The Nature Pointillism exhibition at GMBB, a Kuala Lumpur creative community mall, has opened up a whole new universe for the four participating artists, who come from various artistic and publishing backgrounds.
Mimi Salleh, Noorsa’adah Ahmad, Yan Yahya, and Zalila Isa, who were mentored by established artist-illustrator Emila Yusof, are featured in the exhibition, which is presented by the Museum of Picture Book Art. Pointillism is a painting method in which the artist employs small dots of various colors to create the objects he or she desires.
In the mid-1880s, French painters, Georges Seurat and Paul Signac pioneered the innovative painting style of pointillism in Paris. It was a reaction to the dominant Impressionist trend, which was based on individual artists’ subjective responses. Sotheby’s description: “Pointillism, on the other hand, necessitated a much more scientific approach.”
The artists in the event demonstrate how hard work and perseverance may result in a vibrant and colourful pointillism display with a natural theme.
Yan, 43, who worked as an engineer before becoming a translator, said that creating paintings using this technique taught me patience because it takes time, sometimes days, to complete the layers of color, but I feel satisfied when I see the results.
Noorsa’adah, 43, a co-owner of an indie book publishing company, said she doubted her ability to paint at first, but with Emila’s coaching and encouragement from the other three women, she discovered the joy of painting using the pointillism technique, which also helped her realise her potential.