What do Frida Kahlo, Maria Cassatt and Georgia O’Keeffe have in common? They are all women and were strong figures in the world of art. While it may take a while for Malaysia to truly appreciate women in arts, Perak has shown its strong support by organising the first HERart, to support and provide a platform for women whose passion is to enter the art industry.
The two-day festival on October 16 took place at one of Ipoh’s best tourist spots, Kinta Riverwalk featuring 40 booths selling assorted paintings, T-shirts, henna services and more. During the official closing ceremony, state Exco for Tourism, Art and Culture, Communication and Multimedia, Dato’ Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi applauded HERart’s organiser, PORT’s (People Of Remarkable Talent) effort to appreciate and promote women in the artistic field.
“PORT has shown great support when it comes to arts in Perak. HERarts is just one of the many events held by PORT that has been nothing but supportive towards the art community. As a fan myself, I hope that HERart will be an annual affair for Perak,” added Nolee in her closing remarks.
Among activities held during the affair was Gesture Art workshop and demonstration, Tie-Dye and Batik painting, sculpture session, Plein Air (Open Air) Challenge, Life Portrait (Perak Princess) Challenge, Live Sketch Competition, and female artiste performances. The event also witnessed the successful attempt of making ‘The Longest Mural Art Gesture’ (240 feet) in Perak.
Ili Aqilah
