By DANIAL FUAD

Art has always been a way for people to tell stories, especially ones that cannot be expressed with words. We can always see that artists would create with stories in mind but what about the stories of people who bought these masterpieces?

“I have been collecting art privately for the past 18 years and like everyone else during the pandemic, I was trapped at home. So, I took pictures of the paintings at home then started to write a story for each painting,” Nik Fahmee stated about how the pandemic has been the catalyst for his first book.

He then added, “around 500 stories were written about my collection and last year when I turned 50, I published my first book entitled ‘Ginger Biscuits: Art & Stories’.” Of course not all stories would fit into one book so Nik selected 50 stories of 50 paintings and sculptures for his initial book. When he launched the book, he also held an exhibition at CULT Gallery presenting the 50 artworks from the book.

Now, back again, in just a short span of one year, Nik has launched his second book with the same direction in mind – art and stories. “This year I published my second book consisting of 51 stories of some other paintings from my collection. I call this book ‘Butterflies in My Stomach’,” states Nik.

Nik collaborated with CULT Gallery again for his book launch. But unlike last year, this time his exhibition has a twist. Instead of having a show of his own collection as per the book, Nik has reached out to his collector friends and invited them to be a part of the show. “I believe that other collectors also have their own stories to share. So, I have invited 45 Malaysian collectors to pick their favorite artwork and tell their own stories.”

Names like Dr. Askandar Kamel, Bingley Sim, Marina Mahathir and even the Managing Director of CULT Gallery, Suryani Senja Alias have contributed their works alongside stories to accompany them. “The reason behind this is I want to celebrate art alongside stories and I don’t want to be full of myself believing that only I have stories to tell about the arts collected,” he added.

It is interesting to read the stories that the collectors have told about their favorite piece of artwork and the range varies. Nik further states, “artist paint their stories, and that is very brilliant but I also want to know the stories about why collectors bought a certain art piece because it is very interesting information to learn.”

Nik has also asked his four children and wife to write stories on their favorite art pieces from his collection as well. When asked upon that decision; he states that, “I am passionate about collecting art so I want to make sure that when I pass on these paintings to my children, they would appreciate them and not treat them as a decoration on the wall.”

‘Butterflies in My Stomach’ is available at Kinokuniya and Riwayat Bookstores at the price of RM79.90 for the normal copy. For those who are interested in the exhibition at CULT Gallery, Nik will be giving a guided tour this Saturday 17 June with 2 slots at 10AM – 12PM and from 2PM – 4PM respectively, and one slot on Sunday 18 June at 10AM – 12PM. Do contact him via Instagram or WhatsApp to RSVP for the tour that should not be missed, where you will hear interesting stories about art collecting in Malaysia.

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