hear and say

Cacophony of silence , painting by Kamal Mustafa

Ears are often ignored in visual art. But isn't it true that so much of our experience comes through hearing?

“Hearing has got to do with second-hand knowledge, knowledge handed down to us, and it’s not something that can be ignored. We cannot live life without the concept of hearsay, and this has provided me a big canvas to play with,” says Kamal Mustafa, artist, photographer, film maker. In his exhibition, we see thinly veiled under the numerous depictions of ears are socio-political messages which stir the senses.

Thousand Ears Of Hearsay by Kamal Mustafa depicts the human communication process and the role of the ear in it.

Simulations might seem like a collection of abstract paintings, but within each piece lies often-ignored truths.The inclusion of “narratives” within the work and the interplay of these components with the
static images to bring about a different kind of engagement to the viewer: the syntagmatic
(video) vs. the paradigmatic i.e the painting without attempting to resolve either. While it is
perfectly possible (some will say logical) to do the work in video form, I wanted to retain the two dimensionality of the painted canvas with all its inherent properties and limitations. The painting
is a “presence” that the moving images have to contend with and operate within. So in a sense
this self-imposed parameter is my labyrinth.

source: http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/downloads/apbf/malaysia/Kamal_Mustafa.pd
https://www.facebook.com/fergana.art
http://www.kamal-mustafa.com/simulations/
http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Entertainment/Arts/Frame-Up/2014/02/16/Kamal-Mustafas-got-an-ear-for-art/