‘Alksnaabknuaunmo’ by Chen Yen Pheng

Cheng Yen Pheng’s painting, ‘Alksnaabknuaunmo’, was one of two works (the other being Izat Arif Saiful Bahrin ‘Fa Qaf’) removed from Balai Seni Visual Negara’s Bakat Muda Sezaman 2013. The work had been on display from Oct 2013, but was removed before the official Prize Giving ceremony in Feb 2014, which was officiated by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Aziz. Neither the curators nor judges of the show, or the artists were notified prior to the removal of the work.The title of the work, approximates a popular anti-Umno slogan. At the prize giving ceremony, Cheng staged a vocal protest in front of the blank wall that previously held her work. Waving a picture the piece, Cheng repeated the line “This is my painting. Last few days still here. Now no more.”