Contemporary Art Definition

Corresponding Author:
Wan Juria Emeih Wahed
MA Art History and Cultural Management
Universiti Teknologi Mara
amiesaiful!gmail"#omamiesaiful!yahoo"#om
The meaning of a work of art is shaped by the artist's intentions as well as by the unique
perspectives observers bring to the viewing experience. It is natural for art observers to
seek answers to the question, what is going on here? y reviewing their own past
experiences and memories, in addition to looking for clues about what the artist is trying
to communicate. The artist has used colors, shapes, textures, light and space to convey
content in a representational or nonrepresentational format that may include symbolism
and underlying themes. !ince "orld "ar Two, art movements have included #bstract
$xpressionism, %op #rt, %ost&modernism, 'inimalism and (eminist art. )haracteri*ed by
no real common ground, contemporary art offers a wide range of styles. # merger of
surrealism and expressionism created #bstract $xpressionism, with a move away from
the personal towards monumental and heroic scales of work.
#bstract $xpressionism flourished in the +,-.s and +,/.s #merica and is sometimes
referred to as the 0ew 1ork !chool. Their common link was a 2concern with varying
degrees of abstraction used to convey strong emotional or expressive content2. The
#bstract $xpressionists were a dynamic group with a diversity of style and it has been
said that the works of the #bstract $xpressionists 2acted in the gap between meaning and
words2. #n expressive quality could possibly be that link. 3obert 'otherwell was
probably the most intellectual of all the #bstract $xpressionists, and in a sense was a
chronicler of them as he gave them a voice. 4e totally disregarded the 3enaissance
tradition and the immediate goal was to create an art that was equal to $uropean modern
art.
A$stra#tion means 2to take from2 and its function for the #bstract $xpressionists
was to emphasi*e the essence of an ob5ect or idea. The nature of abstraction was not
reallyunderstood, even by the painters themselves, but they 5ust strove to get rid of much
of reality. 6ackson %ollock was interested in the universal notions of the collective
conscious and also interested in the primitive imagery of 0ative #mericans. 4e used, and
is well known for his use of, the dripping and pouring technique. To him, the process was
much more important than the finished work. "ith the new concept of space, the
individual was more important than the collective, and the artist's hand prints throughout
make %ollock's mark, while connecting his desired meanings and words. In this well
known painting %ollock used metallic commercial paints, and his hope was that it would
remind us of 0ative #merican sand paintings.
+
%op #rt began in $ngland in the +,/.s and emerged in a different way in the
7nited !tates in the +,8.s. %op is short for popular, as pop art reflected and expressed
popular culture of the time. #merican %op #rt was a unified movement that 2insisted on a
direct relationship between its use of the imagery of mass production and its adoption of
modern technological procedures2. $ach artist established their own style and identity
which we can see clearly through the works of #ndy "arhol and 3oy 9ichtenstein.
%ost&'odernism of the +,:.s includes (eminist #rt. It is a 2work that is rooted in
the analysis and commitments of contemporary feminism and that contributes to a
critique of the political, economic and ideological power relations of contemporary
society2. It did not die out in the :.s for (eminist #rt is still being produced today as an
attempt to revise history at that time and find evidence of matriarchy. 6udy )hicago is a
well known feminist artist who placed great importance on the form of the image. !he
came to be known as an essentialist as she saw something innate and essential to the
female species that could be represented by round ob5ects and openings ;i.e. female sex
organs<.)hicago also experimented with environmental art and created some beautiful
and often contemporary things. #s she grew in this movement, her art became very
political as we can see in (emale 3e5ection =rawing.
%E&E%E'CE(
+. #sma #bdullah and %edersen, %aul ;>..?<. 7nderstanding 'ulticultural
'alaysia@ =elights, %u**les and Irritations, %rentice 4all, 'alaysia
>. "oodford, !usan ;+,A?<. )ambridge Introduction to the 4istory of #rt@ 9ooking at %ictures,
)ambridge 7niversity %ress.
>
A'A)*(A +%*T*+A' (E'* ,*(UA) MA)A-(*A
.enulis Tamu:
Wan Juria Emeih Wahed
(ar/ana (eni )ukis dan (eni %eka 0.engurusan dan (e/arah (eni1
Universiti Teknologi Mara
amiesaiful!gmail"#omamiesaiful!yahoo"#om
%enghayatan terhadap se5arah memungkinkan khalayak mengetahui peristiwa masa lalu
sebagai asas untuk memahami situasi masa kini. 6ika se5arawan memahami masa lalu
dengan mengka5i fakta&fakta peristiwa, se5arawan seni visual pula berusaha untuk
memahami masa lalu menerusi karya&karya seni. =alam konteks ini, karya seni visual
men5adi dokumen&dokumen se5arah yang merakamkan akan masa atau era yang
menghasilkannya, sementara apresiasi atau penghayatan seni yang men5adi dasar bidang
!e5arah !eni Bisual bertindak sebagai asas untuk memahaminya. !elain daripada
memper5elaskan akan bentuk, makna, dan fungsi sesuatu karya, !e5arah !eni Bisual 5uga
melihat akan perubahan&perubahan persepsi, fungsi, mahupun makna yang berlaku ke
atas sesuatu karya itu, contohnya dengan mengka5i faktor&faktor yang mewu5udkan
sesuatu perubahan ;%ointon, +,,-C Tansey dan Dleiner, +,,8<.
=alam bidang !e5arah !eni Bisual, karya seni merupakan dokumen se5arah atau sumber
primer yang penting, sementara apresiasi atau penghayatan seni men5adi asasnya. Daedah
mendekati atau menganalisis karya seni boleh dilakukan dengan menga5ukan beberapa
soalan asas tentang karya yang sedang dika5i ataupun dihayati.
%ersoalan&persoalan asas men5adi dasar dalam mengenali serta memahami sesebuah
karya seni itu dengan lebih dekat dan bermakna. Ini yang ditegaskan oleh 4auser dalam
tulisannya, bahawa dalam usaha memahami karya seni, kita tidak terus menerangkannya,
tetapi cuba menyesuaikan diri kita dengannya.
erbicara tentang karya seni, Hauser menulis@
E"e do not go straight towards them, but circle around them. $ach generation sees them
from a different point of view and with a fresh eyeC nor is it to be assumed that a later
point of view is more apt than an earlier one. $ach aspect comes into sight in its own
time, which cannot be anticipated or prolongedC and yet its significance is not lost, for the
meaning that a work assumes for a later generation is the result of the whole range of
previous interpretations.E ;4auser, +,/, in (ernie, >..+@ >./<.
!ecara umumnya, pengka5ian terhadap karya seni perlu mengambilkira aspek&aspek
bentuk ;aspek&aspek formal, termasuklah pengolahan karya dan gaya penampilan< dan
makna ;ikonografi@ tersurat dan tersirat<. %enelitian terhadap bentuk dan makna ini pula
Fleh kerana kritikan seni mengulas, menganalisis, menginterpretasi, dan menilai karya
seni visual yang 5uga merupakan ob5ek budaya, maka ia pada dasarnya berhubungan
dengan hal ehwal kebudayaan. =alam konteks ini, kritikan seni sebenarnya turut
berperanan dalam menentukan arah perkembangan sesebuah kebudayaan. Darya seni
?
adalah cerminan masyarakat dan budaya yang terungkap melalui pengucapan tatabahasa
visual pengkarya.
%engkritik mengupas persoalan&persoalan tersebut, 5usteru memaklumkan kepada
khalayak tentang kedudukan pengkarya dan kebudayaan secara umumnya. %ertimbangan
serta penilaian pengkritik boleh di5adikan landasan serta panduan penambahbaikan
mahupun penentuan arah seni dan budaya. =alam konteks ini, tu5uan&tu5uan kritikan seni
adalah untuk membimbing, memberi kefahaman dan pen5elasan kepada khalayak
mengenai sesuatu karya yang dikupas. 'enerusi pertimbangan serta penilaian yang
dilakukan, pengkritik berupaya memper5elaskan ataupun menyelesaikan isu&isu
berkenaan estetik dan kebudayaan. 6usteru itu, kritikan seni pada dasarnya tidak terpisah
daripada konteks kebudayaan pengkarya, masyarakat mahupun tamadun.
-
'ational Art History in Malaysia
Corresponding Author:
Wan Juria Emeih Wahed
MA Art History and Cultural Management
Universiti Teknologi Mara
amiesaiful!gmail"#omamiesaiful!yahoo"#om
#rt history in 'alaysia is basically draws from and influences by the multiplicity
of cultures. 'ulticultural values have helped to shape the identity and colour of the
present art in 'alaysia. #ccording to )halmer in his book Celebrating Pluralism, Art
Education and Cultural Diversity, underline that art is a powerful, pervasive force that
helps to shape our attitude, beliefs, values and behaviours. It can be submitted that art is
the channel to educate the society in appreciating the cultural values. Thus, I had noted
that traditional art has been influenced by the 'alaysian cultures. This is due to the fact
that 'alaysia is a multi&ethnic, multi&cultural, multilingual and a multi&racial society,
consisting of />G 'alays and other indigenous tribes, ?.G )hinese, AG Indians, living
side by side forming a rich cultural heritage. The art and culture of 'alaysia have been
meeting and mixing since the very beginning of the country's history fifteen hundred
years ago. The art and culture of 'alaysia have also been influenced heavily by the
cultures of %ersian, #rab and $uropean. The expression of art culture can be seen in
many examples of 'alayHs livelihood such as the pattern of the mosque, houses and also
the traditional games.
In the next section, we would look at the development of art history in 'alaysia and the
relevant examples to indicate the influences. In analy*ing the influences of culture to art
history in 'alaysia, there are some prominent examples such as the woodcraft designs on
'alay fishing boats along the $ast )oast and the shadow play theatres. This has brought
inspiration to a few contemporary artists such as 0ik Iainal #bidin. 'alaysiaHs artwork
range from traditional games to usual form of art i.e painting. !ome forms of art have
influences from neighbouring state like Indonesia, Thailand and !ingapore. This can be
seen in wayang kulit ;shadow puppet theatre<, silat ;a stylised martial art<, craft
techniques such as weaving and metallurgy. esides that, traditional 'alay music and
performing arts appear to have originated in the Delantan & %attani region with influences
from India, )hina, Thailand and Indonesia. The music is based largely around the
gendang ;drum<, but includes other percussion instruments ;some made of shells<@ the
rebab ;a bowed string instrument<, the serunai ;a double&reed oboe&like instrument<, the
seruling ;flute<, and trumpets. The country has a strong tradition of dance and dance
dramas. 'ost of the older 'alay&Thai performing arts have declined in popularity due to
their 4indu & uddhist origin. !ince the Islamisation period, the arts and tourism ministry
have focused on newer dances of %ortuguese, 'iddle $astern, or 'ughal origin. In recent
years, dikir barat has grown in popularity and the government has begun to promote it as
a national cultural icon.
/
It can be seen that the interest of art started since the arrival of $uropean travelers,
colonialists and )hinese traders to this region during the +Ath century. In the +A
th
)entury, the $uropean and ritish travelers were believed to have asked 'alay and
)hinese artists to paint the local life scenes, flora and fauna for historical records as well
as private collections. These artists had been paid by the officers of the $ast India
)ompany that was based in 'alaya. ritish have introduced the genre and landscape art
in the tradition of Turner and )onstable as well as 3ealism of the %re&3aphelites era. This
continued until the +,th when $uropean #rt particularly (rench art started to create
effects on the movements of Impressionism, )ubism, !urrealism and (uturism. 9ater,
during the !econd "orld "ar, the art centre moved from %aris to 0ew 1ork. This is
when the #merican #rtists has started the movements of abstracts, %op #rt, Fp #rt,
%erformance #rt, 'inimalism, and )onceptual #rt. The 'alaysian art developed when
the local artists who travelled abroad found themselves exposed to many different
influences. It can be indicated here that the locals from foreign college has learnt a lot
from the clashes of $ast and "est cultures.
In addition to that, there is also a large extent of contribution from )hinese artist to the
'alaysian art history. This would come from the immigrants and visitors from )hina like
Ju ei 4ong who resided in %enang for several years. The local artists benefited the
knowledge of )hinese brush and calligraphy. Initially, the early migration by the )hinese
from )hina did not bring any large hopes other than to survive the basic needs of life.
#fter the standard of living improved, their artistic creativity and desire to be successful
developed.
!ome of the artists with good achievements are 9ee Dah 1eow, "ang 1au, 3ev. )huk
'or, 3ev. %ak 1uen, )hai 4ong )hung and )hung 4oong Dong. (rom the information
gathered, the beginning of +,>.'s marked the appearancee of a few exhibitions. The
earliest recorded exhibition was by 9ian Jiao Fh in +,>-. # pastel works exhibited by
4e Kui Ko followed in +,>8. In +,?/, a group of artists from three art schools ;!hanghai
(ine #rt !chool, !hanghai #rt !chool and !hanghai 7niversity of #rt< formed the !alon
#rt !tudies !ociety. It was then known as the )hinese #rt #ssociation. The purpose of
this association is to organi*ing exhibitions for foreign artists from 4ong Dong and )hina
to provide locals a closer look into their progress. !ome of the artists moved on to form
the 0anyang #cademy of (ine #rts ;0#(#< in !ingapore, on +,?A led by their founder,
9im 4ak Tai. #lthough he was not a known artist, he had a vision of developing and
expanding the institution into the longest standing art school in !ingapore.
!ome of the artist lecturers are )heong !oo %ieng, Leorgette )hen 9i 1ing, )hen "en
4si and )hen )hong !wee. 0#(# has since been widely recognised as !ingaporeHs pre&
eminent tertiary institution for artistic studies. etween +,,, and >..,, ++ of 0#(#
alumni were awarded )ultural 'edallions, the prestigious national accolade for artistic
achievements conferred by the %resident of the 3epublic of !ingapore. In addition, +. of
their promising alumni are winners of the 1oung #rtist #ward. esides that, they were
also )hinese artists who came here after the !econd "orld "ar. It is likely to point out
that these artists were trained at the art academy in !hanghai, )anton and #moy as well
as being exposed to the influence of !chool of %aris. 4ence, they were the most advanced
artists working in 'alaysia and !ingapore during that time. The 0anyang artists played a
8
big role in spreading the traditional modem art in 'alaysia through efforts such as
combining the tradition of $ast and "est, then known as 0anyang !tyle.
Then, the emergence of art history from )hinese artist is rising with the influences of the
Indonesian culture. In +,/>, )heong !oo %ieng, )hen )hong !wee, )hen "en 4si and
9iu Dang visited ali. 7pon returning to 'alaysia, they organi*ed an exhibition entitled
M(our #rtists To aliE. This inspired more artists to visit ali such as Dhaw !ia, a
%enang pioneer artist. %enang, some the earliest activity of art in 'alaysia has started as
early as the arrival of !ir (rancis 9ight in +:A8 under The $ast India )ompany. %enang
was then known as the %rince of "ales Island. 'ost $nglish artists who lived there loved
the landscape and the sea. The local artists were also supplying artworks for the $uropean
Trade )ompanies.
(rom the research, I have notice +,>. as the important stage in the %enang art history. It
was the year 1ong 'un !en came to %enang and built his studio. %enang also famous
with the beginning of %enang Impressionist which has consisted mainly of wives of
expatriates and two local artists, 'rs 9im )heng Dung and #bdullah #riff. =ue to the
colonialist restriction, local artists were refrained from 5oining this group with exception
of #bdullah #riff, as he was an art teacher to the expatriates while 'rs. 9im was the wife
of a local millionaire who gave financial support. In addition to that, %enang is the place
for the first artist to do an exhibition in 'alaysia known as Foi 4wa.
In +,>:, he and 9ee )heng 1ong was perhaps the first two 'alaysian who studies art
abroad at the !hanghai #cademy of (ine #rt. Foi 4wa painted watercolour impressionist
with strong lighting effects. "hile most of 9ee )heng 1ong works were inspired in the
tradition of %ost&Impressionists Lauguin and Ban Logh. In +,?8, )hinese artists gathered
under the influence of 1ong 'un !en and formed the %enang )hinese #rt )lub.
#fter the war ended, Tay 4ooi Deat became the first 'alaysian to study art in the
)amberwell !chool of #rt, $ngland in +,-A. This has placed %enang as the centre of
attraction for all artists after the "ar. 4e returned in +,/> with an intermediate
)ertificate in #rt and )raft and a 0ational =iploma in =esign. 4e taught at the !t.
Leorges Lirls' !chool until +,/- when he was appointed %enang !uperintendent of #rt.
In +,/:, he was appointed to the (ederal Inspectorate of the 'inistry of $ducation until
his retirement in +,8,. !oon after his return from $ngland, 4ooi Deat formed the %enang
#rt Teaches' )ouncil as the initial chairman. 4e actively shared with his fellow teachers,
the new art movement in the "est and instilled in them the ideas of art education for
school children based on free self&expression. Fne of his favourite handouts was his 2Ten
)ommandments of #rt Teaching2 which was full of wisdom and humour to guide the art
teachers. 4e was awarded the =ar5ah 1ang 'ulia %angkuan 0egara 0egara ;=%'0< by
the Lovernor of %enang in +,A8, and became the first and only visual artist to have
awarded a datukship for his many significant contributions to the nation. 4e had always
been a deeply religious man. In the last few years of his life, he painted a series of oil
paintings centred on the life of 6esus )hrist. #fter his death, he left behind an impressive
collection of ma5or paintings that will very easily survive the reappraisals of time and
safeguard his stature as a ma5or painter in the context of modern 'alaysian paintings.
:
In +,/-, the expatriates and founding members such as (ung 1ow )hork, Iakariah 0oor,
1ong %eng !eng, )hong 4ooi (ah and !yed Iainal started the !elangor #rt association.
This group met once weekly at the 'ethodist oys !chool for their portraits and
figurative works. =uring Tay 4ooi Deat time, it has give a name to %enang and has
exposed a local patron from %enang named 'ohd 4oessein $nas to (rank !ullivan before
he was been invited to migrate to Duala 9umpur. This step was a success to 4oessein and
he then formed #ngkatan %elukis !emenan5ung and became a nationally known figure.
The ob5ective of this association was to unite 'alay artists. 'ost of their members
looked upon 4oessein $nas as their mentor for his high&skilled portraiture works in oil
and pastel. !ome famous artists from #%! were ldris !alam, 'ohd !allehudin, !abtu
'ohd 1usof, 'a*li 'at !om, #hmad 4assan and Iakariah 0oor.
The late 'ohd. 4oessein $nas ;+,>- & +,,/< was a full&time painter. 4e is talented for
his portrait paintings. %lus, he had participated in numerous art exhibitions and had held
several one&man shows locally and abroad. 4e was a member of (ellow 3oyal !ociety of
#rts, 9ondonC member of oard of TrusteesC former 4ead of =esign and !taging
!ervices, 3adio and Television 'alaysiaC and founder and first %resident of #ngkatan
%elukis !emenan5ung.
In Beach Beauty, 4oessein did not intend to portray a woman in all her natural beauty.
0o one has. 4e portrays a woman as an ob5ect of contemplation or, more often, of
curiosity. 4er attractions are obvious, but she may evoke, a baffled response. esides her
futile sensuality, there is beauty of the beach which embodies the sub5ective movements
of 4oesseinHs imagination. It can be analy*e that the positive impact of 'alaysian art
scene is on +,/: when (rank !ullivan was appointed as the %ress !ecretary to Tunku
#bdul 3ahman %utra #l&4a5, the first 'alaysian %rime 'inister after Independence. 4is
hard effort to introduce local artists and their works led to the formation of the 0ational
#rt Lallery which was originally started by only a simple donation of - art works. It was
officially launched by Tunku #bdul 3ahman %utra #l&4a5 on >:th #ugust, +,/A and
featured the works of )heong 9ai Tong, )hen "en 4is, )huah Thean Teng, 'ohd
4oessein $nas, 0ik Iainal #bidin, %eter 4arris, %atrick 0g, !yed #hmad 6amal, Tay
4ooi Deat and 1ong 'un !en. !ome of those who helped to develop the 0ational #rt
Lallery were Tan !ri 'ubin !heppard, Tan !ri Lha*ali !hafie, Tan !ri #*man 4ashim,
Tan !ri Damarul #riffin, Tan !ri Iain #*rai, %rofessor 7ngku #*i* *nd 'rs %L 9im.
The 0ational #rt Lallery received their private collection in stages but two of the best
pieces were contributed by =ato 9oke "an Tho and 'r 9ee Dah 1eow, which were
valued at 3'> million.
The first 'alaysian to do a solo exhibition abroad was )huah Thean Teng. It was held in
9ondon presented by the (ederal #rt )ommittee. 4is exotic batik works, which were
produced by him at the 1ahong Lallery in +,//, increased the status of batik paintings
A
atik by )huah Thean
into the higher level of art. (ollowing his success more batik artists emerged such as
Dhalil Ibrahim, Tay 'o 9eong and Toya who received international acknowledgement.
!ome artists who received acknowledgement with a retrospective exhibition at the
0ational #rt Lallery were %eter 4arris ;+,8.<, )huah Thean Teng ;+,8/<, 'ohd
4oessein $nas ;I ,88<, )heong !oo %ieng ;+,8:<, #bdul 9atiff 'ohidin ;+,:?<, !yed
#hmad 6amal ;+,A?< 1usoff Lhani ;+,A/< and Ibrahim 4ussein ;+,A8<. Today, a proud
collection of >,/.. over pieces of art works are permanently displayed at the 0ational #rt
Lallery.
In +,8.Hs, the famous and talented artist from 'alaysia is =atuk Ibrahim 4ussein. 4is
main medium was one he devised himself and called 2printage2 N a combination of
printing and collage. 4e was born in +,?8 in the village of !ungai 9imau in the 1an
district of Dedah. # talented artist during his youth, he began studies at the 0anyang
#cademy of (ine #rts in !ingapore in +,/8. In +,/,, he moved to 9ondon, where he
studied at the yam !haw !chool of #rt and the 3oyal #cademy !chools. =uring his
time in 9ondon, he worked as a postman and film extra to survive financially, until he
was awarded an #ward of 'erit scholarship which allowed him to travel to (rance and
Italy. 9ater, he returned to 'alaysia to become a resident artist at the 7niversity of
'alaya. 4e contributed to 'alaysiaHa art history when in +,,+, he founded the Ibrahim
4ussein 'useum and )ultural (oundation in the 9angkawi rainforest, a non&profit
foundation and museum dedicated to the promotion, development and advancement of art
and culture.
(urthermore, in +,:.Hs, we have our own local graphic artist named 1usoff Lhani which
had also contributed a lot in our art industry. 4e was born in +,/. in 6ohor,. 4e is known
as 'alaysian painter, sculptor, writer, professor and curator. Friginally, he is a graphic
artist in 'alaysia between +,8, to +,:,, when he received a scholarship from the
government of 'alaysia to study graphic arts at Leorge 'ason 7niversity, Birginia,
before transition to fine arts started. It was at this 7niversity that he met "alter Dravit*, a
professor in painting, who introduced him to fine arts.
4e soon became interested in the works of the #merican #bstract $xpressionist painters
such as 6ackson %ollock and "illem de Dooning. #fter receiving the =r. urt #manda
!cholarship for the most outstanding student of art, 1usof took classes in fine arts and
eventually graduated with a achelorHs degree. 4e then continued to work for a 'asterHs
=egree at the )atholic 7niversity of #merica in "ashington =.)., and met %rofessor
Tom 0akashima who taught him the finer points in painting. "hile studying at the
)hatholic 7niversity, he be&friended the 'alaysian artist #wang =amit whose style is
influenced by #bstract $xpressionism.
#fter he completed his 'asterHs degree, he had his first solo exhibition at the prestigious
#nton Lallery in "ashington =.). 4is %rotest series, which protested the 7.!.
intervention in 0icaragua and $l !alvador at that time, was well received and even drew
rave reviews from "ashington %ostHs art critic N 6o #nn 9ewis. 7pon returning to
'alaysia, 1usof continued to work with a series of collection called Tari ;=ance<,
,
Topeng ;'ask<, "ayang ;Theater<, 4i5au ;Lreen<, !egerak ;# 'ovement<, iring
;(ighting )ockerals<, "a5ah ;(aces<, and currently working on Fmbak
;"aves<.)urrently, his mature works deals with contemporary issues concerning
'alaysian society such as social issues regarding famine and in5ustice, the nation's
history, distortions of #sian motifs and depiction of visual energy . Lhani was an
#ssociate %rofessor at the (aculty of #rt and =esign, 7niversiti Teknologi '#3#,
!elangor, 'alaysia. "hile at 7iT', 4e taught many young artists that became popular
contemporary artists in 'alaysia such as 1usri !ulaiman. 4e is currently represented by
$!%I (ine #rts in 'alaysia.
In late A.Hs and ,.Hs, there is emergence a lot of young artist in 'alaysia. Fne of them is
ayu 7tomo 3ad5ikin who was born in the $ast 'alaysian state of !abah and was trained
as a painter and sculptor at the IT' !chool of #rt and =esign during the late $ighties. 4e
belongs to a significant younger generation of 'alaysian artists that was responsible for
bringing back serious figurative art pursuits within the local art scene during the +,,.s.
Bujang Berani means MBujang the raveE. This work belongs to a series of similar
works that were executed in his final year of studies at IT', dealing with the theme of
the screaming Dayak chieftain. They are all the more remarkable when one considers that
this young IT' 'uslim art student had ventured to employ influences derived from
another religious context, namely, the rich Dayak culture of !arawak.
4is sculpture )ang +a#ang ;+,,+<, as seen below, depicts a warrior dressed in a
traditional armour of the =ayak tribe. The warriorHs head is tilted high towards the sky
with anguish and agony, whereas his body is stiff and rigid. (irstly, the use of found
materials such as discarded industrial parts and metal and feathers suggest the
backwardness of tradition compared to the progress to the >+st century. The body of the
warrior is made of rusting metal, suggesting that OprogressH has caused tradition and
marginali*ed tribes in 'alaysia to be eroded and faded in time. Thus artists such as
7tomo relate to progress as a criticism to the gradual erosion of culture. 7tomo also
believes that progress of science and technology poses a threat to marginali*ed tribes at
the borders of 'alaysia. The feather headdress on the warriorHs head and expression of
the warrior shows pride for his tribe, while the body of metal seems to be bounding his
body tightly, restricting the movement of his body, suggesting that he is paralysed and
that society is restricting the growth of humans, especially tribal life and happiness. 4is
body appears bandaged up with the twining of the metal, showing that this tribe has
suffered emoitional scars and even battle scars from the war with modern day science and
technology.
It can be concluded that 'alaysian art history is taking place by the multiplicity of
culture in the country. It has many influences from "est and $astern that has spice up the
traditional 'alay culture. #s a result, it is agreeable that 'alaysiaHs art history is very
important and has become a valuable source to pass on to the next generation.
+.
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++
+>