Rashidah Salam

Re-Member
Re-Member

Muse Gallery is pleased to announce Re-Member, an exhibition by Muse artist member, Rashidah Salam and guest artist, Deborah Bruns-Thomas. Re-Member features new sculptural work and paintings by Rashidah Salam and new paintings by Bruns-Thomas.

Artist Statement by Rashidah Salam

My work reflects my study in comparing design from other cultures to my own as an immigrant from Malaysia. The layering effect is, therefore, the result of amalgamating the varying textile patterns, decorative and architectural elements, and sculptural objects traditional to my country and of those I have experienced in my travels and research.

One of the more interesting aspects is when I can incorporate unexpected and found materials, and using my learned skills, present novel end results. I appreciate incorporating mundane or discarded materials into my painted works, such as abandoned hobby items or leftover bits of broken materials that once held value or significance. This process brings new life and new uses to such remnants. I use patterns and shapes of color as guides for arranging compositions. I draw upon traditional textile and decorative patterns from my upbringing when starting a new work. My work reflects my study in comparing design from other cultures to my own. In addition, I think about and present layers of patterns and color in the way I view and create three-dimensional objects and sculpture. The layering effect is, therefore, the result of amalgamating the varying textile patterns, decorative and architectural elements, and sculptural objects traditional to my country and of those I have experienced in my travels and research.

 

I want to create a landscape that elicits a combination of magnolia and Ashoka flowers that evokes the layering effects of my painting style. This layering represents the passage of time and the circular nature of culmination and renewal. Through my flower-scape, I desire to create a scene of exuberance contrasted with a feeling of endurance. Both are expressed through the adding and subtracting inherent in the layering process. The flowers are a representation of life. Flowers regenerate the feeling of a new life, a new beginning. Utilizing the overall flower composition, I also want to incorporate into the design, pattern motifs of such flowers to create a unique dreamscape feeling.

 

The Magnolia, Lily and Ashoka flowers have special significance to me. The magnolia tree in front of our house starts to bloom by late March and is interestingly followed by our lily plants: when the magnolia flowers fall the lily starts to bloom. The Ashoka flowers keep on blooming in my memory.

 

Artist Statement by Deborah Bruns-Thomas

I make whimsical still life paintings depicting candy, porcelain dishes and sculpted animals. Often small in scale with rich colors and expressive brush strokes, my boldly painted arrangements of sugary confections become imaginary and fantastical scenes of plenty. I work from life, recreating scenes of temptations and indulgences with faint echoes of fairytales and nursery rhymes.

 

Website: deborahbrunsthomas.com

 

      

Magnolia Flowers
Magnolia Flowers

Artist: Rashidah Salam

Title: Magnolia Flowers Sculpture
Medium: Alpaca yarns, parchments paper on steel structure
Date: 2025

Dimensions: 44” x 44” inches diameter

 

Description:

 

The Magnolia flowers sculpture was created using the olive branches and magnolias flowers motifs and patterns from the series of my colorful beaded paintings in the Re-Member show. The olive leaves, magnolia flowers petals and tiger lilies flowers patterns were arranged in layers from the center to the outward of the structural composition to mimic the star burst energy. The flowers at the center were crocheted using fine cotton yarns. The web patterns covered at the center of the flower were drawn carefully by hand using the wool alpaca yarns glued on the delicate parchment papers. The selected patterns on the web were embossed and filled up with the batting materials for an interesting puffy and cushy effects to the softer touch. Selected magnolia flowers puffy petals were stenciled using a special homemade cut out stencils of the Ashoka flowers motifs to replicate the pattern on the Tiger lilies flowers symbolized as hope. The raw materials used and the neutral color palette is to symbolize a renewal, the new beginning. The shimmery golden glazed was painted to the surface of the puffy flower petals for the sparkles and to add the joy effect to the flowers as if the flowers have been lit buy the full moon light bright shining on the flowers. The Star burst composition is a symbol of expanding the endless energy and the new beginnings. 

 

Instagram: @rashidahsalam_creatives

Olives Landscape
Olives Landscape

Artist: Rashidah Salam

Title: Olives Landscape 
Medium: Alpaca yarns, colored plastic microbeads and acrylic paints on canvas
Date: 2025
Dimensions: 36” (H) x 16” (W) x 1” (D)

 

Descriptions:

 

The Olives Landscape painting depicted the level of a hierarchy of a landscape: land, river, mountain and sky. Repeated symmetry olive trees and the leaves branches in the painting to create a series implied shapes of a heart as a symbol of love and hope. The batik patterns using Magnolia and Ashoka flowers motifs were subtly incorporated into the pattern design. The olive leaves and magnolias were embellished with shiny colored plastic microbeads. The colors of the microbeads mimicked the colors painted on the flowers. Selected patterns were raised for the tactile textures, a series of cut-out layers of thin papers were glued on the patterns. Hand drawn alpaca yarns to create Ashoka flowers patterns were added as a finished touch wrapped on the embellished patterns as a metaphor of protection.

 

Instagram: @rashidahsalam_creatives

Magnolias
Orange Moon

Artist: Rashidah Salam

Title: Orange Moon Painting
Medium: Colored plastic microbeads and acrylic paints on canvas
Date: 2025
Dimensions: 30” (H) x 24” (W) x 1” (D)

Descriptions:

 

The Orange Moon painting is a garden of an emotions using magnolia flowers and olive branches. The foundation of the composition of the painting started with the one-inch grids through the dots going across and down on the canvas. The batik motifs inspired by the Ashoka flowers were subtly incorporated into the pattern design. The olive leaves and magnolia flowers were embellished with shiny colored plastic microbeads. The colors of the microbeads mimicked the colors painted on the flowers.

 

Instagram: @rashidahsalam_creatives

Magnolias Garden
Magnolias Garden

Artist: Rashidah Salam

Title: Magnolias Garden Painting
Medium: Colored plastic microbeads and acrylic paints on canvas
Date: 2025
Dimensions: 30” (H) x 24” (W) x 1” (D)

Descriptions:

 

The Magnolias Garden painting is a garden of an emotions using magnolia flowers and olive branches. The foundation of the composition of the painting started with the one-inch grids through the dots going across and down on the canvas. The batik motifs inspired by the Ashoka flowers were subtly incorporated into the pattern design. The olive leaves and magnolia flowers were embellished with shiny colored plastic microbeads. The colors of the microbeads mimicked the colors painted on the flowers. The vibrant colors in the painting depicting the bright sunny vibrant colors of Malaysia.

 

Instagram: @rashidahsalam_creatives

Magnolias
Carousel Magnolias No. 2

Artist: Rashidah Salam

Title: Carousel Magnolias No.2
Medium: Alpaca yarns, colored plastic microbeads, paper buttons and acrylic paints on canvas
Date: 2025
Dimensions: 20” (H) x 24” (W) x 1” (D)

 

Descriptions:

 

Magnolia flowers were arranged intertwined with the olives leaves in a circular carousel.  The foundation of the composition of the painting started with the one-inch grids through the dots going across and down on the canvas. The arrangement of the flowers and olive leaves in the painting was to mimic the Victorian, Baroque and Rococo periods. The olive leaves and magnolias were duplicated  with the wool alpaca yarns drawing on parchments papers and were then embellished with shiny colored plastic microbeads. The colors of the microbeads mimicked the colors painted on the flowers. Selected patterns were raised for the tactile textures, a series of cut-out layers of thin papers were glued on the patterns. Hand drawn alpaca yarns to create Ashoka flowers patterns were added as a finished touch wrapped on the embellished patterns as a metaphor of grow and revival.

 

Instagram: @rashidahsalam_creatives

Magnolias
Carousel Magnolias No. 3

Artist: Rashidah Salam

Title: Carousel Magnolias No.3
Medium: Alpaca yarns, colored plastic microbeads, paper buttons and acrylic paints on canvas
Date: 2025
Dimensions: 20” (H) x 24” (W) x 1” (D)

 

Descriptions:

 

Magnolia flowers were arranged intertwined with the olives leaves in a circular carousel.  The foundation of the composition of the painting started with the one-inch grids through the dots going across and down on the canvas. The arrangement of the flowers and olive leaves in the painting was to mimic the Victorian, Baroque and Rococo periods. The olive leaves and magnolias were duplicated  with the wool alpaca yarns drawing on parchments papers and were then embellished with shiny colored plastic microbeads. The colors of the microbeads mimicked the colors painted on the flowers. Selected patterns were raised for the tactile textures, a series of cut-out layers of thin papers were glued on the patterns. Hand drawn alpaca yarns to create Ashoka flowers patterns were added as a finished touch wrapped on the embellished patterns as a metaphor of grow and revival.

 

Instagram: @rashidahsalam_creatives

Blue Moon

Artist: Rashidah Salam

Title: Blue Moon
Medium: Colored plastic microbeads, paper buttons and acrylic paints on canvas
Date: 2025
Dimensions: 20” (H) x 24” (W) x 1” (D)

 

Descriptions:

 

The Blue Moon painting is a landscape of Magnolia flowers olives leaves arranded on and around in a circular paths to create a series of a moon.  The foundation of the composition of the painting started with the one-inch grids through the dots going across and down on the canvas. The moons in the Blue Moon painting depicting a conservation to the moon. The selected olive leaves and magnolias were embellished with shiny colored plastic microbeads. The colors of the microbeads mimicked the colors painted on the flowers. The patterns in the painting were painted on the stamped motifs using Malaysian traditional cookies mold.

 

Instagram: @rashidahsalam_creatives