Painters Extraordinaire
The Malaysian Hall of Fame
A Top 10 of Malaysia’s survey of the crème de la crème of Malaysian painters - Capturing the works of the early generation of Malaysian artists (some of whom are deceased) to present day painters, their artistic approaches used and the genres they represented.
DATO’ CHUAH THEAN TENG (1912 - 2008)
Born in China, Malaysia’s Father of Batik Painting started in this medium in 1953. His self-portrait in batik, produced in 1955, represented the turning point in his artistic career. In 1959, he became the first artist to be sponsored by the Malaysian Government for an exhibition abroad, at the Royal Commonwealth Institute in London, where he had his solo show. His paintings, Two Of A Kind and Tell You A Secret, were honoured by the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 1968 and 1988 respectively for its greeting card selections. Teng, as he is popularly known, was awarded an AMN medal by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1974 for his art contributions. He was the only Malaysian invited to the Commonwealth Artists of Fame Exhibition in England in 1977. In 2005, he was honoured with Penang Heritage Trust’s Living Heritage Award. 1968 - Musim Buah
DATO’ MOHD HOESSEIN ENAS (1924 - 1995)
The Father of Malaysian Portrait Painting, who hailed from Bogor, Indonesia, was largely self-taught. His mastery of the European realist portraiture saw him painting portraits of several Sultans and Malaysian royalty. He was conferred the title of Royal Portrait Painter by the Sultan of Selangor in 1990 and awarded a ‘Datukship’ the following year.Enas founded the Peninsular Artists Force in 1956, which was dedicated to depicting the Malay ideal of beauty and character. He was its first President. The figurative artist received the UNESCO Fellowship and Asia Foundation grant for a year's study tour round the world in 1960 to observe art development.He was a member of Fellow Royal Society of Arts, London, member of Board of Trustees and former Head of Design and Staging Services, Radio and Television Malaysia. 1951 - Sukiyaki
DATUK SYED AHMAD JAMAL (1929 - 2011)
This 1995 National Art Laureate has contributed towards Malaysian art not only in his teachings but also in his writing and position as art curator and director of the Malaysian National Art Gallery. The Bait, produced by him in 1959, was very much ahead of its time. Deemed the first fully abstract and non-objective painting, it signalled the start of abstract expressionism in Malaysia, whose impact was seen during the 60s and thereafter. 1999 - Semangat Ledang
ABDUL LATIFF MOHIDIN (1938 -)
Influenced by German Expressionism, his early works belong to the Pago-Pago series, for which he is famous. He is also an accomplished print-maker and poet. His woodcut printing skills were mastered while he was in Germany. He has published several anthologies of his poems in Malay. 1964 - Pago-Pago
TEW NAI TONG (1936 - )
Highly versatile in various mediums, the distinctive works of this prolific artist, totalling over 2,000 pieces, span five decades. His Nanyang style, comprises Balinese-Sarawakian figure types and Chinese painting traditions, honed by his natural talen and art education in Singapore and Paris, as well as travels to Bali and Paris, to conduct research of his artworks.Tew bagged the grand prize of the Asia Art Award 2009 at the Asia Invitation Art Exhibition in Seoul, Korea. He is the founder and president of the Watercolour Society of Malaysia. 1960 - A Golden Era
DATUK IBRAHIM HUSSEIN (1936 - 2009)
He founded the non-profit Ibrahim Hussein Museum and Cultural Foundation in Langkawi, which is dedicated to the promotion, development and advancement of art and culture. He devised his main medium, printage, which combines printing and collage. His 1969 acrylic painting on canvas, The Dream, is the most expensive Malaysian artwork sold in a public auction, fetching RM500,500, inclusive of the 10% buyer’s premium, at the art auction held by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers Sdn Bhd in 2010. 1960 - Manja
AHMAD AZHARI MOHD NOOR (1955 - 2006)
Also known as Jehri Azhari, Malaysia’s self taught pop artist was devoted to the sixties trend which saw ordinary images and items of popular culture transformed into works of art. In his Revolution installation, he painted bottles in vibrant pop colours with alphabets that read “revolution”. Using printage and assemblage techniques, he would use old magazines and transfer the original prints and images onto canvas, thus making them appear "mirror-imaged". The title for his artworks is often picked from the printages. His famous paintings include Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman and football legend Mokhtar Dahari, which are in the National Art Gallery’s private collection. Jehri received an honourable mention in the Phillip Morris Art Award in 1995. He did eight solo exhibitions and various group shows in Southeast Asia before cancer took his life. 1997 - Dali's Moustache
REDZA PIYADASA (1939 - 2007)
A renowned fine artist from Kuantan, his works encircle around the fusion of art and history. Redza obtained his Diploma in Art and Design from Hornsey College of Art in England in 1963. He did his Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Hawaii’s Art Department in 1997, majoring in Asian Art History Studies and Graduate Sculpture Studies. Redza is a recipient of the Prince Claus Award. 1990 - The Haji Family
LEE KIAN SENG (1948 - )
Malaysia’s progenitor or Father of Installation Art had his first one-man show in 1966 at the age 18. Among his award-winning installation works is Process in Poker Playing, a mixed media at the second Young Contemporaries Exhibition in 1975.He is one of the local batik titans inspired by Dato’ Chuah Thean Teng’s innovation in batik art. Recognised for his achievements in sculpture, Kian Seng represented Malaysia at the ASEAN Square Sculpture Symposium in Jakarta in 1984. 1979 - Test-Tube Baby
YUSOF GHANI (1950 - )
This celebrated fine artist’s works are mostly in acrylic and water colour. They feature Southeast Asian motifs with an abstract expressionist approach. His works include Tari (Dance), Topeng (Mask), Wayang (Theatre), Hijau (Green), Segerak (A Movement), Biring (Fighting Cockerels) and Wajah (Faces). Yusof received a grant to study graphic arts at George Mason University, Virginia, in 1979 but transited to fine arts. He received Dr Burt Amanda Scholarship for being the most outstanding art student. He had received the Most Creative Award for his art project. Yusof graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Art (Graphic Art) in 1981.He obtained his Masters in Fine Arts (Painting) at Catholic University in Washington DC in 1983 and held his first solo exhibition in this city before returning to Malaysia. Yusof represented the country at the Contemporary Paintings of Malaysia exhibition at the Los Angeles Pacific/Asia Museum in 1988. 2008 - Wajah II
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