Galeri Petronas launches collection at Sabah Art Gallery

KUALA LUMPUR: Seventeen portrait paintings and illustrations from the Petronas Art Collection are currently on display at Sabah Art Gallery in Kota Kinabalu, capturing the individual qualities of Merdeka Award recipients and honouring their dedication and commitment to society.

Specially brought to Kota Kinabalu by Galeri Petronas from its gallery at KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, The Merdeka Award: Celebrating the Culture of Excellence Exhibition runs till Nov 9.

Petronas, in a statement, said Sabah Local Government and Housing Assistant Minister George Hiew, who represented Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Jaujan Sambakong, graced the official opening ceremony of the Exhibition Friday.

“The artists - Jaafar Taib, Datuk Azman Yusof, Samsuddin Mohamed, Long Thien Shih, Jeganathan Ramachandram, Rosli Mat, and Jeffry Lim among them - pushed their creative boundaries in producing the portraits that captured the personalities of the Merdeka Award recipients, whose remarkable deeds have contributed to shaping Malaysia’s intellectual, economic and cultural climate.”

Merdeka Award 2017 recipient Datuk Seri Tengku Dr Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood gave a talk at the Exhibition launch on sustainability of the natural environment.

The Merdeka Award was established by its founders, Petronas, ExxonMobil and Shell. It is Malaysia’s most prestigious award for excellence, conferred to outstanding individuals and organisations that embody the ‘Spirit of Merdeka’ in their pursuit of excellence.

Sincetheawardwasfirstpresented in 2008, a total of 51 individuals and two organisations have been honoured in five categories: Education and Community; Environment; Health, Science and Technology; Outstanding Scholastic Achievement; and Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia.

Among them are Emeritus Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz, the late Tun Fatimah Hashim, the late Tan Sri PG Lim, Datuk Dr Kenneth Yeang, Datin Paduka Mother Mangalam, Datuk Seri Tengku Dr Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood, TimothyWilliam,HassanMuthalib, Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Datuk Dr Khoo Kay Kim and Prof Dr Rajah Rasiah.

In conjunction with the Exhibition, Galeri Petronas will organise a series of art appreciation programmes which include a masterclass with Prof Dr Baharuddin Arus of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, as well as art workshops with members of the Sabah Visual Art Society. — Bernama