

More paintings

Drawings by Khor Seow Hooi (RM 88.00)

'Familiar places always surprise me and I will never tire of them. A back lane is never the same when I return to it. From a corner, on a porch, or out a window, something interesting presents itself. Perhaps it is a group of men hunched over a chess board. Or a parent encouraging a little child to cycle. It could be an old, old woman smiling toothlessly, framed by a door. Whatever it is, I must paint it.'

Khor Seow Hooi was born in Penang in 1946. He studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore from 1965 to 1967. He attended the Oriental Institute of Technology in Taiwan for textile painting from 1972 to 1974. He trained at the Bayer Lab in Hong Kong in 1974 and the Bayer Lab Training, Germany, in 1985. Khor held the first solo exhibition of his works in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 and his second one-man show in Singapore the same year. He has participated in many art exhibitions since and his paintings are part of both corporate and priovate collections in Malaysia and abroad.

Art and architecture

Sacred Structures: Artistic Renditions of Hindu Temples in Malaysia and Singapore (Hardcover)
by
Krishna Gopal Rampal (Editor),
Raja Thuraisingham (Publisher),
Saiful Anwar Yahya (Designer)

• Hardcover: 219 page
• Price RM 228.00
• Publisher: Bluetoffee (2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9810595859
• ISBN-13: 978-9810595852

Product Description

Sacred Structures is a fascinating guide to the world of Hindu Temples in Malaysia and Singapore, presented through the unique artistic vision of some of its leading artists. In four sections, beautifully illustrated with original paintings by ten leading artists, the book takes the reader through the various phases of Hindu Temple building from the 5-6th Century to modern times.

The book contains more than 190 original paintings (in full colour) that clearly illustrate the point that these temples are not only places of worship but magnificent works of art. These paintings are further illuminated by essays written by eminent writers on the historical development of the architecture, sculptures and renditions by these artists. A brief communication on the journey through these temples is also provided for those wishing to undertake similar sojourns.

Available mainly at: Silverfish Books Sdn Bhd, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 228 448 37 Email: info@silverfishbooks.com

Free delivery (by courier) to addresses within Peninsula Malaysia. Delivery to Sabah and Sarawak will cost an additional RM20.00

Iban textiles

Iban Ritual Textile by Traude Gavin (RM 75.00)

Iban ritual textile draws on years of fieldwork and the author's documentation of the hundrds of Iban cloths. Topics include the ritual functions of Iban ikat-patterned fabric; the technical aspects of producing such cloths, as well as the dynamics of the complex of weaving (the power and efficacy of cloth patterns, dreams and charms) that can be subject to human interpretation and regulation. The main focus however is on the cloth patterns themselves and on the names assigned to them. Here the author challenges some long held misconceptions, in particular the notion of designs as a 'primitive form of language'. From this novel perspective, the role of weavers as technicians is set off against the power of patterns as an index for a weaver's relative rank. The study moves on to examine the
association of female prestige and weaving with the parallel structure of male status and headhunting. Findings further are discussed in the context of former and more recent intellectual frameworks.

Iban ritual textile is the first in-depth study of the ikat-patterned cloth based on extensive field research and should be of interest to anthropologists, art historians and scholars with an interest in the textile tradition of Southeast Asia.

Dr Traude Gavin is a freelance researcher and lecturer and lives in Great Britain.

The Art of Politics

Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things (Vol 1) by Amir Muhammad (RM 30.00)

The species called the Malaysian politician often gets in the news, but sometimes not for the right reasons. Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things is a collection of over 100 quotes that span almost three decades. There are things that make you go hmmm, things that make you go gaga, and things that give a refreshingly pithy introduction to several issues of their time. It is a jaunty stroll through contemporary Malaysian culture, society and (of course) politics. We are sure there is more to come, which is why this is only Vol 1.

If Only by Shahril Nizam (RM 35.00)

This is the first collection of Shahril Nizam's quirky illustrations, accompanied by equally quirky verses of his own composition. In Shahril's world mundane things never are, light is edged by dark, and beauty is often glaringly flawed.

Paintings

Artistic Imperatives: Selected Writings and Paintings by Jolly Koh (RM 80.00)

Dr Jolly Koh studied painting at Hornsey College of Art, London and art education at the Institute of Education, London University. In 1970 he was awarded the Fulbright scholarship and completed the Doctor of Education degree at Indiana University.

The collection of essays in this book represents the sharp and creative mind of one of Malaysia's most outstanding artists. Especially original is his essay "A New Study of Colour for artists and other Visual Designers" which is unique in the world and should rival Itten's work on colour.

The collection of essays and the book itself also represents a rare phenomenon in Malaysia for three reasons. First, Jolly Koh is the only Malaysian artist who has published on theoretical issues. Second, this is one of the very few books about Malaysian art in contrast to the many catalogues. And third, this is the first book of tis kind that comprises both
artist's paintings and writings.