http://www.lathouse.com.my/
If a picture paints a thousand words, then a clever cartoon sketch can certainly tell many a story – especially when the cartoonist is Lat (real name Dato' Mohammad Nor Khalid), one-time crime reporter turned cartoonist extraordinaire.Laughing children playing hopscotch, the extinct bus ticket inspector, World Cup fever, the cunning pirated VCD peddler, domestic and international politics – like a good painting, Lat's diverse and amusing drawings come together to continuously show the world an amazingly wide and deep perspective onto the Malaysian way of life, from a forgotten era to the ever-changing present.Originally nicknamed "Bulat" ('round' in Bahasa Malaysia) for being a roly-poly child, Lat was born on 5 March 1951 in a village called Kota Baru, near Ipoh in Perak. Although the family was not wealthy, he had a marvelous time growing up. As television had yet to come to our shores then, Lat and his friends would conjure up their own mischievous fun with handmade-toys and in the swimming holes. Unlike his friends, though, Lat began to discover both a love and talent for drawing. His father, a government clerk, would lovingly nurture this passion by bringing home recycle paper from the office for Lat to practise on. He also recommended his son to focus on everyday environment – drawing local scenes and people around him. From such simple first steps, Lat's life was made.Lat's favourite past-time began to yield an income when he was 9. His classmates eagerly paid up to 20 Sen for his pencil-drawn comics. His first real book, 'Tiga Sekawan', a story about three heroic friends who banded together to catch robbers, was published when he was in the 6th school year at the Jalan Pasir Puteh Primary School in Ipoh. The publisher paid him 25 Ringgit; an ecstatic Lat gave 10 Ringgit to his mother, and spent the rest on a treat for his younger brother and Beatles records for himself. By 1968, Lat was making almost 100 Ringgit a month from his work that appeared in various publications.After leaving Ipoh for Kuala Lumpur to become a cartoonist, Lat joined the New Straits Times as a crime reporter with the objective of becoming an illustrator. Although his dream was not immediately realised, Lat's ambition never waned. He kept on drawing, while learning to overcome his shyness and sharpening his observation skills on the job. Lat's first big-break came in 1974 when a Hong-Kong based Asian cultural magazine accepted his cartoon on 'Bersunat' (a Malay circumcision ceremony). This led to the start of full-time work on the wildly popular 'Scenes of Malaysian Life' cartoons on the editorial page of the paper. From students to shopkeepers to politicians, all Malaysians took delight in Lat's irreverent yet endearing drawings that stealthily lampoons the society and its inhabitants. One of the New Straits Times' earlier annuals had this to say about him: Lat…knows more about explaining people to people than all the communication and media experts in Malaysia and Singapore put together. While his draughtsmanship at first seems raw and his humour naïve, a more thoughtful look discloses wit, humanity, and depth of feeling.Now a preeminent independent cartoonist in Southeast – if not all of – Asia, Lat continues to contribute to the country's social harmony with his funny sketches. Like a mirror held up to the foibles of society, Lat's satirical but never mean cartoons poke fun at all kinds of ethnic, cultural and political stereotypes, drawing laughter without drawing blood. Reading his work, we are disarmingly charmed into loosening our inhibitions and we inadvertently start laughing at ourselves. Malaysia is fortunate to have such a gentle and acute observer, who could celebrate the country's mosaic diversity, and dispense reminders to the new industrialized generation to stay in touch with traditional values and themes such as family, loyalty and ecology. All through his special brand of warm humour.As a creator of cartoons that can be at once funny, thoughtful, deconstructed and cleverly put together, Lat deserves world-wide recognition. This is the first time Balai Seni Lukis Negara is paying tribute to this brilliant yet modest humourist who draws from his heart and who once said he would like to be remembered as just "the cartoon fella". 4 decades after his official debut, some may lament at the lateness of the show. But no matter – better a little lat than never.Lat, The Cartoonist
1951 Born Mohammad Nor Khalid in Kota Baru, Perak.
1962 Started studying English under Mrs Moira Hew at the Jalan Paser Putih Primary School. The strict disciplinarian who was nevertheless supportive of his art later became the inspiration for one of his most famous character – the Butterfly-Glassed Lady.
1964 First cartoon strip published in a local movie magazine. Received cinema tickets as payment.Jun 1964Received 25 Ringgit from Sinaran Brothers Limited for the publication of his first comic book, entitled 'Tiga Sekawan' (The Adventures of Three Friends).
1968 Berita Minggu, Pemimpin and Dewan Pelajar all carried his work, enabling him to earn almost 100 Ringgit a month. (His comic strip 'Keluarga Si Mamat' (Mamat's Family) ran in the Berita Minggu newspaper for 26 years.)
1970 Left Ipoh for Kuala Lumpur to pursue his dream of becoming a professional cartoonist. Landed a job as a reporter on the News Straits Times' crime squad instead, as there was no vacancy for an artist.
1974 The popularity of his 'Bersunat' (Circumcision) cartoon strip in Asia Magazine led to the New Straits Times creating his own series for him – Scenes of Malaysian Life. Became the first Malaysian cartoonist exclusively employed by a single newspaper.
1979 Released Kampung Boy (Village Kid), an autobiographical story about the carefree lives of little Mat, his family and his friends. The book was a runaway hit; over 60 thousand copies were sold within 3 months. Since then has successfully published many more engaging stories: Town Boy (1980), Mat Som (1989), Kampung Boy: Yesterday & Today (1993), Lat 30 Years Later (1994) are just some of them.
1984 Kampung Boy was translated into Japanese.
May 1986 Month-long exhibition at the National Museum, Kuala Lumpur.
1993 Created the character 'Mina' for UNESCO's Literacy Campaign animation video entitled 'Mina Smiles'.
1994 McDonald's Singapore launched the 'Kampung Boy Burger' as its novel menu promotion of the year.
Apr 1994 In recognition of his various significant contributions, was awarded the 'Darjah Paduka Mahkota Perak' by HRH the Sultan of Perak, which carries the honorific title Dato'.
1997 Returned to his roots in Ipoh with his family, eschewing the bright lights of Kuala Lumpur for the laid-back pace of his hometown.
1998 First cartoonist to serve as an Eisenhower Exchange fellow in the United States, where he took up race relations, a subject that intrigued him.Kampung Boy was completed as a 26-part television series. A collaboration between broadcaster ASTRO in Kuala Lumpur, the Philippines Animated Studios Inc. (PASI) in Manila, and Los Angeles-based Matinee Entertainment, the series was an international co-production in the truest sense.
1999 An episode entitled 'Oh, Tok!' from the series won the Best TV Series Award (of 13 minutes and more) at the acclaimed Annecy International Film Animation Festival in France.
2001 Collaborated with Bank Negara Malaysia to create attractive illustrations in the Buku Wang Saku (Pocket Money Book), a tool for school children to practice personal financial management.
2002 Awarded the Arts and Culture Prize at the 13th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes
2002 in Japan.Aug 2003Exhibition at KLIA, featuring his whimsical drawings published in Malaysia Airline's in-flight magazine 'Going Places' in the last two years.Sep
2003 Life story featured on Discovery Channel's 'Caltex Crossings' documentary programme.
Exhibition Curator: Redza Piyadasa
This exhibition catalogue,published by the National Art Gallery,with contributions from:-- Redza Piyadasa- Dr Muliyadi Mahmood,is available for sale at RM75.00Soft Cover, 210 pages
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment