The Launch

Saturday 7 July morning at the NVAG

T.K. Sabapathy

With the sponsors

The editorial team, with speakers Tengku Sabri Ibrahim on the left and Dr Sulaiman Esa on the right

Hanim and Beverly with writers Kelvin Chuah and Emelia Ong

With Puan Wairah Marzuki and Lena Bok

It was with a huge sigh of relief that we launched the first volumes of Narratives in Malaysian Art and Naratif Seni Rupa Malaysia. We'd spent the evening before wringing hands and biting nails...

We were very heartened by and grateful for the wonderful crowd of writers, artists and supporters that turned up for the launch so bright and early on a Saturday. It was a morning of happy reunions, and inspiring remarks from speakers T.K. Sabapathy, Sulaiman Esa and Tengku Sabri Ibrahim. NVAG very kindly brought out some of the key art works featured in the book - Syed Ahmad Jamal's Umpan, Patrick Ng Kah Onn's Semangat Tanah, Air dan Udara/Spirits of Earth, Water and Air and Zulkifli Dahalan's Realiti Berasingan: Satu Hari di Bumi Larangan - it was great to see these old friends again too.

Thanks so much to the National Visual Arts Gallery and their team for being such gracious hosts, and to all those who came for the event.

We were amazed to be finally holding the physical books in our hands, and pretty thrilled at the beautiful job done by the designers Studio MMCMM. Thanks to Danny of Tusen printers for pulling through! At the bargain price of RM35, we sold almost 100 books at the launch.
 
Volume I: Imagining Identities and Jilid I: Menanggap Identiti are out now at most MPH stores as well as Kinokuniya in KLCC, and should be reaching further bookstores soon. In KL, you can also get copies at Segaris Art Centre at Publika, and Precious at Central Market. The English edition is for sale at China House in Penang and Bon Ton in Langkawi. We'll be bringing down stock to Singapore in the next fortnight. You can order both the English and BM editions online through contact@rogueish.asia.

(BY)