‘The Carrier Bag: Gathering as Collecting’ is a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the ultimate accessory. With an exclusive look inside the world of the carrier bag, this exhibition explores the, “Thing to put things in, the container for the thing contained. That is the new story,” as put by Ursula K Le Guin 1986 in The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction.
This exhibition, that’s currently running at Temu House, features a collection of art by three prominent women — Marina Mahathir, Noor Mahnun Mohamed, and Lillian Tay — each of whom is a passionate supporter of the arts. Curated by Sharmin Parameswaran and Dipali Gupta, you’ll get a glimpse into these women’s personal art collection and find yourself questioning the societal norms that these works are challenging.
Being a ‘casual collector’ herself, Marina’s burgeoning art bag includes exquisite yet challenging works by Yee I-Lann, Azliza Ayob, Yante Ismail, Ho Mei Kei, and intricate sculptures by Anne Samat and Anniketyni Madian. Her lived experiences of working with women at all levels of society have made her committed to providing indispensable support to local women artists.
Marina believes, “Art is an important part of us as a people,” and more can be done to create awareness, educate, and promote art and artists to the younger generation.
Lillian’s carrier bag of art contains a remarkable collection of baskets from 30 different countries that exhibit the fine local traditions of the places she’s visited. Her keen eye for spotting young talent has helped her gather early works of now celebrated artists.
Finally, Mahnun’s carrier bag will showcase works that defy all normative rules of art collecting with her unique methodology that’s earned her the name of barter queen.
‘The Carrier Bag: Gathering as Collecting’ exhibition will take place until 27 December, 2021. Visitors can check out the exhibition by appointment from 10am to 5pm daily at the Temu House.
