Friday 7 December 2007

The cover painting


All covers of the New Malaysian Essays series will feature a Malaysian art work by someone I know. As I don't know all that many artists, the series might be shorter-lived than I initially thought...

The first cover features a detail from Ahmad Fuad Osman's oil painting titled Hoi Hoi...Apa Ni? Dia Kata Hang Salah, Hang Kata Dia Tak Betoi, Sapa yang Salah Sapa Yang Betoi Ni??!! Hangpa Ni Sebenaqnya Nak Apaaaa??? It was made in 1999, measures 252cm by 272 cm, and is used courtesy of its owners Pakharuddin & Fatimah Sulaiman.

I have known Fuad for about a decade and this is among his more striking works. It was painted at the height of the reformasi era but even without the political context, I like how lacking in serenity it is. Choosing it as the cover is my way of anticipating how the Malaysian public would welcome a book of damn long and frequently argumentative essays.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chantek. Saya jeles benget.

Anonymous said...

layan my short kasi comments skit http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/collection/transcriptions/film/thefragmented/default.htm

n this is my blog http://kamalariffin.blogspot.com/

budak baru blajar.. thanks

Anonymous said...

belajar lagi kamal. jangan mudah mengalah.

Amir Muhammad said...

Kamal, let's meet when you come back to the bitchiness of Malaysia. And give my regards to my old school friend CDen (does Rashidin still call himself that?)

Martin Bradley said...

This is an amazing painting - one that I desire to observe face to canvas.

It would seem that Ahmad Faud Osman has brought Munch's 'Scream' kicking and yelling into the post-modern Malaysian context

Perhaps the work needs to be re-entitled 'Enough!'(Cukup). The painted figure reacts in such torment, pain and anguish which project onto the viewer. Just as with his 'Aagghh... Get Your Filthy
Hand Out Of My Face' 1999, Faud drags the observer into his debate with our sympathies, empathies and senses assailed.

Thank you Ahmad Fuad Osman

ainguzzle said...

suke gambar yg malaysia rapuh tuh. during this exhibition la kot i saw it