Islamic influence on local art

Curatorial walk-through: (From) Prof Muliyadi with Mohammad Medan, Ismawi and Galeri Petronas director Rosli A.Rahim.

Galeri Petronas launched its latest exhibition recently — ‘Taman Nurani’ — a display of 56 local artworks that highlight the expression of Islamic influence in contemporary Malaysian art.

Themed “Islamic Impressions in Malaysian Contemporary Art”, Taman Nurani invites visitors to appreciate the beauty and richness of the works by 27 artists including National Art Laureate Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, Abdul Latiff Mohidin, Omar Basaree, Khatijah Sanusi, Datuk Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Raja Zahabuddin, Husin Hourman, Nizar Kamal Ariffin and more.

Petronas group corporate affairs senior general manager Datuk Mohammad Medan Abdullah said: “The Taman Nurani exhibition enables Malaysians to appreciate Islamic influence on Malaysian contemporary art. “Galeri Petronas has been advocating contemporary Malaysian art over the last decade and our latest exhibition exemplifies our commitment and effort to educate the public and create awareness of Malaysian contemporary art development.

“The exhibition features local artists who have contributed to a flourishing contemporary art scene in the country. “We hope the exhibition will be a reference point for current and future generations to distinguish the distinctive and stylistic approaches of our prominent artists in creating different types of artworks.”

The artworks are from the Petronas Art Collection, National Visual Art Gallery and private collectors in the country.

Curated by Prof Dr Muliyadi Mahamood from the Faculty of Art and Design, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam, the exhibition is divided into four categories — Cultural and Traditional Motifs: The Continuation of Tradition in Contemporary Art; Landscape: Reflections of God’s Greatness; Calligraphy: Stylistic Transformation in Contemporary Art; and Abstract Works: Manifestations of Spirituality.

Muliyadi commented that there was a lack of public understanding on Islamic impressions in contemporary artworks as many do not realise that it is much more than just calligraphy.

“Throughout the years, Galeri Petronas has been instrumental in supporting the local contemporary art movement. “I hope the gallery’s latest offering will not only uphold the dynamic and diverse nature of Islamic impressions in Malaysian contemporary art, but also promote a better understanding of Islamic perspective in contemporary art,” he said.

The exhibition was launched on Jan 11 by International Islamic University Malaysia’s International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) dean Prof Ismawi Zen and is open for public viewing at Galeri Petronas, Level 3, Suria KLCC until Feb 17.

Various public programmes have also been organised to complement the exhibition, including a curatorial walk-through by Prof Muliyadi, a calligraphy workshop and a lecture by Dr Choong Kam Kow, an internationally recognised local artist and a prominent academician in art and design.

An Islamic Art Forum — Confluence of Thoughts & Ideas, moderated by Muliyadi will be held at Galeri Petronas today, at 10am. The panelists include Dr Ruzaika Omar Basaree, Dr Siti Zainon, Dr Sulaiman Esa and Ustaz Don Daniyal. For details, call 03-2051 5634 / email rashil@petronas.com.my(Rashidah) or 03-2051 0901 / email haslizan_jemeli@petronas.com.my(Haslizan).

-thestar online.