The Manifestation of Malaysian Abstract Expressionist Art in the Context of Malaysian Modern Art (The Late 1950s-2010s)
Abstract
Malaysian Abstract Expressionist art has continued to impact and influence the nation’s art scene since the late 1950s. Malaysian artists such as Syed Ahmad Jamal, Yeoh Jin Leng, Latiff Mohidin and Chew Teng Beng have experimented and explored with abstraction in pursuit of their distinctive style, adding to the dynamic and ever-evolving context of Malaysian art. As the earliest proponents of Abstract Expressionist art in Malaysia, their influences are still strong today, as can be observed in the works of the following artists who achieved prominence in the Malaysian abstract art scene in the late 1970s: Sharifah Fatimah Zubir, Yusof Ghani, Rafiee Ghani, Suzlee Ibrahim and Awang Damit Ahmad. Thus, this paper aims to elucidate the connection between abstract art creativity and the aforementioned artists by examining the selected artworks produced by them. In this case, the domesticating strategy facilitated the transformation of Abstract Expressionism into the art creation of nine Malaysian artists, who used diverse abstraction approaches to convey their inner spirit. Based on the authors’ observation, the diverse abstraction trends bridge a connection between these two generations of Malaysian artists. Through the application of Edmund Felman’s visual analysis method, their works are observed to exhibit a variety of abstraction trends that have contributed to the diversification of Malaysian Abstract Expressionist art, which can be seen in gestural, pure, organic and calligraphic abstraction.
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Atkins, R. (1990). Art speak. Abbeville Press.
Barcio, P. (2016). What is gestural abstraction in painting? IDEELART. https://www.ideelart.com/magazine/gestural-abstraction.
Chu Li. (1989). Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Enter My Garden. PERNAS, International Building.
D’Zul Haimi Hj Md Zain. (2009). Syed Ahmad Jamal: PELUKIS. Balai Seni Lukis Negara.
Dato Mohd Yusof Ahmad Haned Masjak, Hasimah Nyok, Norsharzeela Sharudin Faizal Sidek, Osmihamidy Osman, Rosaniza Abbidin. (2012). 60 Tahun Latiff Mohidin retrospektif. Balai Seni Visual Negara.
EDGE GALERIE. (2015). Shared Passion. The Edge Galerie.
Feldman., E. B. (1994). Practical art criticism. Prentice Hall.
G13 Gallery. (2021). In conversation with Suzlee Ibrahim: Selected series 2005–2017. Youtube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI0AHRkJq8w&list=TLGGdc6xkQsLc5QxNTAxMjAyNA&t=273s.
Guggenheim. (2009). The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860–1989. Guggenheim.https://www.guggenheim.org/teaching-materials/the-third-mindamerican-artists-contemplate-asia-1860-1989
Haffendi Anuar. (2009). Kalam: Impressions of calligraphy. Three Hundred Sixty Sdn Bhd.
Heide, C. (2010). The Alhambra in Britain: Between foreignization and domestication. Art in Translation, 2(2), 201–221. https://doi.org/10.2752/175613110X12706508989497
Hiranmayii Awli Mohanan. (2021). Dato Sharifah Fatimah: Vibrant and vivacious.” Art Feature, KL Lifestyle. https://www.kl-lifestyle.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/
Dato-Sharifah-Fatimah-Syed-Zubir-Bio.pdf.
Ho, Kay Tat. (2015). First lady of Malaysian abstract art. In Recent Works by Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Zubir. The Edge Galerie.
Joseph, B. W. (2003). Random order. The MIT PRESS.
Koay, S. (1994). Gelombang. In Pago-Pago to Gelombang, 40 Years of Latiff Mohidin. Singapore Art Museum.
Lai, C. K., Fan, P., & Soon, S. (2017). Gerak rupa ubur penyataan 1957-1973. Jospeh, R (Ed.). IB Tower Gallery Sdn Bhd.
Li Pan. (2011). Foreignized or domesticated: Investigating translation for enhancing artistic dialogue. Journal of Universal Language, 12(1), 111–156.
Ling, B. I. C. & Sarena Abdullah. (2023). Socially responsive performance art: The history and context of selected performance art in Malaysia. Wacana Seni Journal of Arts Discourse, 22. 1–16. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21315/ws2023.22.1
Low, Y. (2015). Becoming professional artists in postwar Singapore and Malaya: Developments in art during a time of political transition. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 46(3). 463–84. https://doi.org/10.1017/S002246341500034X
Lucie-Smith, E. (1984). Abstract Expressionism. In Movements in Art since 1945, 25–51. Thames and Hudson Ltd.
Muliyadi Mahamood. (2002). Capturing nostalgia in Alun-Alun ke Marista. In Alun-Alun Ke Marista, Awang Damit Ahmad, 1996-2002. Balai Seni Lukis Negara.
Ocvirk, O. G., Stinson, R. E., Wigg, P. R., Bone, R. O. & Cayton, D. L. (2009). Abstraction. In Art Fundamentals, Theory and Practice. McGraw-Hill.
Paul. (2014, July 9). Awaited retrospective by artist-cum-scholar. New Straits Times. https://
www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/awaited-retrospective-artist-cum-scholar.
Rafiee Ghani. (2016). Homeland. Homeland by Rafiee Ghani. The Edge Galerie.
Redza Piyadasa. (1994). On Origins and Beginning. In T. K.Sabapathy, Vision and idea: Re-looking modern Malaysian art, 13–48. National Art Gallery.
Rusli Hashim. (1996). An interview with Yusof Ghani. In Yusof Ghani Sri Tari-Topeng. Rusli Hashim Fine Art.
Safrizal Sahir. (2010). The Aliya and Farouk Khan collection. The Aliya and Farouk Khan Collection.
Safrizal Shahir. (2012). Abstract themes and approaches in Malaysian modern art. In Imagining Identities Volume 1. RogueArt.
Sarena Abdullah. (2009, October 9–11). The Localization of Abstract Expressionist Style in Malaysia Art [Proceedings]. ICSSH 2009: Proceedings of the 2009 International Conference on Social Science and Humanities, Singapore. 201–205.
Sarena Abdullah. (2013). Contextualizing abstraction and abstract expressionist art in Malaysia. [Conference]. 5th International Conference on Southeast Asia (ICONSEA 2013).
Sarena Abdullah. (2021). Internationalising arts, gaining visibility: Internationalisation of the National Art Gallery through the promulgation of the Malayan identity and Commonwealth ideals. Trans-Regional and National Studies of Southeast Asia, 10(1). 1-15. doi:10.1017/trn.2021.17
Sarena Abdullah & Chow Sow Yeng. (2024). The shaping of Malaysian abstract expressionist
art in the context of Malaysian modern art (1950s-1970s). Jurnal Antarabangsa Dunia Melayu. 17(1). 57–82. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.37052/jm.17(1)no3
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir. (2008). Note of a Journey 40@60 Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir. Art Folio Kuala Lumpur.
Smith, L. (2011). Zen Buddhism and mid-century American art. University of Stony Brook University.
Syed Ahmad Jamal. (1982). Seni lukis Malaysia-25 tahun. Balai Seni Lukis Negara.
Syed Ahmad Jamal. (1988). Contemporary paintings of Malaysia. National Art Gallery.
T. K. Sabapathy. (1994). Pago-Pago to Mindscape. In Pago-Pago to Gelombang, 40 Years of Latiff Mohidn. Singapore Art Museum.
T. K. Sabapathy. (1995). Yeoh Jin Leng, art and thoughts 1952-1995. National Art Gallery.
T. K. Sabapathy & Redza Piyadasa. (1983). Modern artists of Malaysia. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Tan Chee Khuan. (2015). 310 Malaysian Artists. The Art Gallery.
Teng Chok Dee. (1998). Trengganu and the art of Chew Teng Beng. In Dr. Chew Teng Beng. A retrospective: 45 Years of selected works. Penang State Art Gallery (PSAG).
Wang, L. (2013). A survey on domestication and foreignization theories in translation. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(1), 175–79. https://doi.org/doi:10.4304/tpls.3.1.175-179.
Wang, F. (2014). An approach to domestication and foreignization from the angle of cultural factors translation. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(11), 2423–27. https://doi.org/doi:10.4304/tpls.4.11.2423-2427.
Wharton, D. (1971). The artists. Contemporary Artists of Malaysia. Union Cultural Organization Sdn Bhd.
Yang, W. (2010). Brief study on domestication and foreignization in translation. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 1(1), 77–80. https://doi.org/doi:10.4304/jltr.1.1.77-80.
ZATISTA. (2023). What is organic abstract art. ZATISTA. https://www.zatista.com/art/blog/2023/01/what-is-organic-abstract-art/.
Published
2024-07-24
How to Cite
ABDULLAH, Sarena; SOW YENG, Chow.
The Manifestation of Malaysian Abstract Expressionist Art in the Context of Malaysian Modern Art (The Late 1950s-2010s).
Melayu: Jurnal Antarabangsa Dunia Melayu, [S.l.], v. 17, n. 2, p. 237-266, july 2024.
ISSN 2682-8049.
Available at: <https://jurnal.dbp.my/index.php/Melayu/article/view/8929>. Date accessed: 21 dec. 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.37052/jm.17(2)no4.
Section
Articles
