Artist: Zahari Hamidon
Title: Tomatoes Series #123
Medium: Digital art :AI-generated (Mid Journey)
Year : 2023
The artwork showcases a series of canned tomatoes, rendered in a style that is reminiscent of pop art with its bold lines, vibrant colors, and commercial subject matter. This approach aligns with the Pop Art movement’s tendency to blur the distinctions between high art and mass-produced commercial goods, making a statement on consumer culture.
In the context of Malay culture, which values fresh ingredients and traditional cooking methods, the cans may represent a shift towards modernity and global consumer trends, possibly at odds with traditional practices which are a significant aspect of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) as recognized by UNESCO. The ICH focuses on preserving and promoting practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage.
This series can thus be seen as a commentary on the balance between cultural preservation and the adoption of global consumer habits, a conversation that is important within the framework of ICH where the focus is on maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization.
Artist: Zahari Hamidon
Title: Tomatoes Series #223
Medium: Digital art :AI-generated (Mid Journey)
Year : 2023
The image presents a repeated motif of canned tomatoes, echoing the Pop Art movement’s use of mass-produced commercial goods. This repetition could symbolize the ubiquity of such products in modern life, contrasting with Malay culture’s emphasis on fresh and natural food. The style is graphic and vibrant, typical of both commercial art and Pop Art, which often features everyday objects to make a statement on consumerism. The artwork may reflect on the tension between traditional culinary practices in Malay culture and the global shift towards convenience and mass production.
Contemporary artwork by ‘Zahari Hamidon 2023’ is copyrighted; use requires the creator’s permission, subject to fair use.