Artjamila Gallery and UiTM present two exhibitions, Dreamscape and Art Journaling 40450, exploring personal and collective introspection opens until 9 November 2025
By DANIAL FUAD
Art often serves as a mirror, reflecting both the intimate, hidden landscapes of an artist’s mind and the shared, collective memories of a community. At Artjamila Gallery & Museum in Shah Alam, Selangor, two concurrent exhibitions, Dreamscape: Musings of the Soul and Art Journaling 40450 – Time Atlas: Between Then & When; do exactly that.
Presented in a landmark collaboration with the Faculty of Art & Design from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), the shows offer visitors a profound journey into the nature of introspection.
One path explores the soul-searching of a single artist, Jemima Shaiful, in her debut solo exhibition. The other charts the collective recollections of a diverse group of women, capturing their life experiences in the therapeutic pages of art journals.
A Debut of Personal Musings
Dreamscape: Musings of the Soul marks a key milestone for Jemima Shaiful, a poet and the newest resident artist at Artjamila Gallery. Curated by Associate Professor Dr Mumtaz Mokhtar from UiTM, the exhibition is a deeply personal chronicle of an artist in transition.
Visually, the exhibition serves as a transitional period, documenting the artist’s pivot from digital art; a medium she has embraced since childhood to traditional painting.
A Poet’s Pivot to the Canvas
This body of work showcases Jemima’s exploration of water-mixable oils and acrylic mediums. The move was driven by a desire to be “more physically connected to her passion for art”. Viewers are not just seeing paintings; they are witnessing an artist’s journey of self-discovery.
That journey is one of “soul-searching” and questioning the “perception of reality”. The dream-like, atmospheric works are rich with symbolism.
The Language of Dreams
The catalogue categorizes the symbols in her work into three main themes:
- Nature: Elements like water in Memory Decay or clouds in Promise Brewing serve as metaphors for the passage of time, transformation, and balance.
- Deep Emotions: Colours like deep blue and violet express internal struggles and longing. Objects like idle cars in Bleeding Underground or empty chairs in Distance reflect a powerful sense of emotional disruption and stillness.
- Modernity: Works like Swift Fall and Escape/Isolation grapple with contemporary alienation and the search for identity.
But the paintings are only half of the story. As a poet, Jemima pairs each painting with an original poem. The poem adds layers of meaning, inviting viewers “to question and reflect”. That is one goal for this exhibition: to give people space for thought.
A “Masterpiece of Recollection”
Where Dreamscape is a look inward at one soul, Art Journaling 40450 – Time Atlas: Between Then & When is a look outward, celebrating the shared experiences of many. Curated by Dr Zuriati Mohamed Shaari, this exhibition is described as a “masterpiece of recollection,” a collaborative event featuring women from different walks of life.
The title itself is a direct nod to this community-building ethos. The number 40450 is derived from UiTM’s own postcode, firmly rooting the project in its home institution.
More Than a Journal; A Communal Atlas
The exhibition focuses on the practice of art journaling as a vital tool for mental well-being. The “works” themselves are not uniform products but a “cohesive platform of sharing and creative dialogue”. They are the physical result of “ideas and creativity jumbled together” by women from diverse backgrounds.
Using collage and mixed media, the artists organize their memories and the emotions attached to them directly onto the pages. The goal is to provide a “positive experience in reminiscence”, creating a “therapeutic space” that captures personal moments that might otherwise be lost to time.
From Product to Process
This focus on the act of creation is central to the project’s educational vision. In his catalogue foreword, Prof Madya Ts. Dr Azhar Abd Jamil, Dean of the Faculty of Art & Design, notes that this approach “transform(s) art education… shifting it from instruction to experience, from product to process”.
The final showcase is the culmination of a “Journal Jam at the Faculty” and a “Journal Workshop”. These events successfully established a “vibrant art journaling community,” which Dr Azhar states is a “catalyst for creativity, innovation, and cultural well-being”.
“May the synergy between UiTM and Artjamila Gallery & Museum continue to nurture a thriving artistic ecosystem,” Dr Azhar concludes, “and inspire future generations to create with purpose and heart”.
The exhibitions Dreamscape: Musings of the Soul and Art Journaling 40450 – Time Atlas: Between Then & When are in their final week, concluding on Nov 9, 2025. Visitors can catch the shows at Artjamila Gallery & Museum in Shah Alam, Selangor, from 10am to 6pm. To follow the future works of Jemima Shaiful and the ongoing projects from the gallery, you can find more information on their respective platforms.
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