Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter , or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates. Kwai Chai Hong, in partnership with ThinkCity, introduces its latest Mid-Autumn installation “Drama Queen” as an homage to Chinese Opera in Malaysia. As someone who has not watched any Chinese opera shows, it was interesting to learn that there are several types of Chinese opera such as the Peking opera or the Beijing opera.
For this installation, the focus is on Cantonese opera which is popular among the Chinese community in Southeast Asia. The age-old art form can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms Period. However, the interest in Chinese opera is gradually disappearing (as highlighted in the film Titoudao).
As such, “Drama Queen” aims to preserve the memory of Chinese opera in Malaysia. The installation is designed to spark people’s curiosity about Chinese opera and inspire them to learn about the beautiful art form and storytelling. Malaysian artist Tan Sher Lynn, also the Creative Technologist from FABU, created two artworks “In The Mind of a Doyenne” and “Dancing Sleeves” to do just that.
Tan had never watched Chinese Opera before so she spent a few months researching and studying. This included watching live Chinese opera performances at DPAC, where she learned about the art of water sleeves from the performers. “In The Mind of a Doyenne” is inspired by the headdress worn by the Chinese Opera Doyenne.
The large installation features a circula.