Visualise it, one golden ball in the middle of two opposing forces, a dragon and a line of soldiers. Such a famous battle that took place in the sea of Brunei folklore. Not a stranger to our EMERGE Exhibitions, Mardhi Hamid, a visual artist who specializes in painting and mixed media brings to light his perspective of the Legend of Ong Sum Ping and Si Naga, where the artist focuses on depicting the origin of the name of Mount Kinabalu, the place where the great battle took place. This choice of subject fits into the artist’s preferred theme: dark and surreal atmosphere.
Monochromatic in colour, with the use of black cartridge paper for background, Mardhi’s painting draws the viewer's’ attention to the three different figures centred in his painting; Si Naga, the kemala, and the Chinese Warriors. The dragon, being the more powerful of the two forces in the painting, is painted larger and takes more space in the painting to symbolise the power it holds over its own territory. It domineers over the other subjects in the painting, the kemala and the soldiers. The soldiers, despite outnumbering the dragon, takes up a smaller space and is placed at the bottom of the painting, highlighting their lack of power in the situation. The combination of all of these placements of subjects effectively highlights the power and might of the dragon. This helps to suggest what then takes place: the battle where the soldiers would get slaughtered and leaving their wives as widows. Thus the name of the mountain Kinabalu, meaning ‘chinese widows’. ‘Kina’ in kedazan dusun means ‘cina’ or in english ‘chinese’ while the English translation of ‘balu’ is ‘widow’. ‘Widow Maker’ then is a title befitting the subject of the painting.
However, not only does the size of the subject plays a part in determining the power of it, the choice of colour also does. The soldiers, sketched with pencil, blends into the black background of the base of the mountain. The dragon and the kemala however, is outlined with a gold lines, making them stand out from the painting. Outlining the dragon with the same colour used in drawing the kemala not only showcase the link between both but also catches the viewer’s eyes first. In this, again it denies the soldier the attention, further reducing their might in the face of the guardian of the kemala. Numbers not always be the determining factor in a battle.
However, while the ending is implied, it is not set in stone, or in this case, in paint. The painting might showcase the different forces that plays in the story, but it is merely that. It is not a scene of an ongoing battle nor is it one where the artist shows dead soldiers strewn about at the talons of the dragon. In the artist’s art statement, he explained that, “The legend surrounding the mountain are numerous, and perhaps through word of mouth told throughout the times, has created expansive stories, each branching out into different and unique stories of its own, which really shows the creativity of its storyteller. This piece aims to create that, to pass on the tales and legends told through their own interpretation and fantasy.” Thus, by giving this sort of open-ended story in his painting, perhaps the artist is trying to let his viewers do just that: come up with their own interpretation of the ending of the Legend of Ong Sum Ping and Si Naga.
‘Widow Maker’ is about Si Naga, the causer, the reason behind the name origin of Mount Kinabalu and there is no mistaking the subject when eyes roam the painting. For anyone interested with another one of Mardhi Hamid’s artwork, the exhibition EMERGE 5: FOLKLORE held by Creative Space Art Gallery & Studio will run from the 11th of March 2018 until the 31st of May 2018. There are 9 other artists whose artworks are displayed together with Mardhi Hamid and members of the public are encouraged to visit to support of the local art community.
The EMERGE Project is one of the Creative Space Art Gallery & Studio’s initiative to foster, contribute, facilitate, and promote sustainable practices in our local art community. The gallery places great emphasis on the enrichment, conservation, and recording of the local art culture by providing a physical and online platform for both established and young emerging artists to showcase and develop their talents.