Anne Samat: The Origin of Savage Beauty
The gallery is pleased to announce its second solo exhibition with Anne Samat, inaugurating the gallery’s new location in Tribeca.
Samat's work is informed by the textile traditions of Malaysia, particularly those of the Iban people of Sarawak, the largest of Malaysia’s 13 states. Combining items that we are familiar with from our homes, gardens, and surroundings, the traditional method of weaving gives way to a unique approach; instead of using thread as weft, we see rattan sticks (palm stems); instead of using a resist dye to color the thread, Samat threads together strands of yarn to create a single, completely new and original strand, which she likens to the act of a painter mixing colors on a palette. To these she adds plastic rakes, bejeweled masks, beads, belts, forks, spoons, keys, plastic swords, metal jewelry, and even wooden horse harnesses that attach to, hang from, and are incorporated into the exuberant textiles that she weaves, transforming textile into sculpture.
In this new body of work, Samat continues to explore themes of family and love, central elements in her artistic practice. This is particularly evident in the centerpiece of the exhibition, Never Walk in Anyone’s Shadow #2, a monumental fiber-based sculpture celebrating familial ties. Anthropomorphic figures radiate strength, with swords and rakes symbolizing protection, as they stand guard over a lone figure standing before a golden bloom set in a blue pond. Juxtaposing the fierce with the gentle, Samat uses materials traditionally coded as feminine or "unserious" and blends them so that they transcend the boundaries between the masculine and feminine, combining ferocity with suppleness, rigidity with pliability.
Samat’s art is memoirist; she’s a storyteller. In this exhibition, she shares her journey from Kuala Lumpur to New York City, extending her language to include works that reference the ceremonial Pua Kumbu cloths, traditionally used by the Iban people throughout life. Influenced by tradition, while incorporating found objects sourced from the availability brought about by globalization and consumerism in a capitalistic age, Samat’s creations are transformed into objects of a cross-cultural exchange. In doing so she is able to bridge the gap between New York and Malaysia, allowing for a conversation that can inform both social structures, traditions, attitudes, and concepts. We are invited to reflect on the artist’s personal journey, as well as on our own relationships, stories, and place in the world.
Born in Malaysia in 1973, Anne Samat earned her BFA from the University of Mara Institute of Technology in 1995. She lives and works in New York and Kuala Lumpur, Samat’s recent solo exhibitions include MASS MoCA (2023), and University of Wyoming Art Museum (2022). Her works have also been exhibited at the Sydney Biennale (2024), Singapore ArtScience Museum (2023), Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2022-23) and at the Asia Society Triennial, New York (2020). Her art is included in prominent collections such as Tate Modern, London, The Rose Museum of Art, Waltham, MA, Singapore Art Museum (SAM), and the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, among others.
