Contributors

Kathy Rowland is the Managing Editor of ArtsEquator.com, a registered charity that she co-founded with Jenny Daneels in 2016. The site is dedicated to supporting and promoting arts criticism with a regional perspective in Southeast Asia. Kathy has worked in the arts for over 25 years, working in the areas of critical writing and arts advocacy, with a special interest in media platforms for the arts. She is the Project Lead for ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asian Arts and Culture Censorship Documentation Project, launched in 2021. She has written extensively on censorship of arts and culture in Malaysia. She was a member of the International Programme Advisory Committee of the 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture, 2019.

ArtsEquator, Deadline Now

by Kathy Rowland ArtsEquator sometimes feels like a mythical creature. Looking back over the past 4 years, it takes the shape of a unicorn, a joyful improbability. With Covid-19, it can weigh like an albatross, cash flow statements instead of wing span, web traffic in place of talons. Perhaps it is a hippogriff, half earthbound

ArtsEquator, Deadline Now Read More »

Reading in Isolation: ‘Others’ is Not a Race and Interpreter of Winds

By Kathy Rowland (913 words, 4-minute read) Last November, when there was nary a thought for social distancing, and Corona conjured up visions of lime wedges and grimy bars, I reread Rex Shelley’s 1991 debut novel, The Shrimp People. Shelley was one of the literary pioneers featured in Artistic Director Pooja Nansi’s Singapore Writers Festival

Reading in Isolation: ‘Others’ is Not a Race and Interpreter of Winds Read More »

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Zedeck Siew / Tumblr

Creature comforts: “Creatures of Near Kingdoms”

By Kathy Rowland (650 words, 4-minute read) Zedeck Siew’s Creatures of Near Kingdoms is fashioned as a bestiary, detailing the appearance, characteristics, and habitats of 50 animals and 25 plants. Why “near”? Because like the auto-combusting Ash Swallowtail and the houdini-ish Travelling Coconut, each magical creature demands less of a leap, than a side shuffle,

Creature comforts: “Creatures of Near Kingdoms” Read More »

Leading art collectors put pressure on Balai Seni Visual Negara

by Kathy Rowland In a first for Malaysian art history,  a Collectors’ Petition signed by 55  private art collectors have warned Balai Seni Visual Negara that they will no longer be lending works from their collection to Balai in future unless Balai reinstates pieces removed from Ahmad Fuad Osman’s exhibition immediately. Fuad Osman’s critically praised

Leading art collectors put pressure on Balai Seni Visual Negara Read More »

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Bernie Ng

Chain reaction: Lie With Me by Intercultural Theatre Institute

By Kathy Rowland (1,014 words, 6-minute read) ITI’s graduation production, Lie With Me is filled with broken characters, caught in capsules of emotional decrepitude. The work, written by Kaite O’Reilly is based on Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde, repurposed to examine the fissures of contemporary relationships. Set in an urban landscape marked by anonymity and repressed

Chain reaction: Lie With Me by Intercultural Theatre Institute Read More »

Rumah Dayak The Hawker
Courtesy of The Second Breakfast Company & Black Alley Media

Podcast 70: The Hawker & Rumah Dayak

In this latest podcast episode, Kathy Rowland, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia discuss recent productions The Hawker by Second Breakfast Company, an immersive piece that pays homage to individuals in a hawker centre, and Rumah Dayak by new theatre collective Rupa co.lab, which puts the experiences of troubled Malay youths centrestage. Duration: 30 minutes Stream

Podcast 70: The Hawker & Rumah Dayak Read More »

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Jitti Chompee

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Vietnam’s new costume institute; Is Penang’s art scene dead?

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Vietnam’s new costume institute; Is Penang’s art scene dead? Read More »

Damage Joy by B-Floor Theatre
Courtesy of B-Floor Theatre

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Eka Kurniawan turns down art award; the grandfather of Mandalay’s modern art

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Eka Kurniawan turns down art award; the grandfather of Mandalay’s modern art Read More »

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Jamie James for Hyperallergic

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Is film programming underrated?; Ramayana x SEA

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Is film programming underrated?; Ramayana x SEA Read More »

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Wong Horngyih, courtesy of Pusaka

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: BACC director fired; Kelantan lifts Mak Yong ban

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: BACC director fired; Kelantan lifts Mak Yong ban Read More »

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Photo: Chardchakaj Waikawee / Facebook

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Ultraman Buddha hotly traded; Course on democratic dissent cancelled in Singapore

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Ultraman Buddha hotly traded; Course on democratic dissent cancelled in Singapore Read More »

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The Star/Azhar Mahfof

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Protests over Marcos-sponsored play; the Spaniard in Singapore films

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Protests over Marcos-sponsored play; the Spaniard in Singapore films Read More »

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Photo: School of The Arts, USM

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: New Filipina superhero; capturing seniors of Saigon; refugee kids in Penang musical

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: New Filipina superhero; capturing seniors of Saigon; refugee kids in Penang musical Read More »

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Via Myanmar Times

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Burmese hip hop, and queer Vietnamese singer Tuimi

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Burmese hip hop, and queer Vietnamese singer Tuimi Read More »

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Illustration by Jared Downing | Frontier

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: The relevance of “Soi Cowboy”; Malaysia’s Zen Cho wins Hugo Award

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: The relevance of “Soi Cowboy”; Malaysia’s Zen Cho wins Hugo Award Read More »

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Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing/The Myanmar Times

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Skateboarding in Myanmar; ARTJOG

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Skateboarding in Myanmar; ARTJOG Read More »

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File photo: Bernama

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Malaysia mulls on Jawi calligraphy; racism in Singapore

ArtsEquator Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Malaysia mulls on Jawi calligraphy; racism in Singapore Read More »

Weekly S.E.A. Radar: ARTJOG as art festival; Rich Brian; Thai dissident band hiding out in Laos

ArtsEquator Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range of regional

Weekly S.E.A. Radar: ARTJOG as art festival; Rich Brian; Thai dissident band hiding out in Laos Read More »

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Samantha Bagayas/Rappler

Weekly S.E.A Radar: Anti-Duterte’s protest art at SONA; Thai literature reaches English readers

ArtsEquator Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range of regional

Weekly S.E.A Radar: Anti-Duterte’s protest art at SONA; Thai literature reaches English readers Read More »

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Picture from Facebook/Reformartsi

Weekly S.E.A Radar: Civil rights workshop for Malaysian artists; calls to modernise Indonesian folklore for millennials

ArtsEquator Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range of regional

Weekly S.E.A Radar: Civil rights workshop for Malaysian artists; calls to modernise Indonesian folklore for millennials Read More »

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