My Art Fix!

What? : A Charity Fundraising Event
Where? : Bangsar Shopping Centre
When? : 2 April 2010

My Art Fix, a charity fundraising event spear-headed by youths for youths, is calling out to the good Samaritans of Malaysia for support to aid under privileged children as well as promote local youth development. The event will be held at Concourse of Bangsar Shopping Centre on 2nd April 2010 at 8 pm.

Organised by OrkidStudio (www.orkidstudio.co.uk), a registered non-profit organisation focusing in using art, architecture and design as a means of humanitarian aid aimed at helping orphaned and ‘street’ children in under privileged areas of the world, My Art Fix is made possible by the kindness and support of young artists as well as various local corporate entities.

This year, in conjunction with SuDeChaBei, a local arts initiative, My Art Fix is aimed at helping a few local community homes as well as The Alalay Project;

- 50% of the nett proceeds will be donated to three (3) local Malaysian charities, namely, Shelter, Pusat Bantuan Sentul and Calvary Victory Centre (an autistic outreach) and,
- The other 50% will be used for the construction costs and realisation of Orkidstudio’s latest charity build commencing in July 2010 - The Alalay Project. The project aims to build a carpentry workshop in Bolivia, South America, where it will equip Bolivian children with important knowledge and essential skills that they can use to pull themselves out of poverty.

My Art Fix will be featuring up and coming fashion designers, artists, photographers, and singers in their effort to promote local youth development.

The event will showcase two young Malaysian fashion designers, Ka-Men Fong and Irene See under the label ‘Chic Yamada’, as well as multi-disciplinary designer, Su Mei who will be presenting her latest accessories collection.

There will also be an art exhibition showcasing local budding artists including Raja Aiman (photography), Zoheyr (painting), Haffendi Anwar (sculpture), Su Mei (painting and photography), Fara Omar (film and poetry) and introducing an aspiring singer/songwrite Aaron Lee.

All artworks on display will be for sale and 40% of the sales will be contributed to the charity fund.

My Art Fix is supported by A Cut Above, Shoes Shoes Shoes, Bangsar Shopping Centre as well as various prospective donors including celebrity model/actress Daphne Iking who will be emceeing the event.

“Charity is something that is always close to my heart, if I can lend a helping hand in whatever shape or form, I would certainly be happy to.”

- Winnie Loo, A Cut Above (Hair and Make up sponsor)

The congregation of independent Malaysian artists signifies a social reach for the betterment of society. We hope to encourage more public awareness as well as inspire people to use their talents to benefit the less fortunate.

*Public donation can be made at the event, through post or through paypal.

*Cheque should be made payable to 'sudechabei'

Tan Su Mei,
22-2, Mont Kiara Banyan,
Jalan Kiara 50480, Kuala Lumpur
Donation via Paypal can be made through www.orkidstudio.co.uk

If you have any enquiries or require further details, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Su Mei, Tan
Email: sumei@orkidstudio.co.uk
Mobile: 6012-381-3611

Mei Ying, Teoh
Email: meiyingt@gmail.com
Mobile: 6012-647-2609

Background Information

Organisers:

Orkid Studio: www.orkidstudio.co.uk

Established 2 years ago by three architecture students in Cardiff University which aims at helping orphanages all around the world. Amongst them are Tan Su Mei of Malaysia, James Mitchell of Scotland and Julissa Kiyenje of Uganda. This organization is a non-profit design organization whose focus is to benefit young people and communities worldwide through innovative and sustainable architecture, art and design.



These young architects conduct all construction and labour by themselves together with the help of the children and the local people. This approach not only saves on costs but also serves the purpose of educating the children as to how they can build living structures that are sustainable for the future.



The Mukono Project, 2008:

The first project of Orkid Studio, where a total sum of 14,000 Pounds was raised globally (Scotland, Uganda, England, Malaysia) to benefit the New Hope Orphanage in the Mukono District, Uganda. The money was used to purchase raw materials to build a new kitchen, a communal space and integrate a rainwater harvesting system. Previously the nearest source of water for this village was one mile away and a small shack served as a kitchen to cater for 350 children. Since the completion of these structures, the rain harvesting system has not only benefited the orphanage but also the local community surrounding it by providing them with clean running water all year round. The kitchen and communal space has now become a local landmark and is the pride of the community, becoming a focal point for social activity on Sundays after church services.

The founders did not take any administrative fees for this project and all living and travel expenses were taken from their personal savings.



The Alalay Project, 2010:

This year, the foundation will be headed to Bolivia where they will be working together with the Alalay Foundation (www.alalay.info). The Alalay Foundation aims at helping street children find their place in society through their two programs- the Protection Program and the Prevention Program. The protection program serves as a place for children to find shelter from their dire situations and the prevention part serves as a platform to educate children. They have a number of centres set up all over Bolivia and Orkid Studio will collaborate with them to build a carpentry workshop and classrooms in two different centres respectively. This will be an addition to their already established orphanages. Both living and travelling expenses will once again come out from the personal savings of the founders and not the funds raised from the event.



Su De Cha Bei:

Literally translated as ‘su’s cup of tea’ in mandarin is an arts initiative that serves as a platform for young and emerging talent in Malaysia to showcase their skills as well as the opportunity to collaborate with each other. This art initiative, founded this year by Tan Su Mei, will incorporate all the different art scenes including fashion, fine art, photography, film and music. The main objective of this collaborative group is to create a strong global network where artists of different backgrounds and culture can come together to inspire and support one another.



Designers:

Ka-Men Fong

Her Resort collection exudes flexibility and can be worn both day and night. She focuses on using traditional fabrics such as songket, saris and tudungs which are transformed into stylish blazers, cocktail dresses and chic kaftans. She attributes her inspirations from her love of Malaysian heritage and from her travels around South East Asia.

Chic Yamada

Needing no introduction to the Malaysian fashion scene, last season, the Chic Yamada "Artistry Collection" produced a full graphic design range of eco-friendly tops inspired by women who are on the go. This year they are back with Chic Yamada High Street Garden SS10.

Su Mei

Known for her bold choice of accessories, this season’s accessories collection comprises of statement floral pieces that are larger than life! Her pieces are all one offs and individually hand made, guaranteeing to turn any outfit in to the talking point of the night.

Raja Muhammad Aiman

Born in the year of 1987, he is an aspiring photographer studying and working in Kuala Lumpur. He captures movements of live objects including human interaction where by he tries to create a connection between reality and art. He derives inspiration from understanding emotions and showcases it through his photography. His main motivation is his father, who taught him the importance and beauty of capturing moments and creating memories throughout his childhood.

Zoheir HJ

He has been painting abstracts for 10 years. He was always interested in drawing portraits and spent a lot of time drawing figures, but found it difficult to translate these figurative drawings into his paintings. As life unfolded and years when past, he went through relationships, break ups, successes, failures, being abused, deceived, broken hearted and so on. He sees the faces of people as a mirror of their thoughts and behaviour, which can be covered easily for the reason of surviving. In his art, he therefore tries to catch the ‘uncovered’ moment, in order to show the small part of the truth of humans.

Haffendi Anuar

At the age of 25, he is an artist working in Kuala Lumpur. He produces sculptural objects, collages, drawings and paintings made from objects indigenous to the area where he currently resides. He studies the effects of the material’s poetic and tactile qualities on human life, the environment and culture. He scouts hardware-stores, grocery-marts, thrift-stores and roadsides for media to manipulate. His objects called “sponges” absorb the mood, aura, culture and environment of the artist’s daily experience.