Langkawi: The National Art Gallery is committed to making the visual arts a key attraction to boost tourist arrivals to the island resort through various programmes involving artists and the local community.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, National Art Gallery director-general Amerrudin Ahmad stated that each of its programmes emphasises three components: the involvement of artists across various disciplines, local communities, as well as creative groups and art entrepreneurs. “Langkawi is a major island tourism destination in our country, and at the National Art Gallery, we are ready to position Langkawi as a destination that inspires visual artists, while also benefiting the local community. As an agency specifically tasked with promoting visual arts to convey information, we aim to help the general public, particularly tourists, understand Langkawi through visual representations,” he told reporters.
Earlier, Amerrudin Ahmad attended the opening ceremony of the PrintLab Festival, a contemporary art programme that combines exploration of nature with creative expression through printmaking, officiated by Langkawi district officer Muhamad Subhi Abdullah. According to Amerrudin, the visual arts can convey information beyond language barriers, allowing tourists from various countries to understand the stories, legends, and myths of Langkawi. “Visuals are a universal language. Through artworks, tourists can understand the stories, myths, and beauty of Langkawi without relying solely on text or language,” he explained.
On the PrintLab Festival, Amerrudin said that the inaugural programme, which kicked off on August 24 and ends tomorrow at the Langkawi branch of the National Art Gallery, features 26 artists from across Malaysia and one participant from Japan. Themed ‘Mengangkat Keindahan Alam Semula Jadi dan Ekologi Langkawi Melalui Seni Cetakan Kontemporari’ (Celebrating the Natural Beauty and Ecology of Langkawi Through Contemporary Printmaking), the programme focuses on Langkawi’s beauty, particularly Pulau Tuba, which is rich in sustainable tropical ecology and local community identity, depicted in fresh contemporary print artworks.
“Beyond printmaking, the National Art Gallery has also expanded its focus to other fields, including sculpture, stone carving, and ceramic arts, further enriching visual arts activities on Pulau Langkawi,” Amerrudin added, mentioning that the programme provides visitors with an opportunity to appreciate local identity and enjoy contemporary print artworks inspired by nature and the people. “The National Art Gallery hopes this programme will serve as a platform to enhance artistic experiences and position Langkawi as a key destination on the national visual arts map, in line with the aspirations of Visit Kedah Year 2025 and Visit Malaysia Year 2026,” he concluded.