PRESS RELEASE | For immediate release

Soft & Savage: An enchanting owl photography exhibition

Opening at Harvest Food and Coffee, Cyberjaya on Saturday 21 October 2017 at 3-5 p.m.

Kuala Lumpur, 25 September 2017: Malaysia-based, award-winning artist Shamma Esoof will
be showing her a solo photography exhibition in Cyberjaya. The exhibition titled Soft & Savage
will showcase a series of mesmerizing owl portraits. The show will open on Saturday 21 October
2017 with a launch event at 3 p.m. The exhibition will run until Sunday 29 October 2017.
The photo-series consists of striking portraits of owls that were all shot at various locations in
Malaysia. The portraits demonstrate the dual nature of owls. They are soft and savage at the
same time. They may be cute but they are formidable predators. They are little but lethal, fluffy
but fierce.
The artist would like to draw attention to the fact that owls are victims of the illegal wildlife
trade. Owls are wild animals and are not meant to be pets. Certain sanctuaries do house owls that
cannot be released into the wild but this is in no way an endorsement of keeping owls as pets.

I am drawn to owls because the depth of their gaze seems to reach the very core of our souls.
Owls belong to the wild. It is cruel to cage them, says the artist.

A Lifelong Passion for Animals

Shamma has been putting her art to the service of animal welfare advocacy for over a decade.
Born in Mauritius in 1986, she has made Malaysia her home for the past 12 years.
Her body of work consists of mainly animal portraits. The majority of her photos have been shot
in Malaysia. Among the causes that Shamma supports are nature conservation and responsible
pet guardianship.
Shammas photographic achievements include several awards such as: 2014 Smithsonian Altered
Image Category Award, Capture the Moment Grand Prize 2013, amongst others.
Aside from her awards, Shammas work has been widely published across a variety of media
platforms namely; BBC Nature, CBS News, My Modern Met, The Daily Mail, Aperture
Magazine, The Sun Magazine, People Magazine Mauritius, Lens Magazine, etc.
She has also participated in international exhibitions such as A Beautiful World - a traveling
exhibition which toured in over 30 cities the UK from 2012 to 2016.
Positive International Response
Shammas owl portraits have become viral online. It has been featured on various websites and
blogs in many different countries and languages. The owl portrait series was most recently
featured on a popular site called Bored Panda.

A close bond with Malaysia

Malaysia has been a source of inspiration for me because of the incredible flora and fauna. I
wish to inspire people to value and protect those natural treasures, says Shamma.
Soft & Savage will be Shammas second exhibition in Malaysia. The artist invites the Malaysian
public to come and be enchanted by the mystical beauty of owls.

About the venue

Harvest Food and Coffee is a Western Fusion Cafe / Restaurant in Cyberjaya, with healthy homemade
snacks, sandwiches, desserts and quality coffee. Lunch, dinner, teatime and all day breakfasts are served
in a home-like ambiance.

Shamma, The Artist

Preview of the owl portraits
Note to editors:

Kindly use the artists first name: Shamma.

For more information, please contact:

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Shamma Esoof (Artist) Imagery by Sham
sham.jolimie@gmail.com
+60176366043
https://500px.com/shamjolimie

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Location of exhibition:
Harvest Food and Coffee
G-11, Lingkaran Cyber Point Barat Neo Cyber
Cyberjaya 63000
+03 8687 44 20 0127008343
Fb: Harvest.Food.And.Coffee
IG: Harvest_Food_And_Coffee