Yalinie Mathan
Following her recent success in Hong Kong, artist Margaret Lau returns to Malaysia with her solo exhibition at Avenue K Mall, showcasing a yummy and nostalgic world of local snacks.
Held at Avenue K Shopping Mall and open to the public, the snack food drawings evoke comforting memories, a sense of normality, and sustenance.
The paintings are framed in the context of the current state of world events and the fragility of human life. This exhibition is the culmination of a great deal of reflection on childhood memories of sharing and celebrating happier times, on self and human mortality during the long lockdowns.
After graduating from Cambridge University and settling in Malaysia after her wedding, Margaret began developing her skills in drawing and painting food items and beverages.
During the global pandemic and lockdowns, Margaret honed her skills in hyper-realistic art on subjects like nostalgic snacks. She was privileged to participate in the Affordable Art Fair in Hong Kong this August, which featured 26 Young Talent Hong Kong X Next Gen artists.
Margaret was recognised for her style of art, which applies a high level of attention to detail and the effort to ensure that the painting was life-like and three-dimensional on such large-scale canvases.
“I find snacks comforting, familiar, and accessible food choices that give people a sense of home,” says Margaret. She said people liked snacks because they were affordable and relatable and always connected them to some memories.
“We have always sought to be a cultural hub beyond just a shopping mall,” explains Phang Sze Sze, General Manager at Avenue K.
“When we first met the artist, we could relate to the light-hearted humour in her art and felt that transforming small snack packs into a 3D art piece was inconceivably adorable, loveable and refreshing. To her, the munchies were a welcome break from everyday life and transported people back to their childhoods.”
The Nostalgic Snacks Hyper-Realistic Art Exhibition will feature 22 hyper-realism paintings. Familiar local snacks include Mamee Monster, Super Ring, Mimi, Cheezels, and Popo Muruku Ikan Original.
The exhibition opens daily from 10 am to 10 pm, from 25 to 30 October 2022.
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