By Ramli Ibrahim
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29: The Fields of Memory, a photography exhibition by Eric Peris, maestro of Malaysian modern photography, and curated by Sivarajah Natarajan, was a meditative experience for the many devoted friends who attended the launch at the Sutera Gallery here over the weekend.
Eric dedicated his works to his family who had been the muse for his creativity. Nature, is and will always be, Eric’s main concern and source of inspiration.
Eric’s study of light and his inherent minimalist Zen Buddhist approach became the template of subsequent photographers to venture into serious black-and-white (B/W) photography.
Sivarajah explained that most of the works were APs (Artist Prints) selected from those times when Eric personally printed in the dark room.
The 86-year-old Eric, one of the most creatively prolific Malaysian artists, already announced his next joint exhibition in early December with photographer Choy Khye Fatt at Sutra Gallery in Taman Titiwangsa here.
Asri Ghafar, the guest of honour, reminisced the Bali days when Eric, who was known for his landscape, made an uncommon departure on Asri’s behest to capture the portraits of ‘Seniman Werda’, the elder Living Treasures of Balinese Dance. This collection of portraits was presented as the first exhibition by Bali’s philanthropist prince, Anak Agung Rai at Rai’s then new museum space, ARMA in Ubud.
Asri’s presentation of Bali’s ‘Living Treasures’ has set the present trend of inviting elder senior Balinese dancers to once again take to the stage at their twilight years.
During the launch, theatre actor and director Sabera Shaik bantered with Eric on their days at the New Straits Times and also at The Equatorial where Sabera produced Eric’s seminal exhibition, Gitanjali, his quintessential b/w pictorial ode to Tagore’s seminal work.
Also present was Cyril Pereira, the man who championed Eric’s photography and was behind the publishing of Eric’s books, Gitanjali and The Tin Mines Landscapes. Cyril had also spearheaded Eric’s year-long retrospective exhibition Project Archive: ERIC PERIS, at the Balai Seni Lukis Negara (The National Art Gallery) in 2023-2024.
And of course, the proud guardian angel behind it all, Sheila Raman, was always there to make sure Eric, who now lives alone, was well-looked after.
There was a palpable spirit of positive camaraderie at Sutra Gallery, which had over the years, hosted over 20 of Eric’s previous solo exhibitions. The informal ambience allowed the guests to reflect on their own inner landscapes, stimulated by Eric’s evocative images in the perfect Zen mood.
The Fields of Memory Exhibition lasts till Oct 12 and is open from Mondays to Fridays (10am-5pm).
(Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, a renowned Malaysian choreographer and classical bharathanatyam dancer, founded the Sutra Dance Theater and Sutra Foundation to encourage people to learn various traditional dances. In 2018, the Government of India presented the Kajang-born Ramli the Padma Shri award for his contribution to Odissi, the oldest surviving classical Indian dance that originated in Odisha in eastern India).
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