da lama dah
1 Mar 2025 - 25 May 2025
A solo exhibition by Ain
Email Exchange between Ain and Hung Duong: Download Here
Exhibition Guide: Download Here
Artwork List: Download Here
“da lama dah” (“it’s been too long”) is a
quiet whisper,
about bygone times that linger within a single touch.
A l o n g sigh at the depth of night, when you lie awake and start wandering into the labyrinth of memories.
Factual accounts begin to smear into ashes, as you conjure faces and images of those whom you thought have long departed.
Crafting fragile yet emotive artworks from materials both tangible (clay, ashes, and paper) and untouchable (stories, memories), artist Ain (Nurul Ain Binti Nor Halim) has gently laid out the intimate fragments of her own family and arranged them into a make-shift living room, with time-worn, wooden furniture that stands as silent witness to her family’s history.
Walking through Ain’s exhibition, thus, feels like committing a slight mischief, as we become privy to her innermost thoughts and journey with her back through time. Here, in this realm of past ponderance, viewers are invited to gaze upon ephemeral portraits, study earthy-toned printed images on ceramics, and watch how photographs (and memories) crumble
like
dust
at the flip of a page. How much of us, and those whom we hold dear, can we actually hold onto?
Or perhaps how long.
As we walk through the curtain, crossing from one realm to another, does the act of passing remind us of the inevitability of time? Or maybe a memory of childhood innocence, in our old home, mapping out its body with tables, chairs, and family albums? Ain’s works invite us to spend time with them, feel their palpating beat, and connect their stories to our own. In a time when political whirlwind, economic crisis, and eco-disasters seem like norms, “da lama dah” offers a chance to retreat from the onslaught of global news, and carve out a private corner to remember who we are, what we have lost, and what remains still in our palm.
13/16
14/16
During the firing process of her ceramics, the artist became captivated by the ashes created as a byproduct. Intrigued by its fragile, ephemeral nature, she began experimenting with ash as a painting medium. This artwork marks the second series of her ash paintings. The resulting ash paintings reflect oral stories passed down from her family, particularly those surrounding her grandmother, Wan. As Wan’s fading memories become fragmented, the artist visualizes these shifting, often distorted stories. The crumbling quality of the ash mirrors the fragility of oral histories, while its soft texture symbolizes the tender preservation of these fleeting memories. Through this medium, the artist honors her grandmother’s legacy and the act of remembering.
Kerabat Tak Terlihat | Unseen Kin
2024 - 2025
Series of Ceramics (Handmade clay)
Variable dimensions
Inspired by kitsch souvenir plates that capture family moments, the artist revives old memories through laser-printed photographs rediscovered from her hometown, some of which survived or were damaged in a flood 10 years ago. Handmade from clay sourced from her own backyard, each plate is engraved with motifs inspired by the patterns she observes in the plants, surroundings, and architecture of both her hometown and current home. These plates reshape and reborn forgotten faces and moments, offering a new opportunity to be seen again and reminisced.
5/15
12/15
Lembaran Yang Tidak Dikenali | Unfamiliar Pages
2024 - 2025
Album of Ash painting portraits
28.0 x 27.3 x 2.8cm
Once again, the artist uses ash as her medium, drawn to its fragile, ephemeral nature. This artwork consists of an album of ash-painted portraits of people from old photographs recently rediscovered, some of which survived or were damaged in a flood over 10 years ago. Though these faces are now unrecognizable, they remain close to the family’s memories and still hold value. By painting them once more, the artist offers a fleeting moment of revival, allowing these forgotten faces to be momentarily seen again before slowly fading away. It is an act of honoring their presence, acknowledging their value, and coming to terms with the inevitable passing of time and memory.
Dialogue with the Artist
15 March 2025, Saturday, 2:00pm
Moderator: Nicolas Sung
Speakers: Ain, Hung Duong
A conversation between Artist Ain and writer Hung, exploring memory, material and artistic process. Drawing from Ain’s artworks as a starting point, they will discuss how objects can hold both tangible and intangible memories, and how the act of creating can translate personal experiences into art. Ain and Hung will also share insights from their email exchanges throughout the exhibition’s development, reecting on the evolution of the project and how these conversations informed the building of the exhibition itself.
Full Dialogue: Watch Here