An experience of creating a monument:Laman Arca "MIM"UiTM- 2005-2006

"public art generates an instructive critique of how community has been variously positioned in recent years. A central question is how can public art, like post-Minimalist, site-specific practices, retain or produce some sense of identity and particularity when we experience neighbourhoods as "one place after another"; or how can community-based art allow for local participation without succumbing to the domination of market forces or institutional management?''
Miwon Kwon (2002).One place after Another: Site- Specific Art and Locational Identity, Cambridge, Mass: Mit Press

Among the public-art projects I was involved with in Malaysia was building a landmark for UiTM( MARA University of Technology). It was named as "Laman Arca Mim".That was a great experiences for myself in terms of managing a commission work and having the opportunity to collaborate with other professionals such as architects, civil engineers and bureaucrats. It was a collaboration of ideas from several young sculptors and a re-known Malaysian sculptor Ramlan Abdullah, to finished and completed within 18 months from the process of getting the budget, developing the ideas till the execution at the selected site.

The idea of the landmark derived from the "Jawi Calligraphic letter" which sounds like the letter "M" and is the first letter in the word "Malay".Supporting the main form of the sculpture "Mim" are several lines of text and quotations from the former and current Malaysian leaders which were sandblasted to the surface of nine local granite boulders . The team went through a lot of difficulties and challenging issues in terms of technical knowledge and expertise, however the project was completed on the expected time and officially launched in November 2006.

Malay Idiom series-2005

Contemporary Metal Exhibition 2005-Maya Gallery,Bangsar , Kuala Lumpur

Manifesting the seven conditions into artforms

"...The Sultan, smitten by the rumoured beauty of the princess, was even agreeable to all except the last condition..his son's blood."




7 trays of mosquito hearts.

The making of "nyamuk" ..for Alegori Ledang exhibition

Perhimpunan Nyamuk II.
Private Collection



"In her works ,Sharmiza uses various materials -constructed,fabricated or in their natural state -steel,mild steel,magnifying glass,coloured glass ,wire mesh,copper-tubing,copper plate calipers,cast iron,galvanised iron, wood and brass. She intricately crafts mosquito models in galvanised wire ,showing how such delicate creature can wreak lethal havoc,sapping at the moral fibre.When replicated in swathe as in 'Perhimpunan NyamukII'(mounted on velvet) ,ironically ,it looks like some elaborate filigreed jewellery trousseau;beguilinglygraceful and feminine. It is like a mind -teasing conduit to the realm of realisation, mirrorring the truth under scrutiny or deeper reflection."
by Ooi Kok Chuan .July 15th 2004.NSTP.

Reviews and paper cuttings on 'Alegori ledang 2004'

Alegori Ledang. Solo Exhibition 2004

I have drawn my inspirations for this new series from the Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang (Fairy princess of Mount Ophir). The legend speaks of Sultan Mahmud's attempt to gain the hand of the fairy princess. Already married to princess from China and Java,the Sultan seek to posses one whom no other Sultan can. A delegation that include the warrior 'Hang Tuah' was dispatched on his behalf.Upon contacting the representatives of the princess,they learnt that she required...

a bidge of gold and silver that spanned from Malacca to Mount Ophir
Seven trays of mosquito hearts
Seven trays of midge hearts
A vat of water from dried areca-nuts
A vat of tears of virgin maidens
A cup of the Sultan's blood
A cup of the Sultan's son's blood

This story fascinates me with its interweaving of history, legendary figures and old fables and its moral behind the story. It also symbolically raises the value of an intelligent Malay women who challenge the mindset of those that are in power. Realising that the seventh condition cost was too high (to get a cup of his son's blood), the Sultans finally withdrew his suit. Recorded in Malay history, the story forms part of this seminal text that puts forth some of the cultural foundations of a Malay identity. Written during the Malacca Sultanate ,the text presents cautionary tales that exemplify the values of humility,loyalty and knowing one's place in society.

Extended Series ; .2001-2003

Mixed-Medium,2001.

Issues on early education in our country...


Mother & Child.2001. Collection of National Art Gallery,K.lumpur.

Mother & Child was among series of work extended from the 'Echoes of Dreams'.

Domestic Form Series:2001-2003

This series tackles the situation of being a sculptor , mother and wife. The household items were used as a significant medium in this series to represent the routine of being a mother and wife. Traffic symbols address my concerns about the busy and hectic life of a working woman today. The U-turn symbol hints at multiple meanings for an artist. The 'U-Turn' reminds me sometimes when I get caught or confused about my multiple roles and responsibility as a sculptor, teacher, mother, wife and as a Malay Muslim woman and how I need to balance and juggle all those roles to achieve what I wish to.

Echoes of Dreams Exhibition.

As Muslim, mother, wife and Malay women at this time ,in this place i'm sure there will be a lot of circumstances which will influence in my work. Inspite of this new environment (living in Australia), I believe there would be more challenges which i need to face in order to develop my art and idea to the future,culture and tradition. I want to create works which can communicate about contemporary ideas, origins and female experiences. I hope other people can relate to my artforms through their own experiences and daily life.


Pillows as metaphor of dreams


The form of pillow emerges when I start thinking about my situation since I came to a new land,while carrying along our family dreams and wishes to refine the ultimate answer to the question regarding my origin and identity. From this journey to Australia we become more aware of our origin,identity and ourselves. The word 'dream' literally made me choose the 'pillow' as a main form.However it is actually a metaphor to potray 'wish,vision,aspiration and hope ' which is shared by the whole family. Metaphorically the comfort of the pillow represent my role as mother ,comforting and nurturing my family and helping them to adapt to this new environment.

The pillow also creates a link between myself and my family back home as we share the same dreams. Thus , I have decided to print all the names of my family on the pillows in ' Malay Jawi' script.



Cast Objects

Along the process of my exploration with the meshed pillows, I also found that the occurrences of daily life as found in cultural-based objects are crucial to emphasize the theme of my work. Thus , I have formed the objects through bronze casting process. These objects are significant in the Malay culture.They are made to look aged to imply that the objects are part of a heritage and have been used since for many generations.Some of those objects are reconstructed to become surrealistic forms,to show that they have endured all hardships and obstacles in order to pursue this one dream.

Millennium changed...

In the new millennium, the major liberating change in my work was when I switch to wire mesh as the basic material in creating my artworks. I was fascinated with the fine weaving grid of wire mesh and that it had an interesting effect of creating ' moire ' patterns, which bring a sense of ambiguity and optical illusion when viewed from different angles. Looking at these moire patterns is like looking at vibrations of air in space. The rhythm and contours move as the mesh floats gently in space.

" Echoes of Dream " was my first solo exhibitions and it then marked my most significant body of using wire mesh as a medium. Conceptually, it was about adaptation and self-mutation during my stay in Australia, where I pursued my Master's degree in Creative Arts. The installation, which consisted of more than thirty transparent pillows that had "Jawi" inscriptions on each pillow, was suspended mystically in space casting a pattern of shadows underneath.

Dr Khatijah Sanusi once comments in her articles cited from the art journal "Art Corridor"issue 8 .2001,

" Her installation piece "Echoes of Dream", is best expressed by her respond to new environment confronted while pursuing her studies abroad. The formal elements chosen such as the pillow-like form ,the use of wire-gauge, shadows and lights ,suspended like hammock and use of stenciled calligraphic form have been consciously selected to express various concepts and experience that Australia has given her.This include consciousness of being an immigrant ,the feeling of alienation ,estrangement and the need to be critical and selective new values that can contribute towards enriching her as a woman as well as an artist. For instance ,her use of the floating pillow like form symbolizes her dream of her past life in her country. Similarly ,the significance behind her choice of black mesh material or fly screen that Australians use to protect from flies functions as a "metaphor to filter or sift elements or values which are not compatible to her religion and cultural values".