From ZERO to Miami - The best ever memory

I still remember the first day I started to help Azimin Tazilan on his artwork. He started to work on his artwork a few months before our wedding and yes, he completed it with a guide from Akif, Khairina & a few more people from School of Design & Art of Limkokwing. He then used our last room @ our small apartment as his art studio. Things work on well and he did paint ‘me + my 7^th months of pregnancy’ on canvas. I do love the artwork but then I decided not to display it with my own reasons J..

At my end of 8^th month of pregnancy, Azimin won the 1^st prize of Dupont International Art Competition. Memang rezeki baby masa tu… And in the same time, he was one of the Bakat Muda Sezaman finalist, and the only finalist without fine art formal education background.

And one of his artworks (seriously aku tak ingat apa nama title nya, tapi ada bunyi macam ‘The Anggun + dragonfly’, which lama lepas tu baru aku sedar, nama Anggun tu memang dah lama ada in his mind. Even in the artwork, ada six-screen gambar scanning Anggun masa my 1^st pregnancy scanning) was exhibited by Pelita Hati Art Gallery, Bangsar. Pak Samad yang masa tu datang untuk rasmikan the exhibition was so impressed tengok the artwork and finally, Pelita Hati bought the artwork as their personal collections.

After that I decided to help him on his art field. So, aku banyak buat PR work, introduce Azimins’ artwork, jaja nama dia dari satu gallery to another bukan kerja senang. Gallery kat KL & Selangor je dah cukup buat aku lelah. But its work!!! A few galleries were interested and its exhibited in the galleries. Muse Gallery of Star Hills was one of the high prestigious galleries yang exhibited Azimins’ artwork. Thank you very much Phillip!!!

 Throughout the journey, banyak dugaan & rintangan of course. I am nobody in the art industry and Azimin Tazilan name was very new. Amat baru. And kondisi art di Malaysia,masih lagi suka yang berbunga-bunga, berkerawang-kerawang. Azimin’s artwork more on abstract, bulldozer, steel, installation on the canvas, etc. More on the current issues based on his research. This is one of the ways for him to serve the community.

After his PhD, Azimin told me yang dia mahu adakan solo exhibition. Ingatkan dia main-main. Rupanya betul-betul. Wady and me working like crazy to put his dream into a reality. Looking for curator, venue booking, event planning, invitation, printing materials and the artworks itself!! Last but not least, the MONEY… Using our own saving, I am really hoping something miracle will happen.

Thank you Salmah for willingly to give her full support & guide to us. Yes, we are not able to pay her at her price but we made the deal works!!! Salmah is a A++ curator, yang selalu manage top artists esp in international exhibition. But for his ex-student (Azimin was 1 of her ex-students back in ITM long time ago and now they are colleague in UKM), she did it and siap share her contact lagi. I have to thank to many people who gave us a hand during the ADAjalan by Azimin Tazilan Solo Art Exhibition in Annexe Gallery, KL. Seriously it works!!!!

ADAjalan II was happened a few months after that at Rill’s Jalan Tun HS Lee. The owner of the Rill’s Fine Dine & Gallery; Tengku Rill approached us during the ADAjalan exhibition. And slowly, Allah tunjukkan jalan yang dari mulanya hanya ada SATU simpang kepada BANYAK simpang yang boleh aku pilih.

Kemudian sampai kepada idea gila, mahukan gallery sendiri. Itu bukan gila bagi aku sebab perkara itu dah lama ada dalam otak aku. Dari awal-awal our marriage lagi. Tinggal masa, keadaan & $$$ saja yang belum mengizinkan.

Warung Seni Galvanize Lab adalah lambang kekuatan jiwa & semangat aku. Ia juga jiwa & semangat kami semua yang sama-sama menubuh, membentuk, membangun dan mengerjakan Warung Seni Galvanize Lab dari 0 hinggalah ke hari ini

Sending few artists’ artworks for Arts KL-Miami with a hope, ‘at least 1 kena pun jadilah’.. Hahaha…  On the day I received a call from Nik from Image Connection telling me ‘We has chosen 3 of the artworks from Galvanize Lab to be exhibited in Miami’.. ‘All 3 belongs to Azimin Tazilan.’

Mak aii, tergamam, tercengang, semua ter ada. Thanks God, Syukur Alhamdulillah.. Liaising all the necessary requirements, getting ready the artworks, dan banyak lagi bukan perkara mudah. Ini kisah nak prepare artworks untuk bawak ke Miami, bukan kisah nak bawak ke KL. Jadi kerjanya pun memang banyak. Documentations, agreement, etc

Dan akhirnya aku diapproach Art KL-Miami, CEO of The Connector Group in Miami, Norsham Blasko. Perkenalan singkat membuatkan banyak benda yang tak jelas jadi makin terang sekaligus buat aku rasa macam Miami tu tak la jauh sangat.. Cewah.. Macamlah kau boleh jalan kaki pegi Miami tu jumpa Haritio Caine Eleen oii… The artworks yang sepatutnya hanya 3, dah jadi 10 dibawak ke Miami. What should I say?? And now we are preparing more artworks for Miami lagi.

Terima kasih Ya Allah, akhirnya ada jalan yang diarahkan pada aku. Its not an easy way but the hard work paid by the best memories ever. Membawa satu nama insan yang bukan calang-calang dari design & education industry, tapi orang tak pernah kenal dalam art industry bukan perkara senang. All the PR & communication by people around us do help a lot. Dari tiada siapa yang kenal, masterpiece Azimin Tazilan dah berada dengan beberapa collectors di Australia, Germany, etc dan akan berada di Miami nanti.

Bringing a name from ZERO to Miami bukan mudah. Jangan tanya berapa banyak hati yang terkorban, berapa banyak duit yang dah terlebur.. Apa nak buat, redha sajalah. Dengan harapan, segala yang terkorban, masa, harta, hati & rasa akan mendapat hikmah yang amat berbaloi…