Pan’s Labyrinth

I don’t usually use this space to recommend movies or music, but Pan’s Labyrinth, directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro, is such an unusual fairytale that I have to mention it.

Filed under: Arts, Personal Note, Playing Favourites

Exhibition: Al-Quran, The Sacred Art of Revelation

Event	:	Al-Qur’an: The Sacred Art of Revelation
Date	:	08 Sep 2006 – 31 Dec 2006
Venue	:	Islamic Arts Museum, Kuala Lumpur

In the spirit of Ramadhan, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) will officially open the exhibition Al-Qur’an: The Sacred Art of Revelation on 8 September 2006. With more than 60 outstanding artefacts selected from the IAMM collection, the exhibition offers an inspiring journey. Starting with the history of revelation and the development of Qur’anic writing, this journey continues to the most decorative section, explaining the art of the Qur’an illumination. These magnificent works demonstrate the skill of calligraphers and illuminators. The display ends with a special section on Islamic scholars who have contributed their knowledge for the betterment of mankind.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue designed to highlight the tangible and intangible beauty of Qur’an. The beauty of the Qur’an lies not only in its content and meaning, but also in its design and styles of writing. This is analysed by three renowned thinkers: Prof. Dr. Muhammad Uthman El-Muhammady, Dr. Ahmed Moustafa and Associate Prof. Dr. Dzul Haimi Md Zain.

From the Islamic Arts Museum website

This promises to be an enriching exhibition and the accompanying lectures and seminars deal with interesting topics. One which I am considering attending is the lecture by Dr Ahmed Moustafa, an Egyptian scholar/lecturer/artist based in London, who will talk about The Shared Dimensions of the Qur’an, the Ka’ba and the Perfect Man.

 

Interior in the Exterior | 1987

Dr Ahmed Moustafa
Inspired by the surah 2 verses 255 of Qur’an

For those of you on Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, the exhibition presents a perfect artist date.

Filed under: Arts, Islam

Puteri Gunung Ledang, Alternate Cast

Courtesy of Hubby’s good friend, we got tickets to watch Puteri Gunung Ledang on Sunday night – Hubby, Uncle, Aunt, me. It was the night of the “alternate cast” of – and I hope I get this right – ‘Baby Erin’ as the Puteri, Aqasha (Akassha?) as Hang Tuah, and Jeffry Haikel as Sultan Mahmud (no, I did not know about it, and yes, I was disappointed that the glamourous Datin T and the rather dashing Stephen Rahman Hughes were not performing; the Datin did attend though with her other half).

The crowd must have consisted mostly of the alternate cast’s supporters because the applause and the cheers were racuous from start to finish.

I went with very little expectations, despite from the rave reviews some of my friends had given of the production. The mystique of Puteri Gunung Ledang had never particularly entranced me, even as a kid, and I lumped it together with other stories of incredibly beautiful women lusted over by half the world’s men, that end in unnecessary tragedy (yes, these include the Helen of Troy tale).

But I was prepared to be won over.

And PGL did that, sort of, despite the alternative cast, and the absence of SRH.

Filed under: Arts, Music, Personal Note