HARTA Gallery,in collaboration with Artemis Art, is pleased to present MORE MEN (AND A WOMAN) WITH PLANTS, a group exhibition featuring seven Penang-based artists. This is the third iteration of the Men With Plants series, the first two of which were held in Penang.

Fuan Wong, co-founder of this exhibition series, is a renowned fused (and other kiln-worked) glass artist and an ardent botanist whose artworks have been widely exhibited at home and abroad. Joining him are Ch’ng Kah Kiean, Esther Geh, Howard Tan, IMMJN, MK Cheah, and Thomas Powell; each with a collection of plant-inspired art in a variety of styles and mediums.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that plants – in their many varied forms – are crucial to human existence. Among other things, they provide us with food, being at the base of the food chain; they convert energy from the Sun through photosynthesis and in the process, absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen; plants are also natural soil anchors and help maintain the water cycle.

But despite their importance plants are frequently taken for granted; worse, they’re sometimes seen as barriers to “progress” and gotten rid of indiscriminately for the sake of “development”.

The diversity of the artworks in this exhibition mirrors the high level of biodiversity, specifically the flora, that Malaysia is acknowledged to possess. In parallel, it also reflects Malaysia’s cultural and social diversity, which has not only played a crucial role in the success of nation-building thus far, it is something Penang has become internationally known for.