Susan Loone’s work on display at Penang’s G-Hotel

Three local women artists including Susan Loone, a Malaysiakini journalist, share their artistic skills with the public in conjunction with the month-long International Women’s Day celebrations organized by Lydia Ong, Penang Executive Councillor for Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community.

The Creative Women’s Art exhibition was launched by the Penang Chief Minister’s wife, Betty Chew at the mezzanine floor of G-Hotel in Gurney Drive yesterday  morning.

“Women are like superheroes. They can do anything and everything if given a chance,” said Betty to a very supportive crowd who applauded in response to her cheering to women.

A Woman’s Perspective

Each of Susan’s art pieces carries a strong social message and portrays the role of women in the society. Her artworks convey that a woman is strong and can confidently be her own. She portrays truth, sisterhood, motherhood, racial harmony, companionship and will. One piece shows a women mediating a discussion; another shows women embracing; and yet another shows an individual woman.

Contemporary in style and uniformed in thought, the vivid colours on the canvas are painted with adoration and emits sacredness for the women. Susan characterizes the sincerity, openness and originality of the women by painting them garmentless.

“I paint the women in nude to challenge the people’s minds about women,” Susan said, adding that she draws her inspirations from her mother, journalistic experiences, and what she observes and feels around her.

Striking balance with her strongly themed painting is nature. Foliage commands a strong presence alongside most of the women in her pieces. Looking at Susan’s work invokes strong feelings of ‘tao’ – that natural feminine flow of life, soft and yielding yet resilient to the demands placed upon the women of our times.

When asked what a woman should do to help other women Susan replied, “They must first stop sabotaging each other.”

Susan uses acrylics as her medium and paints on canvases of various sizes. A total of 15 pieces are on display. All her works are priced between RM250 and RM1000.

Susan Loone and Jennifer Mourin are self-taught artists while Joan Cheong is an international fashion designer. Their work will be on display from 12 to 20 March.