Issues and Emotions

Mhd Din has often been described as a mystic, and his aim as an artist was to make artworks that could highlight the anxieties of modern everyday life. His 1995 work, Issues and Emotions, exemplifies that purpose. Here, the artist assembled a wide range of materials that include newspaper and magazine fragments, embroidered sleeves from a kebaya and wayang golek heads. The artwork offers deep insights into the issues created by mass consumerism, from environmental destruction to humanitarian challenges. I’d also like to draw your attention to the colours used in this artwork. Amidst the different components of this wall assemblage, the artist has applied areas of blue, orange and sepia. Mhd Din believed that certain colours had therapeutic effects could be experienced by anyone looking at his work. For example, blue is supposed to be beneficial for eyesight, orange aids digestion, and sepia enables better concentration. This belief extended to his use of materials as well, and Mhd Din often incorporated materials that he considered to have curative properties into works like Earth Energy and Earth Energy II, which you can see on your [right/left]. The fragments of wood, animal hide, shells and precious stones in these works each possess specific therapeutic benefits. If you would like to find out more about Mdh Din’s interest in traditional healing, you can take a look at the displays nearby which include objects, photographs, and newspaper articles. The exhibition’s catalogue also features insights into Mhd Din’s traditional healing practice.