Maya Gallery was officially opened on 12 April 2012 by Guest-of-Honour, Arts NMP Janice Koh, and attended by close to 200 guests. Located in a conservation shophouse in the heritage district of Kampong Gelam, Maya Gallery is dedicated to promote local artists working on various media from painting to ceramics, photography and sculptures.
The opening exhibition ‘From the heart’, which runs until 10 May, showcases Singapore artists Sunar Sugiyou, Charlotte Tan, Sujak Rahman, Karto and Jeffrey Wandly. Their collective works express stories of culture, heritage and the environment.
Each artist has his or her own unique style of expression: Sunar is known for his bold yet unassuming expressions in acrylics, and Chinese ink; Charlotte’s abstract paintings in watercolours and graphite tell an underlying story of perseverence; Sujak is highly regarded as a skilled batik artist in the region; Karto (or Khamis Ariffin) creates collectible pin-hole cameras which are also functional; and Jeffrey, an architect, has a natural hand in drawing heritage monuments and subjects in charcoal. It is this diversity in medium and style which has also attracted many fans and collectors from here and abroad.
From the words of Janice Koh, who officiated the opening,
“It is certain, from the high quality work being showcased at this opening exhibition, that Singapore has no shortage of talented artists in our midst.”
Maya Gallery is owned by husband and wife, Jeffrey Wandly and Masturah Sha’ari, who both share a passion for the arts.
The opening night also saw the guests being entertained by a string quartet from the Wandly Yazid Orkestra, named after Jeffrey’s late father, composer Hj Wandly Yazid who was also an arranger, musician and artist. Instruments played that night included the ukulele, guitar, a vintage violin and an antique 100-year-old cello owned by a music collector in Singapore.
The event was also attended by master potter and Cultural Medallion recipient, Mr Iskandar Jalil, whose special collection of ceramics are also on display at Maya Gallery.
Source: Maya Gallery
