Heritage Community Series | In The Eye Of The Beholder with Khir Johari

Image courtesy of Khir Johari

Date: 8 March 2014, Saturday
Time: 2.00pm - 4.30pm

Venue: NUS Museum

This talk by Khir Johari, a collector and independent researcher on the history and culture of the Malay world, will outline the aesthetics of visual art of the Malay world through a sampling of the speaker's personal collection, and will focus on the various arts and crafts of the Malay people - textiles, decorated cloths, pottery, plaiting, silverware, jewellery, wood carving, brassware, book illustration and weaponry. The speaker will also discuss the role of space, colour, symmetry and motifs and the meaning they convey in the various objects. Ultimately, it hopes to link the 'form' in Malay art with the 'soul' - the attitude, view of life and values of Malay culture itself, and their continuing relevance in contemporary works.

A selection of Malay cultural artifacts is currently on show as part of the Between Here & Nanyang: Marco Hsu's Brief History of Malayan Art exhibition at the NUS Museum.

About Khir Johari

Khir Johari is a collector and an independent researcher on the history and culture of the Malay World. He was born and grew up in Gedung Kuning, in Kampong Gelam. Khir obtained a BSc in Mathematics from Santa Clara University and a Masters in Education from Stanford University.

Khir is currently a Director at an investment management firm. In his free time, he enjoys documenting oral history, and amassing materials originating from Insular Southeast Asia such as old publications, artifacts, food and music. Khir had also led the Singapore Heritage Society's various Historic Kampong Gelam Walking Tours.

About the Heritage Community Series

Encouraged by the growing community of Singaporeans actively committed to raising cultural awareness and explorations into history, the Heritage Community Series is introduced as a programmes platform for independent researchers, heritage enthusiasts and collectors, facilitating encounters and the sharing of perspectives and experiences.

Event Photos