Ken ✶ Syakira
UNIT 1
UNIT 2
✶ info
syakiraken@gmail.com
Untitled (2025)
laser cut and emboss on somerset paper. Dimension variable.
laser cut and emboss on somerset paper. Dimension variable.
Threshold States was an exhibition initiated by the MA Fine Art: Drawing program as an opportunity to showcase our collective progress in drawing research. We took lead in curating our own show, where we managed every aspect of the show with the guidance and support from the lecturers and technicians.
I utilized this opportunity to display my tests for my upcoming publication for the ★Research Festival, where I focused on liminality and the in-between state using the window as a core visual language. Threshold States functioned as a chance to test and refine the challenges of translating my visual language and sculptural thinking into the two-dimensional form of publication.
A critical step in the curatorial process involved a long discussion to identify the core concept which links our practices. The connecting element proved to be ‘space’, which we understood in a vast, transitional sense: encompassing inside and outside spaces, as well as the liminal and in between. This concept was shown through our individual interpretations (as examples): Shirley examining indigenous culture within Taiwan, Mou and her work focusing the psychological space imposed by confinement during the Summer, and Irene’s exploration towards the expansive notions of the universe and spatial planes. It was this dynamic conversation that celebrated the diversity of our spatial inquiries that ultimately led us to decide on the title ‘Threshold States’.
The A-B Gallery proved to be an ideal and challenging location for our exhibition. Functionally, the space is inherently liminal; It is the ‘awkward’ intersectional area situated between the A and B block, primarily serving as a fire escape route. Recognizing the physical inbetweenness, we embraced it as a curatorial challenge to fully activate this transitional space.
We executed the curation with minimal involvement from our lecturers who typically dominated the process. It provided an opportunity for us to reflect on the curatorial principles we learned and observed on our previous shows. I maintained the key mindset developed during the ★Summer show preparation: a group show demanded openness to conversations and input. At the same time, it has to be balanced by the necessity of self-advocacy. We needed to understand our own works intimately to authoritatively maximize the specific display choice which would activate the piece instead of undermining its conceptual understanding.
Over the past year, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the value of unconventional display strategies. I was previously bound by the rigid expectation of showing artworks strictly at eye level with uniform spacing between each piece. Now, I understand how exhibition spaces can be utilized far more creatively. I’ve been exposed to countless ways an installation can become more engaging with the audience by challenging that expectation, moving beyond passive display and activating the entire room. This opens up possibilities far beyond the static gallery hang.
The curation process led to my works being placed strategically along the long, low-ceiling hallway leading towards the A block. Recognizing the opportunity this space presented, I decided to install the pieces in a sporadic manner, spreading it with diverse spacing and heights to disrupt the uniformity of the wall.
To ensure the window grills I had laser cut into the paper were visible, I needed convey a sense of depth by floating my artwork away from the wall. Lenny (part of the Projects and Showcase team) suggested using nail pins to secure my works. It allowed the work to stand off the wall, but it demanded significant control and precision. The pins had to be hammered straight to avoid bending, stretching, ripping, and distorting the paper. As this was my first time installing a paper-based artwork on the wall by myself, the process was a valuable learning moment in managing delicate materials.
Lighting also played a crucial role in activating my artwork. We explored various methods to light my pieces, as the shadows cast by the paper’s intricate holes create dramatic shapes. This interplay of shadows further amplified my piece, transforming the static paper into a spatial element from the shadows.
A day before the Private View, we received praise during a crit with Gavin Edmonds. He noted that we had produced a strong, interlaced show that activated each other’s artworks as well as successfully made the liminality of the space speak.
Gavin made an observation that deepened my understanding of my work: he noted that the windows I created had a varied density of grills. Although the very nature of a window is to facilitate connection of the inside and outside, some of my pieces felt more ‘closed off’ than others. This difference in physical density reflect different degrees of emotional permeability, showing that the liminal boundary can exist with different degrees of openness and protection.
The placement of my work in the hallway served crucial, as it perfectly supported the liminality and connectivity of my practice. By displaying the installation the artery that physically connects A Block to B Block, I emphasized the space inherent quality as a threshold. The artwork and the physical space mutually emphasized each other: The architecture reinforces the concept of inbetweenness, while my pieces activates the hallway’s functional role, establishing a strong, mutual connection.
During the private view, it was intriguing to observe the audience interaction. While people initially treated the hallway as a route, the majority took the time to slow down, and many even crouched to see the intricate details of the laser-cut paper.
The combined effect of the work’s quantity, its display method, and its location made the distinction between the inside and outside space divided by the window intensely pronounced. The array of miniature windows, sporadically displayed on a wall where people constantly pass, created an effect of panopticon by the domestic. The perpetual stream of traffic generated the feeling that one was being unknowingly watched from the inside. Conversely, the moment viewers choose to crouch and study the details, they were engaging with the work by ‘peeking in’, transforming the threshold into a shared moment of vulnerable observation.
This installation provided a lesson: while I was using the same visual language to discuss inbetweenness, the quantity and method of display dramatically shifted the artwork’s overall impact. Instead of simply conveying the separation and connection inherent in liminality, the arrangement created an atmosphere dominated by observation. The effect was less about the threshold itself and more about the feeling of being observed from those inside spaces.
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Showing in this exhibition was an incredible experience. Despite the severely compressed timeline where we prepare the entire show in just one full week, I learned essential skills in resilience, discipline, and team communication. The process also made me reflect more towards my artistic approach: even when I am engaging with a 2D artwork, I found that I couldn’t escape installation. This demonstrated the inherent beauty of working through the expanded field of drawing, confirming the high conceptual correlation my work holds with space.