For the first time ever, His Royal Highness Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj has given consent for 33 paintings in his expansive private art collection to be showcased to the public in an exhibition organised by Galeri Prima.
The exhibition, Terrains of the Heart, is held in conjunction with the launch of Galeri Prima, which was officiated by His Royal Highness on 30 September 2017 as a hub for the art community in Malaysia.
Terrains of the Heart is a showcase of works rendered by 14 artists, all of which intrigue and delight, with every piece meticulously selected by HRH Tuanku himself. Outside the palaces walls, no one has seen these works, until now.
Terrains of the Heart shows us what these paintings encompass: life and love. It gives us an intimate look into the heart of its owner HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
Father and Son is extra special to HRH Tuanku.
Not only was it painted by his dear friend Datuk Ibrahim Hussein, HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah bought it as a birthday present for his only son, Raja Muda Selangor HH Tengku Amir Shah. And Tengku Amir had kindly consented for the painting to be shown at the exhibition.
Father and Son encapsulates Terrains of the Heart. Painted in a shadowy manner of a patriarch and offspring huddled in a fierce embrace, it is simultaneously peculiar and haunting.
Of sublime visages, Ibrahim’s brilliant executions easily steal the show. HRH Tuanku has, in his personal trove, over 20 of the late artist’s works.
Six of Ibrahim’s works are on display: Kimono(1996), Helmet (2000), HRH Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Selangor (1985), (1983), Lovers (2002) and Father and Son (2008).
Ahmad Nazri Abdullah, another royal painter, has painted more than 100 official portraits, including 14 portraits of the Yang DiPertuan Agong. HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has chosen Ahmad Nazri’s paintings of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (1978), Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (2003) for this show. To him, the most difficult part in painting portraits of royalty is the songket.
Another Royal Painter, appointed by HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, is Datuk Azman Yusof, whose works are, plainly put, riveting.
HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has over 300 of Azman’s works in his personal collection. And six of Azman’s works are on display at the galeri: Mimbar Masjid Sultan Alaeddin Suleiman Shah, Kuala Langat (1999), Y. Jugra (2000), Sultan Salahuddin Shah (2003)Masjid Negeri Selangor (2009)Dugaan (2010) and Dalang (2014).
Azman’s paintings are undeniably beautiful but the magic is in his assuredness and his almost supernatural gift for autobiographical accuracy, immaculate execution and honesty which charmingly disarms.
A clear favourite would be Dugaan, especially commissioned by HRH Tuanku during aplayful epiphany. The setting is a backdrop of an eatery, aptly called Halal Restaurant. A man, upon returning from prayers at the mosque, walks to his next destination. The Temptress passed him by, her revealing scarlet dress battling against the cheeky wind. As she struggled to keep what little modesty she began with, the man gripped his tasbih (prayer beads) and unashamedly stared.
Of Royal painters, Datuk Mohamad Hoessein Enas deserves unwavering accolades. He was the Royal Painter of HRH Tuanku’s father, Almarhum HRH Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.
Hoessein’s paintings are soft and polite, incisively striking, densely solid. They are painted virtuoso-like, which sweeps you off your feet.
The Father of Malaysia Portraiture has two paintings on show; Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah (1968) and Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, HRH Tuanku’s grandmother, painted in the same year. Hoessein painted HRH Tengku Ampuan Jemaah perfectly, her fiercely intelligent eyes made it that much harder to look at for long. You are glued and fascinated and rooted to the spot.
Few do not know of Haron Mokhtar the painter who made breathing space an indelible part of his work. In Before Penang III (1998), Siri Dukung IV (2001), Penghulu Natar I (2013) and Perkahwinan Baba Nyonya (2014), Haron displays an innate aptitude and sensitivity to his surroundings and to cultures he holds dear and near.
Jaafar Taib is among the top artists, cartoonists and caricaturists in Malaysia. He is also a noted wildlife and avian artist, having painted for numerous elites and royalty.
In Ayam Hutan (1983), Crested Searpent Eagle (1987), Crestles Fireback (1987) and Orang Utan II (2015), he paints in a free and almost impressionistic brush strokes. This exceptional artist believes that humour is an indispensable component in cartoons and is one our best cartoonists and caricaturists.
Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid, more commonly known at Lat, is Malaysia’s much loved cartoonist. Lat style has been described as reflective of his early influences, The Beano and The Dandy. He has, however, come into his own way of illustration, drawing the common man on the streets with bold strokes in pen and ink. A trademark of his Malay characters is their three-loop noses.
Rewang, a 165 cm x 165cm, drawing is his largest scale painting to date. This indeed is a rare piece as this is his first and last huge drawing.
Anisa Abdullah has an exceptional approach in collage, which she uses to express personal narrative, vintage and metropolitan symbolism as well as her own past experiences. Her work is made entirely from snips of paper; each piece carefully selected for its colour tone and print style. The result is a seamless blend not unlike the careful shadings of a painted work.
Her 2013 piece of HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s granddaughter, Layla, based on a photograph HRH Tuanku took when she was a year old is simply mesmeric those innocent wide eyes and gleeful air is contagious.
Ilse Noor’s 1986 etching on paper Istana Bandar Jugra demonstrates the artist’s skill and deftness so beautifully, whilst Datuk Chuah Thean Teng 1982 Ibu dan Anak and 1983 Mendodoi Anak prove why he is our Father of Batik Painting. Teng, as he was affectionately known, immortalises instants of a child’s young life seized for eternity
There is so much more: Raja Azhar Idris blindingly lovely Wayang Kulit (1990), Shafie Hassan’s 1989 Membuat Tudung , Datuk Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir’s awe-inspiring 2003 and Abdul Fatah Ngah’s 1996 Wayang.
Apart from these, selected still photos of His Royal Highness and family members, carefully selected from the archives of The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad (NSTP) Resource Centre, are also on display.
These photographs, dating back from as early as 1952, give a glimpse into HRH Tuanku’s private and official life. They have been picked for their intrinsic value, tracing HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s journey as a prince to being the Raja Muda of Selangor and later to become the Sultan.
Learn more about the exhibition: E-Catalogue
